Stewed Okra and Tomato
Serve this dish over rice for a light meal or as a side dish. An ear or two of fresh summer corn, when in season, and bacon are also great additions. And make sure you have a bottle of hot sauce at th...
This recipe was demonstrated as part of our Cajun Cooking Class in March 2022 with Chef Skylar Bush. It's adapted from Paul Prudhomme’s infamous cookbook. Etouffee is synonymous with “smothering,” a technique used in many Cajun dishes. It means to cook meats and/or vegetables in a flavorful stock, covered until a rich gravy is formed and the food is cooked through and tender. Shrimp works great in place of the crawfish too.
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 1/2 cup minced onion
- 1/2 cup minced celery
- 1/2 cup minced bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons Cajun/Creole seasoning, divided
- 2 pounds crawfish tail meat, or shrimp
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups crawfish, shrimp, or chicken stock
- 1/4 cup minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Preparation
1. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large cast iron skillet. Add onions, celery, bell pepper, and 1 tablespoon Cajun/Creole seasoning and sauté until translucent. Add crawfish tail meat and remaining Cajun/Creole seasoning and sauté until the tails let off some of their liquid. Cook 3-5 minutes more. Add flour, stirring constantly about 5 minutes to make a blonde roux.
2. Stir in a small amount of stock, until a paste is formed. Add remaining stock gradually; whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. You may need a little more stock to get the right thickness, but the end result should be the consistency of a gravy.
3. Add garlic, thyme, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and a little salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes. Add green onions and parsley, reserving some for garnish, and simmer 5-10 minutes more.
4. Stir in remaining butter and lemon juice. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve piping hot over cooked rice.
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