Crawfish Étouffée

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 3 stalks celery, chopped 
• 1 medium Spanish or white onion, chopped  
• 1 bell pepper, chopped  
• 2 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 2 bay leaves 
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme 
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock 
• 2 pounds peeled crawfish tails 
• 1 bunch green onions (3 to 4 bulbs), sliced (about 3/4 cup) 
• 4 cups cooked rice, for serving 
• Hot sauce, for serving 

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil begins to lightly smoke, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until it turns a peanut butter brown color. Turn off the heat. Stir in the celery, onions and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Return the heat to medium to medium-low and stir in the garlic and bay leaves. While the trinity cooks, combine the cayenne, thyme, white pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Stir into the skillet, a little at a time, to build flavor (see Cook’s Note).
2. Whisk in the stock 1 cup at a time, making sure it is incorporated and smooth. Bring to a boil, then cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add the crawfish and cook until they tighten in appearance, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, then stir in half of the green onions. Serve immediately over fluffed rice with hot sauce and garnish with the remaining green onions.

NOTES

• Seasoning the vegetables a little at a time with the savory seasoning at each stage builds and deepens the flavors of the étouffée.