Crawfish Etouffe

Crawfish Etouffe is an iconic Cajun meal as far as I'm concerned. Shrimp, and other seafoods, can be substituted. Recipes can vary greatly, but this is the one mom always made and it is my favorite.

1 small onion diced
1 bell pepper diced
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 stick of butter
2 tbs chopped garlic
1 lb of peeled crawfish tails
A bit of paprika
A few tbs of Cajun seasoning like Zatarain's or Tony Chachere's to taste.

That's it. It's so simple and pretty darn quick. You serve the crawfish and sauce over rice, and I generally start the rice first, as the etouffe takes less time to cook than the rice.
First, get your skillet fairly hot. Add the stick of butter and the diced bell pepper and onions. You simply want the bell pepper and onions to wilt a bit, so don't overdo it. Once the onions and BPs are wilted, add the cream of mushroom soup and a can of water. Mix well with a wisk or spoon. Once it is well mixed and simmering, add the crawfish. Let it simmer for a few minutes and the rice should be done. Remember that peeled crawfish tails are already cooked so they need not be simmered for long, lest they assume the texture of an old tire. Add some chopped green onions/scallions toward the end if you so desire. I do like them, but was out, and the older son does not appreciate "green things" in his food so... Crawfish/Shrimp Etouffe should always be served with cold beer. If you have young kids, like me, be a good parent and just give the kids lite beer. Enjoy.





You may have noticed that I don't use celery, to complete the Trinity. I don't care for it, so I don't use it. Many other people will add a bit of flour to the melted butter. Knock yourself out, but I don't find it necessary. Many people do not use cream of mushroom soup. Some people add tomatoes. We add paprika to give it color. Add tomatoes if you like, but cut back on the water a bit. I've even seen people add corn to it. Whatever floats your boat. This is one of the few dishes that I don't make spicy enough to make a Yankee squirm. It stands alone and has plenty of flavor without so much spice, but do as you please. I tend to not like complicating something too much, and I promise that this simple recipe is a crowd pleaser.

Gonefishin',
We live just outside of Lafayette, La. I must agree. I've lived in several spots throughout the South, and traveled a good portion of the country. South Louisiana is home to me. We have great looking women, great food, great hunting, nice people, and a sizable chunk of the world's beer! If we could just get some decent politicians and roads there'd be no contest.

Billy's is 10 minutes from the house, though I tend to pass by them and head another mile north to The Best Stop. The original Ray's and Billy's in Opelousas (20 miles north) is some of my favorite, but the new one in Scott hasn't won me over just yet.

MarkR,
There are 2 Don's, the old one downtown, and the Hut on Johnston St. Both are going strong. St. Martinville is a neat town. We spend a decent bit of time in the Basin.

daniel77 wrote: Billy's is 10 minutes from the house, though I tend to pass by them and head another mile north to The Best Stop. The original Ray's and Billy's in Opelousas (20 miles north) is some of my favorite, but the new one in Scott hasn't won me over just yet.

  I'll have to give Best and Billy's in Opelousas a try next time.  Have you got any favorites for "real" andouille to recommend?  I've had Jacob's, Wayne Jacob's...but not Bailey's.  We've been making our own lately.