Recipes
Crawfish Etouffee
Louisiana

Ingredients:
1 pound cleaned and deveined crawfish tails, commercial kind
1 stick margarine or butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 heaping teaspoon all purpose flour
¾ cup water
2 lemons, thinly sliced (change to - 2 thin slices fresh lemon in 2009 version)
1 heaping tablespoon tomato puree (change to 2 generous Tbsp. for 2009 version)
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. freshly chopped garlic
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
1 tablespoon green onions, finely chopped
Coarse salt and pepper, to taste
6 cups cooked rice

Method of Preparation:
1. Use a saucepan with a tight fitting lid to étouffée. Season crawfish tails with salt and pepper, set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet; add onion, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until tender but not browned.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir. Cook an additional 2 - 3 minutes.
4. Stir in water, lemon, tomato puree, cayenne pepper and garlic. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook slowly, about 20 minutes and add a little more water if needed for stew-like consistency.
5. Add crawfish tails, stir and cover with a lid.
6. Cook 5 - 10 minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Stir in green onions and parsley. Serve over hot rice.

NOTE: Étouffée is French for smother.