Comforting Crawfish Etouffee Recipe

Étouffée is a classic Louisiana stew that is somewhat similar to other Cajun and Creole favorites liuke gumbo or jambalaya. What sets étouffée apart from similar dishes is the fact that it's a stew rather than a soup, one that's almost always loaded with crawfish, another Louisiana staple. "When I was making this recipe, the temp outside was hovering in the teens," recipe developer Patterson Watkins says of her comforting crawfish étouffée recipe. To remedy the cold temps, Watkins borrowed recipe inspiration from a state notorious for hot summers and even hotter dishes, and the result definitely paid off.

Watkins describess just what makes this étouffée recipe such a winner: "The warming Cajun spices, the hearty combo of stewed veggies plus crawfish plus rice, and the rib-sticky-ness of the thickened étouffée sauce will warm your mind and body," she says, assuring us that's what it did for her. Despite having a somewhat intimidating ingredients list, the process of making étouffée at home is remarkably easy, involving one pot and just an hour of time. Perhaps the most difficult part is prepping the crawfish, should you only be able to find them live. We'll provide tips later on to ensure a successful étouffée, from shelling the crawfish all the way to sprinkling on the final chive garnish.

This recipe starts out with a roux consisting of butter and flour. Then, like so many other Cajun or Creole recipes, the Cajun holy trinity comes into play: onion, green bell pepper, and celery. You'll also need garlic, white wine, canned diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning, fresh thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and of course, peeled crawfish. To serve the étouffée, have some cooked white rice and diced chives ready to go.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.

Once melted, add the flour and stir to combine the roux.

Cook the roux for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a light golden brown. Don't leave the pot — your roux is very vulnerable to burning, so keep stirring.

Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to the pot, stir to combine with the roux, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Deglaze the pot with the white wine, stir to combine, and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, Cajun seasoning, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot.

Stir to combine, bring to a low simmer (reduce the heat, if necessary), and cook for 20 minutes, or until the veggies begin to soften.

Add the crawfish to the pot, stir to combine, and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Divide the étouffée and cooked white rice between four bowls.

Garnish with the chopped chives before serving.

If you've never cooked with crawfish before, figuring out the mini lobster–looking shellfish may seem like a daunting task. If you can find the crawfish already cooked, the only real task is to remove the shells and salvage the edible meat — which, as it turns out, is only the tail meat.

To start de-shelling, remove the head of the crawfish, then remove the flipper part of the tail. "Pinch the exposed meat (from the top of the tail, not the flipper end) between your fingers and gently wiggle to loosen and remove," Watkins advises. If you come across any stubborn pieces, just use scissors to cut the shell and pry out the meat with your fingers.

If you can only find live crawfish, start by rinsing them in a large bucket. Then, fill a large pot about ¾ full and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, drain the crawfish from the rinse water and transfer to the pot, cooking them until bright red, about 10 minutes. Finally, rinse the pieces in an ice bath and proceed with de-shelling.

As for choosing another protein entirely, you aren't short on options. Other types of shellfish, such as crab, shrimp, or lobster, are all great inclusions and offer a similar seafood vibe. Otherwise, chicken is also an option — sear it before making the roux, set it aside, then return it to the pan once the stew is at the simmering stage.

If there's one ingredient that's pretty paramount to a Cajun dish, it would be the Cajun seasoning. Though you can make Cajun spice mix at home, it's easier to opt for a store-bought option that doesn't skimp on flavor. Watkins used a brand called Weber's for this recipe, which she notes "has a little pop of smoke that added a nice depth of flavor to the sauce." That said, you can use a variety of brands out there, so long as they provide a nice blend of spicy and savory flavor notes.

"I look for something that has a moderate blend of heat/spicy ingredients (primarily cayenne pepper), savory spices (salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and paprika), and herby elements (oregano, bay, and thyme)," Watkins says. If the ingredients listed on the back of the Cajun blend match, then you're good to go. As for other specific brands that work, Watkins highlights Badia's as another winner with particularly herbaceous notes. "But, if you can get your hands on it, I would recommend Cajun Two Step's blend," Watkins says. "[It's] so tasty and comes in a variety of heat levels."