The Secret to the BEST Crawfish Etouffee 

I've been wanting to do a good Crawfish Etouffee' for a really long time, and I will probably do this recipe. Thanks for sharing. I spent a few months as a Chef in a Cajun Restaurant, but Etouffee actually wasn't a menu Item. We had two "Chefs" who I was assured by the Owner, Dave Smalley, were from NOLA and and allegedly knew what they were doing. I have never in my Life seen that many Plates coming back, with most of the Food still on it and no request for a "Doggy Bag". I talked to the Owner about this. He chose to give me the "Chef's" Pedigree, and I laughed and told him I don't care where they are from and what they can do. The Customers are NOT eating their Food. The Wait Staff loved it when I was on cooking, as the Tips were always good and the Plates always returned empty. I left after three months, I think it was. I had never seen so much burned and dry blackened redfish, in my entire Life. A true shame.

Cajun seasoning is fine, but it usually has salt, which I prefer to adjust later on. Making a blend of paprika, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and white pepper works better, and lets you add MORE spice than you would normally add with cajun seasoning. It brings out a much bolder flavor in the etouffee.

Never was a seafood fan until the last few years. But I love making gumbo. Always a pleasure seeing the Cajun Trinity. And the Pope.

So is this like a soup? Or do you pair it with a carb?

The only problem I've ever had with crawfish is how little you get from peeling each one apart. Separating the meat beforehand is a great idea, but what I'll do is just substitute it for shrimp because that's way easier to deal with.

Looks fantastic!