Louisiana Shrimp Or Crawfish Etouffee Recipe

Directions:

1. Melt butter and over medium high heat in two gallong cast iron Dutch oven or saucepot.
2. Add onion, celery and bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic and bay leaf.
3. Saute 4 or 5 minutes until veggies are wwilted.
4. Whisk in flour and stir constantly until flour is cooked. This is a white roux. Do not leave unattended and burn.
5. Slowly add crawfish or shrimp stock or water
6. Add tomato sauce and stir well
7. Simmer for 30 minutes, do not boil, stir about every five minutes.
8. Mixture should have a sauce-like consistency, add a little water or stock if necessary, but don't over thin.
9. Add crawfish tails or shrimp and cook until shrimp tturn pink. about 5-8 minutes. Do not overcook. Crawfish tails are precooked.
10. Adjust salt and add several shakes Louisiana Hot Sauce, or to taste
11. Add green onions and parsley and serve over cooked rice.
12. Note: Shrimp base can be purchased in paste form in gourmet groceries, but have a high salt content. Stock can be made by boiling shrimp heads and/or shells.