Cajun Crawfish Étouffée
Cajun crawfish étouffée is a Louisiana classic built on a rich, spiced roux and tender crawfish tails. This version can be made Whole30 compatible with a few simple swaps. Serve it over cauliflower rice or regular rice for a bowl of pure Cajun comfort.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons ghee
- 2 tablespoons cassava flour
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes drained
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons Cajun Spice Blend
- 12 ounces crawfish tails
- Green onions chopped
- Fresh parsley chopped
- Louisiana hot sauce
Instructions
- In a large skillet heated over medium-high, melt ghee. Whisk in cassava flour and reduce heat to medium, cooking and stirring occasionally, to make a roux. You want it to be just lighter than peanut butter.
- Add in onion, bell pepper and celery, and cook for about 8 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon and scrap the bottom of the pan to keep roux from burning or clumping.
- Add in drained, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, until etouffee starts to thicken. Drain excess water off crawfish tails, as needed, and add the tails into the pan. Stir and continue simmering for about 15 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. You might want to add extra salt, pepper or smoked paprika. Serve over riced cauliflower for Whole30 or cooked rice, as desired. Garnish with chopped green onions and fresh parsley. Increase the heat with a few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce.
Notes
- To keep this recipe Whole30 compatible, serve over cauliflower rice. For a more traditional approach, white rice works perfectly.
- Drain excess water from the crawfish tails before adding them to the pan. Frozen tails can release a lot of liquid and thin out the sauce.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low with a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce.