Crawfish Etouffee

Crawfish étouffée accordingly consists of aromatic vegetables and crawfish meat smothered in a savory roux-based sauce and served over rice.  There is an endless debate as to what is the best recipe for crawfish étouffée? Roux or no roux? Tomato no tomato? This can go on forever ... it's one of those dishes where there is no one definitive recipe, but chances are that whichever one you try will be good and fantastically great.

Ingredients:

1 lb crawfish tails
4 ozs butter

2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 medium - large onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - chopped

2 tbsp bell pepper, minced

1/2 stalk celery, minced

2 tsp tomato paste

Cayenne pepper
1/ 2 cups water
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
Green onion tops
Fresh parsley








Method:
Melt butter in pot, add flour and stir well.

Add onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook until tender, and keep stirring.

Add tomato paste and cayenne pepper, then add water. Cook down for 20 minutes or so, then add the crawfish tails.  Bring to a boil.

 Add salt and pepper to taste,  then add chopped green onion tops and parsley.

Serve hot with white rice.