Crawfish Étouffée

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 5 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

The word étouffée (pronounced eh-too-fey) comes from the French word“to smother.”  The best way to describe this dish is a very thick stew, seasoned to perfection and chock full of delicious, plump crawfish (or shrimp) served over rice. I wanted to do a dish from New Orleans just because. Haha. I hope you love this dish.

According to culinary history, étouffée was first served in the Hebert Hotel in the early 1920s when Mrs. Hebert, along with her daughters, Yoli and Marie, made crawfish étouffée using crawfish tails, crawfish fat, onions and pepper. Later on, the Heberts shared their recipe with their friend, Aline Guidry Champagne. Ms. Champagne later opened a restaurant, the RendezVous Café, and began serving the dish there.

In some ways, crawfish étouffée is similar to gumbo – same types of Creole seasonings, served over rice, and made with a roux, but unlike gumbo, étouffée is often made with a“blonde”roux, giving it a lighter color and a very different almost sweet flavor. It’s a unique taste you won’t soon forget and worth trying at home.

I want to go to New Orleans someday to visit the beautiful places and food. I have seen many different Netflix shows where the main characters visit New Orleans or live there. They show the food they eat and the adorable places they visit.

❑ 1 stick (¼ pound) butter

❑ 2 cups chopped onions

❑ 1 cup chopped celery

❑ ½ cup chopped bell peppers

❑ 1 pound peeled crawfish tails (or shrimp)

❑ 2 bay leaves

❑ White Rice (optional)

❑ 1 tablespoon flour

❑ 1 cup water

❑ 1 teaspoon salt

❑ ¼ teaspoon cayenne

❑ 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

❑ 3 tablespoons chopped green onions