GW Fins' Crawfish Étouffée Recipe

A Louisiana classic, crawfish étouffée is one that is not to be missed during crawfish season. Its rich, buttery sauce laid over a bed of warm rice allows this dish to stand alone or complement another ingredient, like American red snapper. Gather your friends under a clear blue sky this spring and soak up true Cajun flavors with GW Fins' crawfish étouffée recipe!

Crawfish Étouffée Recipe

(Serves 4 as main dish)

Ingredients:

3⁄4  pound (3 sticks) salted butter

2 cups diced onions

1⁄2 cup diced red (and/or green or yellow) bell pepper

2 tablespoons Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Seasoning Blends Shrimp Magic or Creole Seasoning 

1⁄2 cup water or  Shrimp Stock 

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

1 (1-pound) package domestic peeled and cleaned crawfish tails

1 bunch green onions, chopped

Hot cooked jasmine rice

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onions. Cover and cook on low to medium heat to "sweat" the onions until soft but without coloring, about 30 minutes. Add the diced peppers and the Shrimp Magic, cover, and continue cooking an additional 15 minutes. Add the water or stock, bring to a boil, and whisk in the cornstarch and water slurry. Simmer for a few minutes and turn off the heat. The mixture will be broken and oily at first, but you will be able to whisk it together as it cools.

If serving right away, stir in the crawfish tails and green onion and return it to a simmer for a couple of minutes. If the sauce "breaks," just continue whisking until it comes back together.

Serve in warmed pasta bowls over hot rice.

If you plan to use it later, don't add the crawfish tails or green onion. It can be refrigerated up to 1 week. To serve, reheat slowly, whisking all the while, and add the crawfish tails and green onion.