Crawfish Stew-Fay (Etouffee)

Soups & Stews

Serves 4 to 6

Recipe courtesy of Marcelle Bienvenue

Ingredients:

This recipe was credited to Donald Link accidentally; it is actually a recipe developed by Marcelle Vienvenue's mother. Per Marcelle:

This is a classic etouffee (etouffee means to smother in French) from south Louisiana. It’s called a stew-fay simply because of the slurry (a combination of water and flour) that’s added to thicken it up a bit. My mother was of the opinion that if you used a roux, then it became a roux. This is her recipe.

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 pounds peeled crawfish tails
1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup water
Salt and cayenne to taste
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
Cooked long-grain rice

Chef's note: This is a classic etouffee from South Louisiana. It’s called a stew-fay simply because of the slurry (a combination of water and cornstarch) that’s added to thicken it up a bit.

Crawfish Stew-Fay (Etouffee)

Click image to enlarge

Method:

Heat the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy pot. Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery, and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the crawfish (rinse the bag with a little water to remove fat and add to the pot) and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to throw off a little liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the flour or cornstarch mixture; reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne.

Remove from the heat. Add the green onions and parsley. Serve in bowls over rice.