Cajun Crawfish Étouffée

A rich, deeply flavorful Cajun-style Crawfish Étouffée made with homemade crab stock, a dark buttery roux, and finished with Cajun Sumac hot sauce.

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 90 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

For the Crab Stock:

• 2 pounds (900g) crab or crab shells
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry sherry or white wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• A few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley

For the Étouffée:

• 2 pounds peeled crawfish tails
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 scallions (white and light green only), thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon Cajun Sumac hot sauce (plus more for garnish)
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups crab stock, more as needed
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• Cooked long-grain rice, for serving

Directions

1. Make the Crab Stock: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add crab and salt and sauté for 5–6 minutes until fragrant. Stir in onion, celery, and garlic and cook until softened, without browning. Add tomato paste and cook until darkened slightly. Deglaze with sherry and reduce for 1–2 minutes. Add water to cover, then add herbs. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Strain and reserve the liquid.
2. Make the Roux: In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and stir continuously until it reaches a deep peanut butter or chocolate color, depending on preference (8–15 minutes).
3. Build the Base: Add diced onion, celery, and bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and scallions and cook for 1 minute more.
4. Season: Add dried oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, and Cajun Sumac hot sauce. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add the Stock: Slowly add crab stock, one ladle at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Finish: Stir in the crawfish and cook just until warmed through and opaque, about 3–5 minutes. If needed, thin with additional stock.
7. Serve: Spoon over warm rice and garnish with extra scallions and a few dashes of Cajun Sumac hot sauce.