A few months back Dr. Wife and I spent an amazing five days in New Orleans. She was at a conference. I was a tourist. I’ve probably never been on a vacation where I’ve eaten so much and enjoyed quite so much seafood. During our time in the Big Easy, we ate a variety of local fare that included Po Boys, Oysters, Shrimp, Crab, Alligator and Crawfish.

I’ve been thinking back fondly on our Cajun adventure and decided to put my own twist on the famed Crawfish Étouffée. I normally don’t like to gush about my own cooking, but I’d happily put my bowl of mudbugs up against many of the dishes I tried in the Crescent City. In short, I make a mean ass Étouffée and here’s how it’s done.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons cayenne
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 1/2 cups fish stock (you can substitute chicken broth, shrimp stock, lobster stock or even water)
• 1 pound crawfish tails
• 1/2 large lemon squeezed
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• Cooked long grain white rice

Preparation:
1. In a large, deep saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, to make a light roux. Keep stirring until the mixture begins to take on the consistency of peanut butter. You’ll know it’s ready for the veggies when you smell a nutty flavor. (Note: These rouxs are often referred to as “peanut butter rouxs”). Add a teaspoon of cayenne and some of the Cajun seasoning.

2. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, green onions, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and pepper to the roux. Keep cooking and stirring until the vegetables are soft, about 7 or 8 minutes.

3. Add the sherry and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and crawfish tails and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Squeeze in half of a lemon and the additional cayenne and Cajun seasonings. Simmer for another two minutes.

4. Stir in the parsley and remove from the heat. Add a cup of rice to a bowl and ladel the spicy deliciousness overtop. You can adjust spices to your taste at this point. I like to add a little fresh flat leaf parsley overtop for garnish and extra color.

It really is fantastic and I’ve liked my own version of this recipe much better than some that I’ve had in the most authentic of restaurants. If you aren’t a fan of the spicy flavors, reduce the amount of Cajun seasoning and the cayenne. Have it with an ice-cold beer. You won’t be sorry.