Crawfish Etouffee
Crawfish

Joseph and a Crawfish

 Crawfish

That's our son Joseph with a crawfish. Crawfish are a staple of the Cajun diet. The dish is pronounced "A - Two - Faye". It has been said that when the Acadians were sent out of Canada, the lobsters followed them. The journey was hard and food was scarce between Canada and Louisiana. The lobsters got smaller and smaller until they became crawfish. They are very similar but I find the flavor of the crawfish (and tenderness) to be superior.

Boiled Crawfish

Boiled Crawfish

Ingredient List

1 pound peeled crawfish tails with fat

1 tablespoon paprika

1 stick of butter

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons onion tops

1/2 green bell pepper

2 cups water

2 cloves garlic, minced

cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons finely sifted white flour

salt and black pepper

On low heat, melt butter in a deep, thick aluminum chicken frying pan. Add chopped onion and bell pepper. Saute until onions are clear in color --- at least 10 minutes. Season crawfish with cayenne pepper, salt, paprika, and black pepper to taste. Add seasoned crawfish, garlic, and water. Cook slowly. As water cooks down, add a teaspoon of flour at a time and stir until color of sauce turns a golden brown. Cook until crawfish are soft to the bite (around 40 minutes). Serve on rice and garnish with onion tops and parsley. Serves 4. When crawfish are not available, substitute shrimp, scallops, or lobster.