Crawfish Etouffée
~ adapted from Chef Patrick Mould ~
Begin to prepare 2 pounds cooked crawfish in the shell to obtain 1 pound crawfish meat–
Pinch the head portion while pulling away the body.
Peel the first and second bands of the shell to grab the body.
Work in a circular motion or twist and turn while you gently pull out from the tail.
Make sure the tail is curled. If it isn’t, it means it was dead prior to cooking– as it is unknown how long it was dead before cooking– throw it away to prevent possible food poisoning when it comes to seafood. (Cooking causes the tails to curl when alive hitting the hot boiling water– IMPORTANT to remember!– same thing with shrimp)
Wash, rinse, and blot-dry shelled crawfish; set aside.
Dice finely or mince white or yellow onions to equal 3 cups worth (Don’t cut off your finger!) and mince garlic for 1 tablespoon. Sauté in tablespoons hot canola oil, in a large saucepan over medium heat.
With the thyme, add 1 tablespoon flour; stir 1 minute.
Stir in 1 cup chicken broth.
Season the broth with 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning,
1 teaspoon paprika,
Cook until mixture slightly thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in crawfish and bring to a gentle simmer, cover, stir occasionally for 10 minutes.
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