Crawfish Étouffée
A dark brown roux is the flavor base for this Cajun stew, which works just as well with shrimp.
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Photo: André Baranowski
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
1⁄2 tsp. dried thyme
3⁄4 cup canola oil
3⁄4 cup flour, sifted
1⁄4 cup finely chopped onion
1⁄4 cup finely chopped celery
1⁄4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
3 cups seafood or chicken broth
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
2 lbs. peeled crawfish tails or
peeled medium shrimp
1 cup finely chopped scallions
Cooked white or yellow rice, for serving
1. In a small bowl, combine salt, cayenne, white pepper, black pepper, basil, and thyme; set spice mixture aside. In a 4-qt. heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Sprinkle in flour, whisking constantly, and cook for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, whisking constantly, until roux is the color of dark chocolate, about 30 minutes. Add onions and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until onions soften, about 5 more minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in 1 tbsp. reserved spice mixture, along with celery and bell peppers. Continue stirring until roux has cooled and darkened slightly, about 5 minutes; set aside.
2. In a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat, bring 2 cups broth to a boil. Gradually add roux and whisk until incorporated. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat; set broth mixture aside.
3. In a 4-qt. saucepan, melt 8 tbsp. butter over medium-high heat. Stir in crawfish tails and scallions and cook, about 1 minute. Add remaining spice mixture and reserved broth mixture, along with remaining broth and butter, and stir the pan to combine until glossy. Remove pan from heat and serve étouffée with rice.
SERVES 8
Pairing Note A smooth, full-flavored lager like Abita Amber, from Louisiana, is a perfect match for this emphatically seasoned Cajun dish. — David Rosengarten
I was so dissapointed that the next morning, I consulted with my Cajun bible, written by Chef Paul Prudhomme, and guess what? The recipe is the EXACT SAME as Paul's except it calls for more oil ( 3/4 cup of canola is a lot for 4 people to consume, why??) and an extra 15 minutes of cooking the roux (again, why?)
No offense Saveur, but if you copy a recipe and make improvements, great. But to add an extra half cup of oil for no reason did not help. Maybe it was a typo on your part??