The deep crimson color of my Cajun crawfish etouffee is a palate-teasing testimony to its' rich, deep flavor and full-bodied texture. My Trinity Roux™ base, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, a touch of broth and seasoned south Louisiana crawfish create a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs dish with sassy south Louisiana flair. Paleo, grain free, keto and low carb as is, this dish is best enjoyed the more traditional 'with a little rice' gluten free way, in my humble opinion. Yep and yay...
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Oh, Cajun Crawfish Etouffee, You and I Have Come a Long Way, Baby
I have to admit that I think about the days before Louisiana was 'cool' fairly often. When we were just that boot state that out-of-towners and foreigners just didn't know much that about. Before the gator-hunting TV shows, and before Emeril was on the Food Network cooking gumbos and stews. And way, way before 'Hollywood South' made it almost common to see film crews right down the street from my house. Yep.
Right before our state started to get constant media attention, I went on a trip to Connecticut and New York with friends. As we were out shoe shopping in the East Village, the sales associate who was ringing up my boots asked if we lived in the city. I said, 'No. We're from just outside New Orleans.'
'Really?' he said, looking a little afraid. 'Don't alligators walk down the streets like dogs do way down there?'
I laughed so hard that I almost peed myself, y'all!! I couldn't believe that cosmopolitan New Yorkers would actually think that we lived sooo barbaric and well, swampy. I told him that gators lived deep within the waters, while we people lived in gator-safe houses way, way up on dry land. That only the truly skilled and adventuresome Louisianians knew how to handle gators. So, the rest of us saw them at the zoo, alligator petting parks, and during the occasional fishing trip.
Well, y'all, he didn't seem to believe me at all. Nope. I left the store with his look of pity lingering over me. And, to this day I wonder if he ever got to take a trip down here to figure all of this out for himself.
As I was laughing at this memory the other day, I started to think about how long I've been eating crawfish. Since the answer to that question is ALL of my life, I tend to get the craving for crawfish at the exact same time every year.
In mid-February, when a day or two of short-sleeve weather pops up in-between the coldish, rainy days. When the first of our beautiful yellow and white flowers pop up of out of nowhere in their beds. An, when everyone starts talking about Mardi Gras, king cake, and who's coming to Jazz Fest this year.
Well, y'all, it's about that time again. I've been craving crawfish all of a sudden. So, I knew that I wanted my old trusty and faithful Cajun crawfish etouffee to bring this season in with a bang. Super flavorful, ridiculously easy to make, and beloved by everyone everywhere, this crawfish etouffee practically makes itself once you gather all of the ingredients. Yep.
How to Make Cajun Crawfish Etouffee Live Up to Your Almost Spring Craving
To start the crawfish etouffee, season the crawfish and set them aside for a bit. Then, also season the tomato sauce/stewed tomatoes mixture, so you'll have even more layer-flavoring action working for you while you make the Trinity Rouxâ„¢.
When the Paleo, grain free, keto and gluten free roux is ready, pour the seasoned tomato mixture into the cast iron skillet. Cook that down for a while. Then, add the seasoned crawfish at the end.
In the meantime, you can cook the traditional rice topping. You can also serve this traditional Cajun dish with cauliflower rice salad. Or, you can eat on top of mashed potatoes, which is another of my favorite ways to enjoy it.
However you choose to eat it, this Cajun crawfish etoufee is an ultra-simple yet highly sophisticated dish. The Trinity Roux™ injects it with its tried and true traditional south Louisiana taste. And, the seasoned tomatoes and crawfish layer the flavors for you while this easy gluten free recipe cooks down in the skillet. A few extra dashes of your favorite hot sauce transforms this child-friendly dish into an adults-only faire le fete that perks up even yawny weeknights like fireworks.
Share this Cajun crawfish etouffee with those oldies but oh sooo goodies who always, always make a return visit right back into your life. And see y'all on the yum side.
Cajun Crawfish Etouffee
Ingredients
- 12 ounces frozen crawfish tails with fat, defrosted
For the Crawfish Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
For the Grain Free Crawfish Etouffee
- 1 Trinity Rouxâ„¢, prepared with chicken broth
- 1 14.5-ounce can stewed tomatoes
- ¼ cup gluten free chicken broth
- ¼ cup gluten free tomato sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon gluten free hot sauce
- salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons green onions, sliced, optional
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped, optional
Instructions
- Season the crawfish tails with the lemon zest, onion powder, parsley flakes and garlic powder. Set aside while you prepare the Trinity Rouxâ„¢ with chicken broth in a 9-inch cast iron skillet.
- Pour the stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce into a bowl. Add the minced garlic, parsley flakes, onion powder, paprika, hot sauce and SP&C to taste.
- When the roux is ready, reduce heat to medium-low. Then, pour the seasoned stewed tomatoes/sauce into the skillet. (See notes)
- Cook for 20 minutes, then add the seasoned crawfish tails.
- Cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, re-seasoning with spices, hot sauce and SP&C, as desired.
- Add the sliced green onions and chopped fresh parsley leaves during the last 5 minutes of cooking, if desired.
- Serve with cauliflower rice, mashed potatoes or rice.
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Roslia Santamaria says
It looks very yummy.Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe with us.
Lyn Corinne Liner says
Awww, you're welcome Roslia. Thanks so much for stopping by and saying so! 🙂