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October 4, 2011

Crawfish Etouffee – Made in America

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Crawfish etouffee is one my grandma's favorite meals! It's creamy and full of spices! Leave out the rice for a comforting grain free meal.

I adore Lucy Lean. She’s funny, vibrant, humble, and so generous. Lucy has a book coming out today! It’s titled, Made in America and I’m so excited to finally  have it in my hands. It’s a beautiful book, full of light, beautiful photos (all taken by Lucy) and featuring over 100 favorite old-fashioned recipes given a modern makeover by some of the nation’s finest chefs. The recipes are ones we’re all familiar with, taken up a notch, but accessible enough for the home cook. The book features recipes like: Huckleberry’s Blueberry Bran Muffins, Roast Beef Hash with Fried Eggs and Crispy Onions, French Onion Soup, and Bananas Foster. Since we can’t all get together to celebrate Lucy’s new book release, she asked some of us to gather virtually for a Made in America dinner where we share our favorite comfort foods and a story. So here it goes. . .

I’m blessed and grateful to be part of a line of wonderful cooks going back generations in Louisiana. I come from a food-loving family of cooks, bakers, recipe creators, tweakers and eaters. It was also common for the women in my family to parlay their love of cooking into both creative and moneymaking enterprises.

My great-grandmother, Mrs. Ellis, was an incredible cook who taught herself how to bake pies that she sold at a Baton Rouge country club to bring in extra money during the Depression. Because she was blessed to live 100 years, I had the privilege of spending time with her when I was a child.

Crawfish etouffee is one my grandma's favorite meals! It's creamy and full of spices! Leave out the rice for a comforting grain free meal.

Her gas stove fascinated me. I’d never seen another stove like it, with those blue flames that for so many decades had brought forth wonderful treats. To this day, when I smell the gas from a lit stove I think of her. I was also enamored by her large curio cabinet filled with teacups that sat in the corner of her living room. I stared at those teacups for hours. When I was ten, she let me pick out a few cups and saucers to keep. I chose three demitasse cups, never dreaming that one day I would have two daughters and that the three of us would use those precious cups during our occasional afternoon teas.

Crawfish etouffee is one my grandma's favorite meals! It's creamy and full of spices! Leave out the rice for a comforting grain free meal.Grandma and Grandpa 1945

My Grandma is the daughter of my great-grandmother. A remarkable Cajun cook and the wife of a Baptist minister, she’s had the opportunity to cook for hundreds (maybe thousands) of church functions. When we visited my grandparents during my childhood, loads of gumbo, étouffée, and other Cajun treats awaited our arrival. Although they led a modest lifestyle, Grandma’s cupboards and pantry overflowed with enough food to feed the entire family for a month! She even compiled two cookbooks with church parishioners books that are still among my main resources. Whenever I need some good Southern ideas, I turn to the a yellow and a green books, as we call them. Grandma’s cookbooks are a family treasure and some of the last few pristine copies were recently passed to my brothers’ wives as wedding gifts.

Crawfish etouffee is one my grandma's favorite meals! It's creamy and full of spices! Leave out the rice for a comforting grain free meal.Photo taken by Helene Dujardin. Used with permission.

Whenever we come into town, Grandma and Grandpa invite us to their home for a grand meal, usually full of Cajun dishes. One of my favorites is her crawfish étouffée. Creamy, full of spices and warmth. When the 50’s came along and everyone was using the latest and greatest convenience foods, Grandma started making it with canned cream of mushroom soup. A few years ago, I took her recipe and adapted it using a quick stove-top cream of mushroom soup. As soon as the first gust of fall arrives, I spend an afternoon chopping, stirring and cooking her étouffée. The aromas fills the kitchen and I’m taken back once again to Grandma’s home in Baton Rouge running around with my cousins, listening to Aunts and Uncles catching up, and anxiously awaiting some of Grandma’s famous Cajun cookin’.

Serves: Serves 6

Crawfish Etouffee

Serve without rice for a comforting grain-free meal. If fresh crawfish isn't available, then frozen crawfish or shrimp make great substitutes.

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Ingredients

    For the etouffee:
  • 1 3/4 sticks plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 6 tablespoons chopped garlic, divided
  • 2 pounds crawfish tails
  • 1 pound cremini mushrooms, chopped
  • 3/4 teaspoons Celtic sea salt , plus more to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
  • 3 tablespoon whole wheat flour (or 1 tablespoon arrowroot for a grain-free/Paleo option)
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 cups cream (or 1 cup canned coconut milk for a Paleo option)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2-3 dashes cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup green onions

Instructions

  1. Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a large pot over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add onion, pepper, and celery. Sauté until vegetables are softened, 6-8 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of water and the crawfish tails. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, until crawfish is cooked through.
  2. While crawfish is cooking, melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in mushrooms, remaining 3 tablespoons garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until mushrooms have released their moisture, about 5-7 minutes. Add flour (or arrowroot) while continuously stirring and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in stock and cream and simmer until sauce is thick and reduced, about 12 minutes.
  3. Add creamed mushrooms to crawfish. Add paprika and cayenne pepper and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  4. Serve étouffée over a bed of brown rice (or omit for grain-free) and garnish with green onions.
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https://deliciouslyorganic.net/crawfish-etouffee-made-in-america/
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Filed Under: Egg-Free, Egg-Free, Grain-Free, Gaps Diet, Gluten Free Recipes, Grain Free Recipes, Main Dish, Nut-free, Paleo Recipes, Uncategorized | 23 Comments

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23 Comments

  1. Erika

    October 4, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    Yum! Sounds delicious. Loved this post for all the nostalgia. Your grandparents were such a nice looking couple!
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  2. Annie @ Naturally Sweet Recipes

    October 4, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    I've never used crawfish before. This might be the recipe to make me try it! Love all those flavors in there, looks delicious! Thanks!
    to Annie @ Naturally Sweet Recipes" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Annie @ Naturally Sweet Recipes'>Reply to this comment
  3. Bev Weidner

    October 4, 2011 at 1:42 pm

    I am SO excited about the book! And that etouffee? Are you kidding me? I'm going to go to bed now because I'm exhausted with joy.
    to Bev Weidner" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Bev Weidner'>Reply to this comment
  4. aida mollenkamp

    October 4, 2011 at 2:21 pm

    What a beautiful post, Carrie! I love that this recipe conjured up all those memories. I have family in Louisiana as well and definitely have a special place in my heart for etouffe!
    to aida mollenkamp" aria-label='Reply to this comment to aida mollenkamp'>Reply to this comment
  5. Georgia Pellegrini

    October 4, 2011 at 2:54 pm

    This looks just wonderful. I can see the history in its beauty. I love old family photos... such nostalgia.
    to Georgia Pellegrini" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Georgia Pellegrini'>Reply to this comment
  6. marla

    October 4, 2011 at 4:21 pm

    Carrie, such a lovely story & amazing recipe you share with the virtual dinner party. That photo if your grandparents is so happy & beautiful. I am very proud of Lucy and her amazing book. To think she traveled, photographed, recipe tested & everything for this book!!!
    to marla" aria-label='Reply to this comment to marla'>Reply to this comment
  7. Esi

    October 4, 2011 at 5:37 pm

    I can't wait to make this one!
    to Esi" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Esi'>Reply to this comment
  8. Karen

    October 5, 2011 at 7:08 am

    I've drooled over this recipe in your cookbook for so long (I think it's the same). Unfortunately, my husband can't eat shell fish, boo hoo! Any substitutions? It wouldn't have the same effect I'm sure so I will have to dream about it for now. Loved your post, too! :o)
    to Karen" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Karen'>Reply to this comment
    • Cookingwithkary

      October 13, 2011 at 10:48 am

      Just thinking that chicken or cajun sausage would work. My son is allergic to shell fish as well. Also I have not been able to find crawfish in the Chatlotte, NC area. Carrie, loved this story and I will try this recipe. Love all things cajun!
      to Cookingwithkary" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Cookingwithkary'>Reply to this comment
  9. Katrina

    October 5, 2011 at 11:43 am

    So creative. Yum!
    to Katrina" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Katrina'>Reply to this comment
  10. Cookin' Canuck

    October 5, 2011 at 12:38 pm

    What wonderful memories of your grandmother and her cooking. This crawfish etouffee is definitely one to try!
    to Cookin' Canuck" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Cookin' Canuck'>Reply to this comment
  11. Brooke @ Food Woolf

    October 5, 2011 at 12:54 pm

    Beautiful lineage. Incredible food history. Lucy's cookbook may be one of the most beautiful cookbooks I've seen in while and her recipes make me excited to taste how food history re-interpreted tastes like. Great review and personal storytelling!
    to Brooke @ Food Woolf" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Brooke @ Food Woolf'>Reply to this comment
  12. april

    October 16, 2012 at 9:09 pm

    oh my! i live just outside of baton rouge! i have also taken an older etouffe recipe and "uncanned" it. :) so much of our traditional food down here CAN be healthy as well as delicious. i have really enjoyed your posts! -april
    to april" aria-label='Reply to this comment to april'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      October 18, 2012 at 8:02 am

      Thank you!
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment

Trackbacks

  1. Carrie Vitt says:
    October 4, 2011 at 7:39 pm
    [New Post] Crawfish Etouffee - Made in America: http://t.co/xxurnzaF #madeinamericadinner #glutenfree #grainfree #organic
    to Carrie Vitt" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Carrie Vitt'>Reply to this comment
  2. Michael says:
    October 4, 2011 at 7:51 pm
    [New Post] Crawfish Etouffee - Made in America: http://t.co/xxurnzaF #madeinamericadinner #glutenfree #grainfree #organic
    to Michael" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Michael'>Reply to this comment
  3. Lucy Lean says:
    October 4, 2011 at 11:47 pm
    Love the memories RT @delorganic: [New Post] Crawfish Etouffee - Made in America: http://t.co/L1Mkqyr7 #madeinamericadinner #organic
    to Lucy Lean" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Lucy Lean'>Reply to this comment
  4. Made In America Virtual Dinner Party | Aida Mollenkamp says:
    October 5, 2011 at 12:59 pm
    [...] hoping to grab a bite of Georgia’s purslane salad, Susan’s Traditional Lasagna, Carrie’s crawfish ettouffe, and the other fabulous dishes on our virtual dinner table. For more information on the Made In [...]
    to Made In America Virtual Dinner Party | Aida Mollenkamp" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Made In America Virtual Dinner Party | Aida Mollenkamp'>Reply to this comment
  5. A Traditional Lasagne Recipe and dinner with Lucy Lean says:
    October 5, 2011 at 2:15 pm
    [...] up Delights American Flag Cake – I am Mommy Herbed Baked Cheese – Aida Mollenkamp Crawfish Etouffee - Deliciously [...]
    to A Traditional Lasagne Recipe and dinner with Lucy Lean" aria-label='Reply to this comment to A Traditional Lasagne Recipe and dinner with Lucy Lean'>Reply to this comment
  6. As American As Apple Pie and Karjalanpiirakat says:
    October 6, 2011 at 3:03 am
    [...] Carrie   https://deliciouslyorganic.net/ – https://deliciouslyorganic.net/crawfish-etouffee-made-in-america/ [...]
    to As American As Apple Pie and Karjalanpiirakat" aria-label='Reply to this comment to As American As Apple Pie and Karjalanpiirakat'>Reply to this comment
  7. Phil Wilburn says:
    October 8, 2011 at 6:09 pm
    Crawfish Etouffee Recipe – Made in America: The aromas fills the kitchen and I'm taken back once again to Grandm... http://t.co/XMjCTU3Q
    to Phil Wilburn" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Phil Wilburn'>Reply to this comment
  8. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai – Made in America Weekend & Giveaway says:
    December 27, 2011 at 1:28 pm
    [...] adventure started a month or so ago with this post, which led to winning a trip with Lucy Lean and her family to the Four Seasons Hualalai. I received [...]
    to Four Seasons Resort Hualalai – Made in America Weekend & Giveaway" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Four Seasons Resort Hualalai – Made in America Weekend & Giveaway'>Reply to this comment
  9. SippitySup » Sup! Loves Cookbooks: Made In America says:
    April 15, 2013 at 10:27 am
    [...] Deliciously Organic [...]
    to SippitySup » Sup! Loves Cookbooks: Made In America" aria-label='Reply to this comment to SippitySup » Sup! Loves Cookbooks: Made In America'>Reply to this comment

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