Louisiana Crawfish Etouffee

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A classic Louisiana Cajun stew featuring tender crawfish tails simmered in a rich, blonde roux-based sauce with the holy trinity of bell pepper, onion, and celery. Served over a mound of fluffy white rice, this iconic dish captures the soul of Bayou Country home cooking.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 580 kcalCalories
• 22 gFat
• 11 gSaturated Fat
• 65 gCarbs
• 4 gFiber
• 6 gSugar
• 28 gProtein
• 780 mgSodium
• 650 mgPotassium
• 130 mgCalcium
• 4 mgIron
• 28 mgVitamin C
• 450 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the blonde roux and base

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups seafood or crawfish stock

For the seasoning and crawfish

• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp Cajun or Creole seasoning
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 lbs peeled crawfish tails with fat
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

For finishing and serving

• 4 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Louisiana hot sauce to taste

Directions

1. In a heavy Dutch oven or cast-iron pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 18 to 22 minutes until the roux turns a smooth, peanut-butter brown. Do not rush or let it scorch.
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the roux and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
3. Pour in the tomato sauce and seafood stock, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift any browned bits. Add the bay leaves, Cajun seasoning, paprika, thyme, cayenne, and Worcestershire. Bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens to a gravy-like consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
5. Stir the crawfish tails (along with any crawfish fat) and lemon juice into the pot. Simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes just until the crawfish are heated through and tender; avoid boiling or they will turn rubbery.
6. Remove the bay leaves. Spoon the etouffee generously over mounds of hot white rice and garnish with green onions and parsley. Serve immediately with hot sauce on the side.

Cook’s Notes

• Patience is key for the roux: stir constantly over medium-low heat until it reaches a warm caramel color; a blonde roux gives nutty depth without overpowering the crawfish.
• If you can find Louisiana crawfish with the fat ( hepatopancreas), include it for authentic, rich flavor.
• Add crawfish tails at the very end and never boil hard; high heat makes them tough and rubbery.
• For extra depth, deglaze the vegetables with 2 tablespoons of dry white wine before adding the stock.
• Etouffee tastes even better the next day; reheat gently with a splash of stock to loosen the sauce.

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