Serves 4 · Prep 15 min · Cook 35 min
This is a slow, rich stew from the Louisiana kitchen that feels right at home on a Caribbean table. It starts with a butter and flour roux cooked to a deep peanut-brown, then builds with onion, celery and sweet pepper. The crawfish go in at the end so they stay tender. Serve it spooned over white rice.
Ingredients
- 1 pack Crawfish, 1 lb / 450 g, thawed
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 wiri wiri pepper, minced (optional)
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup diced tomato (fresh or canned)
- 2 cups fish or chicken stock
- 1 tsp salt, adjusted to taste
- 1 lime, juiced
- 3 tbsp chopped eschallot (scallion), plus extra to garnish
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- Cooked white rice, to serve
Method
- Thaw and prep. Thaw the crawfish in the fridge (0–4 °C) overnight. If they're whole, twist off the heads and peel the tails, saving a few whole ones for garnish if you like.
- Make the roux. Melt the butter in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and stir constantly for 8–10 minutes, until the roux turns a deep peanut-butter brown. Keep the heat low and don't walk away, because it burns quickly.
- Add the vegetables. Stir in the onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, wiri wiri pepper, Cajun seasoning, paprika, thyme and bay leaf, and cook for 1 minute.
- Build the stew. Add the tomato, then pour in the stock gradually, stirring as you go so it stays smooth. Simmer gently for 15 minutes until it thickens to a rich, gravy-like consistency. Season with salt.
- Add the crawfish. Stir in the crawfish tails and cook for 4–5 minutes, just until heated through and tender.
- Finish. Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf. Stir in the lime juice, eschallot and parsley. Serve spooned over white rice, garnished with extra eschallot.
Cook's note: No crawfish on hand? Medium Prawns make a good substitute. Add them at step 5 and cook until just pink.
