Crawfish Etouffee Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is étouffée sauce made of? ›

Étouffée is a type of stew if you want to get technical. It's made with a roux, onion, celery, and bell pepper (the holy trinity), tomato, garlic, hot sauce, and either shrimp, crawfish, or chicken. Cajun Étouffée does not contain tomatoes. The addition of tomatoes is the Creole way of preparing etouffee.

Crawfish etouffee pairs well with fluffy white rice, cornbread, crusty French bread, or a simple green salad for a complete and satisfying meal.

Crawfish étouffée is a simple dish of sweet and meaty crawfish served up in a rich and flavorful gravy that is made from a quick roux. The dish includes the Cajun holy trinity of onions, bell peppers and celery, along with lots of garlic, spicy Cajun seasonings, and fresh chopped herbs.

I've had both crawfish stew and crawfish étouffée my entire life and truly cannot figure out the difference. Here's what I've been told: étouffée includes cream of some sort whereas stew does not. étouffée includes tomatoes whereas stew does not.

Etouffee can be found in both Creole and Cajun cuisine, with slight but important differences in the seasoning and preparation of each version. Creole etouffee uses a traditional French-style roux made from butter and flour while the roux for Cajun etouffee is made with oil, lard, or other animal fats.

The etouffee has more of a gravy consistency which means that it's thicker than shrimp creole. Another difference is that shrimp etouffee is a lot spicier than shrimp creole. Lastly, shrimp creole normally has a tomato base while shrimp etouffee utilizes a roux for its base.

Most people avoid eating the shell, tail, and antennae. If any crawfish died before boiling, you should test the meat for safety. Mushy meat should be avoided.

My trick for the crawfish tail meat is to add fresh squeezed lemon juice to them before adding into the light roux base with vegetables. That way, if you are introducing yourself to the crawfish world, you won't be put off by the fishy smell. It doesn't take long to make, especially since the roux is light.

There is no substitute for boiling your own and then freezing some of the tail meat for etouffee or bisque. The difference in the two dishes, is etouffee is usually thicker than bisque and has larger chopped pieces of onions, celery and green peppers.

Flour: All-purpose flour thickens the étouffée. Tomato sauce: Canned tomato sauce lends even more depth of flavor.

Why do Cajuns eat crawfish? ›

In the 1700's, Acadians, now Cajuns, arrived from Canada and settled along bayous. Crawfish were eaten mostly of necessity, as the poor man's food was cheap and readily accessible.

Both are considered main dishes, but étouffée is more or less a sauce or thick gravy, typically served over rice. Jambalaya, however, is a rice dish, akin to paella, its likely ancestor. One uses rice as a vehicle, the other as a staple component of the dish.

Crawfish itself is a good source of protein and low in fat, making it a healthier protein option than some other meats. However, the etouffee sauce is typically made with a roux (a mixture of flour and fat), which can be high in calories and fat.

Étouffée is the French word for "smothered," and what it really describes is a Cajun and Creole cooking method in which a protein like shrimp is cooked on the stovetop in a thick, roux-based sauce.

Gumbo and etouffee both start with the vegetable trinity of Cajun seasonings (bay leaf, paprika, and cayenne), but etouffee tends to be lighter and almost sweet in flavor, while gumbo is deep and savory.

In some ways, its similar to gumbo – same types of Creole seasonings, served over rice, and made with a roux, but unlike gumbo, étouffée is often made with a“blonde”roux, giving it a lighter color and a very different almost sweet flavor. It's a unique taste you won't soon forget and worth trying at home.

Gumbo and etouffee both start with the vegetable trinity of Cajun seasonings (bay leaf, paprika, and cayenne), but etouffee tends to be lighter and almost sweet in flavor, while gumbo is deep and savory.

Gumbo is a soup or stew made with 2 or more proteins and vegies with a dark roux. Very savory. Etouffee is more like a gravy served over rice. Jambalaya is more like a rice casserole.

While both dishes use a broth base—like shrimp stock, crawfish tail stock, or chicken broth—étouffée has a thicker, gravy-like consistency because chefs make it with a roux (a mixture of all-purpose flour and butter). Gumbo, on the other hand, is thinner than étouffée, with a soupy stew broth.