2020 has been a full-blown ‘Crawfish Etouffee’ year. Since Crawfish Etouffee equates to comfort in our house, we have decided to rename 2020 to this.
If we have ever needed comfort, this has been the year. From pandemics, to job losses, drops in income, and other catastrophes, it just seems like this world has gone crazy.
When things go bad, we reach for our own brand of comfort. Some head to a loved one, some to Grandma’s apron, and others to forget about the problems through a passion, such as a craft or work.
For us, we look for something that will take us away from our troubles, at least momentarily. We count our blessings.
And there is no easier way to count blessings than when taking a deep breath of the aroma of Crawfish Etouffee on the stove.
Are you ready to cook away all the problems of 2020, a bad day at work, or anything else that is wreaking havoc in your world?
Then grab your cast iron pan, a big spoon and start cooking up some delicious comfort food!
Just so you know: This post contains affiliate links; if you click on a link and make a purchase I might make a small commission, but it does not affect the price you pay!
Crawfish Etouffee
Ingredients:
- ¾ Vegetable Oil
- ½ cup Flour
- 2 medium Onions, chopped
- 3 ribs Celery, chopped
- 5 cloves Garlic, finely minced
- 2 Bell peppers, chopped
- ¼ cup Butter
- 1 T. Tomato paste
- 16 oz. Chicken broth
- 1 – 2 cups Water
- 2 – chicken-flavored Boullon cubes, dissolved in 1 cup water
- 1 T. Tony Chachere’s
- 1—1-1/2 t. Black Pepper
- 1 t. Louisiana Hot Sauce (or Tabasco)
- 2 pkgs. (or 2 pounds cooked) Crawfish
Directions:
Pour oil into a cast-iron Dutch oven. When heated (not smoking), sprinkle flour over the top and incorporate into the oil until smooth.
Cook until the color of peanut butter. In a separate pan, saute vegetables until tender. When roux is ready, add vegetables, and blend well. Add butter, tomato paste and broth; mix well.
Add chicken broth, water, seasonings and crawfish. Mix well. Cook for approximately 30 minutes to an hour until the Etouffee reaches a slightly medium thickness. Serve over rice.
A Couple of Tips:
There are several ways to find crawfish. Around here, folks love a heavy rain. That usually means there are crawfish that start coming up in ditches.
It is a normal site to see crawfish nets sunk into standing water, (with a little raw chicken to use as bait).
You can also purchase them pre-cooked from seafood shops and other vendors. These you will have to peel yourself. Just make sure to save all those shells to make a delicious seafood broth for later.
A third way is to buy them shelled and frozen from the grocery store. HOWEVER! Let me just warn you. Crawfish from Lousiana is the absolute best, in flavor and care in packaging, and is our go-to for making Crawfish Etouffee.
If you cannot find Louisiana crawfish, your second best bet is with the United States as the country of origin.
Beware of any crawfish where the country of origin is overseas. This is usually…how shall I say it politely…. a good way to make your Crawfish Etouffee less than tasty. We learned the hard way not to trust it.
Tony’s & Hot Sauce
As far as the spices go, we have tried other spice blends for our Crawfish Etouffee and other dishes, but haven’t found any that work as well as Tony Chachere’s.
We have discovered, though, that it is difficult to find outside of southern states. If you are questioning ordering it, I promise. You will love it, and soon find yourself using it for your own Crawfish Etouffee and other meals.
The same goes with Hot Sauce. We have narrowed our own choice down to two – Louisiana Hot Sauce, with Tobasco being a close second place!
Did you enjoy this Crawfish Etouffee recipe? Check out other delicious southern family recipes in my The Farm Wife Cookbook! (you can also get 9 free ones to try it out, first!)
Need More Comfort?
Here in the south, when we need comfort, the first thing we do is grab a cast iron pot and start cooking up a pot of Crawfish Etouffee or Gumbo.
We also sit down, determine why we are ‘uncomfortable’ and begin to make a plan. We work on making changes, adjustments, and if necessary, aren’t afraid to change our lifestyles a complete 180.
Are you thinking about making a lifestyle adjustment? Then let me help you out. Keep reading to find out how you can do that, and then stop by the Marketplace for Your Lifestyle Plan. It’s a perfect way to hit ‘reset’ and move on to the beautiful life you were mean to have!
Did you make a pot of Crawfish Etouffe?
If you don’t have time to make French Bread, then Aunt Dot’s Hot Rolls work just as well! And don’t forget dessert – think ‘Chocolate Sheet Cake’!
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