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A long-handled silver spoon stirring crawfish in a rich sauce.

Crawfish Étouffée, To Etouffée Is To Smother

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This smothered crawfish or shrimp recipe in a buttery white sauce is flavored with the Cajun trinity and a kick of cayenne. The étouffée is served over rice and enjoyed as a favorite classic Southern Louisiana dish.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1.5 sticks (.75 cup) of real salted butter
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped bell pepper
  • 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
  • .33 cup cornstarch
  • 2 pounds fresh or frozen crawfish or shrimp (peeled and cleaned)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • .25 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less
  • water
  • parsley, chopped; optional

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan.
  2. Add vegetables and cook on medium heat until onions are transparent, about 10-15 minutes.
  3. Do not brown the vegetables.
  4. Add cornstarch, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
  5. Before you add the crawfish, pass your hand through them, removing any pieces of shell or black veins.
  6. Stir the shellfish into the cornstarch and vegetable mixture.
  7. Add salt and pepper stirring well, then add a little water, about .25 cup at a time, until it is the consistency of a thick gravy. 
  8. Adjust heat to let simmer covered on medium to medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  9. Add a small amount of water if the gravy needs thinning.
  10. Sprinkled with chopped parsley and stir.
  11. Serve over cooked rice.

Notes

  • The amount of water added may vary each time you make this recipe, depending on the crawfish or shrimp. Some crawfish and shrimp have more water in them than others.
  • Substitute crawfish with shrimp for a shrimp etouffee dish.
  • Author: Louisiana Woman
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Category: Seafood
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