Crawfish Etouffee Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken crawfish etouffee? ›

Flour: All-purpose flour thickens the étouffée. Tomato sauce: Canned tomato sauce lends even more depth of flavor.

There are a variety of delicious side dishes that can be served with crawfish etouffee. Some of the best options include rice, potatoes, and green beans.

Crawfish étouffée is a simple dish of sweet and meaty crawfish served up in a rich and flavorful gravy that is made from a quick roux. The dish includes the Cajun holy trinity of onions, bell peppers and celery, along with lots of garlic, spicy Cajun seasonings, and fresh chopped herbs.

The crawfish have a slightly more earthy flavor than shrimp, and the dish is typically a bit more rustic. I also like that crawfish etouffee is often made with a tomato-based sauce, which gives it a slightly different flavor profile than shrimp etouffee.

Étouffée is the French word for "smothered," and what it really describes is a Cajun and Creole cooking method in which a protein like shrimp is cooked on the stovetop in a thick, roux-based sauce.

What's in an Étouffée Sauce? Étouffée is a type of stew if you want to get technical. It's made with a roux, onion, celery, and bell pepper (the holy trinity), tomato, garlic, hot sauce, and either shrimp, crawfish, or chicken.

My trick for the crawfish tail meat is to add fresh squeezed lemon juice to them before adding into the light roux base with vegetables. That way, if you are introducing yourself to the crawfish world, you won't be put off by the fishy smell.

Crawfish is a lean protein and crawfish tails are a great way to get a meal on the table. Usually an etouffee includes lots of butter and/or oil and is not healthy. What's great about my recipe is this easy crawfish recipe tastes just as good and it is a diabetic crawfish etouffee.

Brown roux is the foundation of roux-based New Orleans dishes such as étouffée and gumbo. Of the three types of roux, brown roux is the darkest and most flavorful. Its color can range from a peanut butter color to a maple syrup color.

How to season crawfish? ›

After boiling the crawfish for 15 minutes, give them a 3-minute soak. Then add another box of salt, a few more ounces of pepper, and 1 more stick of butter, stir them well, and serve. That's how I remember eating them as a child— it's the classic style of Cajun cooking.

Etouffee can be found in both Creole and Cajun cuisine, with slight but important differences in the seasoning and preparation of each version. Creole etouffee uses a traditional French-style roux made from butter and flour while the roux for Cajun etouffee is made with oil, lard, or other animal fats.

An authentic Louisiana recipe with a rich and spicy fresh tomato-based roux with fresh garlic, bell peppers, celery and onions mixed with crawfish and shrimp. A little time consuming but well worth it! Serve over steamed rice with hushpuppies and/or crackers on the side.

As a side note, many true foodies and culinary experts will tell you that a true Cajun crawfish etouffee does not contain tomatoes. The addition of tomato is a Creole way of preparing the dish.

Use Flour and Water

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency.

To make a creole version, add a can of diced tomatoes (drained) when adding the stock. Thicken: Add 1 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch to water and then slowly pour the mixture into the etouffee, whisking constantly. Thin: Whisk in additional stock until it reaches the desired consistency.

Add Cornstarch or Flour: Mix a slurry of cornstarch or flour with water or broth until smooth, then gradually stir it into the sauce while simmering until desired thickness is reached.

The most readily available sauce-thickener is flour. For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as steak sauce recipes.