Crawfish Etouffee

• 1 pkg. frozen crawfish tails
• 1 TB. Cajun seasoning
• 4 TB. butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, may need a little more
• 3/4 Cup finely chopped onion
• 3/4 Cup finely chopped celery
• 3/4 Cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 - 2 TB. Garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 2-3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
•  1 tsp. hot sauce, optional
• 3/4-1 Cup fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 - 1 ½ cups water
• 1/2 cup green onion tops, thinly sliced
• 3 TB. fresh Italian parsley, minced
• ½ tsp. salt, to taste, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. PEPPER, or to taste
• Cayenne pepper, optional
• Hot cooked rice

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the roux is the color of peanut butter, about 10-15 minutes. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper and cook until translucent, stirring regularly, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the remaining cajun seasoning, garlic, thyme Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce, if using. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes. Add a small amount of the broth, stirring well to form a paste. Add the remaining stock gradually, stirring constantly so it is nice and smooth. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 30minutes (thickens the sauce.)

More broth may be added to ensure a gravy consistency.  Add the  crawfish, green onion and parsley; simmer for 10 more minutes.   Add salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.  Serve over rice.

Etouffee