Crawfish Étouffée

Louisiana crawfish tails smothered in a buttery roux gravy and served over hot rice.

Ingredients

• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups seafood or shrimp stock
• 1 pound peeled crawfish tails, with their fat
• 1 tablespoon Emeril’s Essence (Creole seasoning)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 4 cups cooked white rice, for serving

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, until the blond roux smells nutty, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute.
3. Gradually whisk in the stock and bring to a simmer; the sauce will thicken.
4. Add the crawfish tails with their fat, the Essence, salt, and cayenne. Simmer gently until the crawfish are heated through and the sauce is rich, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the green onions and parsley and adjust the seasoning.
6. Spoon over hot white rice and serve.

Notes

Emeril Lagasse’s take on a Louisiana classic, best when crawfish are in season.