Ingredients and Weight:
- 8 cups (1 gallon) vegetable broth
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 3 pounds live crawfish, purged and cleaned
Preparation Time:
30 minutes
Cooking Time:
2 hours
Difficulty Level:
3 (Moderate)
Preparation Method Steps:
- In a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Gradually whisk in the vegetable broth until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the onion, bell peppers, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to the roux. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
- Add the crawfish to the pot, cover, and cook until the crawfish are cooked through and turn bright red, about 30-45 minutes more.
- Melt the remaining 1/2 cup of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove the bay leaves from the etouffee and discard. Ladle about 1 cup of the etouffee into the saucepan and whisk in the melted butter until smooth. Pour the butter mixture back into the etouffee and stir to combine.
- Serve the crawfish etouffee hot over cooked rice.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (1 cup):
- Calories: 520
- Fat: 25 grams
- Saturated Fat: 10 grams
- Cholesterol: 120 milligrams
- Sodium: 400 milligrams
- Carbohydrates: 60 grams
- Fiber: 10 grams
- Protein: 30 grams
Dish Characteristics:
- Savory and flavorful
- Rich and creamy
- Slightly spicy
- Perfect for a hearty meal
User Comments:
- "This etouffee was absolutely delicious! The crawfish were cooked perfectly and the sauce was so rich and flavorful."
- "I loved the combination of flavors in this dish. It was just the right amount of spice and the vegetables added a nice crunch."
- "This recipe is a keeper! It's easy to make and it always turns out perfect."
Special Precautions and Tips:
- When cleaning the crawfish, be sure to remove the intestinal tract, which is located on the underside of the tail.
- If you don't have live crawfish, you can use frozen crawfish tails. Just thaw them before cooking.
- Serve the crawfish etouffee with a side of crusty bread to sop up the delicious sauce.
