Étouffée is one of the most popular and well loved dish of New Orleans. I was first introduced to Crawfish Étouffée by my co-worker Rosie who brought it work to share for lunch one day. Her husband, Ched Pagtakhan, is a chef instructor at Triton College in River Grove, Illinois.
I have always been a fan of his excellent cooking so it wasn’t a big surprise that I went gaga for his crawfish étouffée. I was hooked for life after one large spoonful of the sweet and plump crawfish tails swimming in the rich and dark brown stew. There is something soulful about Southern cooking that triggers feelings of comfort and love every time you take a bite. Crawfish étouffée may be a simple dish but the flavors speak loud volumes.
Crawfish Étouffée with Plain Rice // Photo: @sherriesavorsthecity
Étouffée (pronounced as “ay-too-fay”) is a dish that originated from the French word etouffer, which means “to smother” or “to suffocate”. This refers to the method of cooking where the seafood is smothered in a tomato-based sauce. There is much debate about how to prepare this popular Cajun specialty which typically uses crawfish, but other variations include crab or shrimp.
Most purists will argue that tomatoes shouldn’t be used in the original version of the recipe since the addition of tomatoes make it Creole cuisine. Also, there are differences based on what kind of roux is used. A roux is a cooked mixture of fat (oil) and starch (flour) that adds flavor and viscosity to any recipe. Creole roux is cooked to a white or blonde color while Cajun roux is cooked to a deeper color, at the very lightest, like peanut butter. Whether you use a blonde or dark roux, tomatoes or no tomatoes, the addictive combination of rice and gravy is simply hard to resist.
Chef Ched Pagtakhan’s version starts by making a dark roux which lends both flavor, richness, and a nice color to the dish. This is a crucial step in creating a great crawfish étouffée. The basis for New Orleans cuisine is all about building flavors so it is very important to caramelize the trifecta of vegetables (onion, bell pepper, and celery) in the dark roux. Both of these steps do take a little bit of time and patience, but it’s all worth it in the end. Shellfish stock is hard to find unless you are making it yourself. I found that chicken stock, or clam stock are good substitutes.
Chicken Stock or Clam Juice // Photo: @sherriesavorsthecity
Crawfish is also known as crawdads, mudbugs, or crayfish (similar to a lobster). Crawfish season typically runs from December until June, so if you cannot get a hold of fresh ones, the peeled and cooked crawfish tails in the frozen section aisle work very well, too. Keep in mind that if you are buying whole crawfish rather than just tails, that your yield of meat is about 15%. This means that for every 6 pounds, you will approximately get 1 pound of meat. If you can’t find any crawfish at all, shrimp is always a good option.
Crawfish Tails // Photo: @sherriesavorsthecity
If you are into spice like myself feel free to add more cayenne pepper to the recipe if you want a nice kick to your étouffée. I prefer eating this hearty stew with a bowl of plain rice and lots of Tabasco sauce, but a bed of creamy grits or cornbread is also a nice option.
Crawfish Étouffée with Tabasco Sauce // Photo: @sherriesavorsthecity
Another side note with any roux-based dishes is that the flavor intensifies the next day, so this recipe is great for leftovers. If you are lucky enough to have any left, try eating it with Ritz crackers for a quick snack. This recipe is so versatile that it can be served as an appetizer, lunch, or dinner. There is nothing like a warm bowl of crawfish étouffée that will tantalize your taste buds and satisfy your soul.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s start cooking…
- 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 4 Tbsp. all purpose flour
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 large stalk celery, finely chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or a pinch of dried thyme leaves
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 quart shellfish or chicken stock
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 1 pound peeled crawfish tails
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 dashes worcestershire sauce
- 2 dashes tabasco
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Heat oil in a large, heavy bottom saucepan over medium hight heat.
- Whisk the flour into the very hot oil. Keep whisking until the fizz is gone.
- Reduce the heat to moderate and continue whisking until roux turns dark brown color, about 5 minutes.
- Once the roux is dark chocolate brown, add the onions. Reduce the heat until onions caramelize.
- When the onions have turned the roux shiny and dark, add the celery, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, cayenne and paprika. Mixture will seem dry but keep cooking it until vegetables are softened.
- Allow the spices to cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and shellfish stock. Increase heat to high.
- Once sauce has come to a boil, reduce heat to moderate and allow to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until reduced by half. FAB TIP: Make sure to stir constantly to avoid burning the bottom.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the butter. Add the crawfish tails and scallions.
- Season with worcestershire, tabasco, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve with rice.
FAB TIP: If you find the sauce to be too runny, a mixture of 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch diluted in 1 Tablespoon chicken stock can be added to thicken up the mixture. Bring it to a boil to activate the thickening power of the cornstarch solution.
Oh my, I am craving this meal all over again. This scrumptious plate of crawfish étouffée over a bed of white rice always make me feel warm and fuzzy, especially during the cold and winter months in Chicago.
Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe with us, Chef Ched Pagtakhan!
Hope you guys will find time to make this classic New Orleans dish. I want to know how the recipe turned out for you. Please let me know by commenting below.
Savor every moment,
Sherrie
Can’t wait to make this for dinner!
Yay! Hope you liked it as much as I do. Make sure to take a picture and tag us when you do make it!
xoxo,Sherrie
Way to go my dear nephew! I will try to create your dish using local ingredients here in the Philippines. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Seems so delicious!
Thank you for your kind words. Chef Ched is an awesome chef and we loved the recipe. If you make it, please take a picture and tag #fabfoodchicago on instagram. We would love to see and know what you think about it!
Xoxo,
Sherrie