See Kelsey Cook: Étouffée

Étouffée simply translates to "smothered" (FYI)

This is my first go at this recipe. I've made gumbo and jambalaya before, but never etoufee. (It should be noted that I'm not going to go through the trouble of using the little accent marks abover the two e's in the word "Étouffée" for the remainder of this blog post. Capitalized or not.)

Ideally, the idea behind etouffee is that it would be made after a big crawfish boil with the uneaten, leftover crawfish tails. I wish this were the case with me. Can you imagine the richness and flavor of a stock benefited from crawfish shells and uneaten heads? Talk about nirvana.

Instead, you ask? Me? Well, I went to Walmart and bought a package of tails that is sourced out of China. I'm sure I'm doing the world and Earth no favors by this fact of the matter. I really have no excuse as to why I didn't seek out crawfish tails from Louisiana either. But that is neither here nor there and what's done is done. SO!

the end! Maybe I'll add some shrimp for heft next time.

Let's get to it, shall we?

Ingredients:
4Tbl unsalted butter
1/4C flour

1 onion
1 green bell pepper
3 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
4 green onion bottoms

1 14.5oz chopped tomatoes with juice
29oz stock (seafood or chicken)

1 1/2teas Old Bay seasoning
1teas garlic powder
1/2teas cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
smidgen of fresh thyme (not necessary)

12oz (3/4lb) package of crawfish tail meat

S&P

suggested additions: Louisiana hot sauce & Worcestershire sauce (1 teas each)
Serve over rice with chopped green onion tops as a garnish

Directions:
Add the butter and flour together over low heat with a heavy bottom pot.
Wait until the roux resembles a peanut butter color

Add the trinity
Cook for 10min.
Season with S&P (about 1/2teas each)

Add the garlic, green onion bottoms, tomatoes, thyme (optional) and bay leaves.
Stir
Add the stock

Cook for 30-45min. covered.
**I cook for 30min. covered and the last 10-15min. uncovered. This is because I like a thicker consistency with etouffe. If you like a thinner consistency, then cook covered the entire time.**

Throw in the package of tails. Boil then kill heat and serve. Top with scallion tops and more cayenne if you want.

Here are my notes if you wish to take a gander.

Ingreeds minus the garlic. (I forgot it. Sorry garlic.)

roux. Stage? Peanut Butter. Mine looks like it broke and separated. I don't know for sure if that's what happened. I also don't know if that's a good or bad thing... but I still went on with the dish regardless.