Marcelle Bienvenu's Crawfish (or Shrimp) Etouffée

Note from Cheri: The recipe below was given to us by the queen of Cajun cooking, Marcelle Bienvenu (the gorgeous lady in the photo at right), one of the world's foremost authorities on Cajun cooking. Marcelle's illustrious gastronomical career includes stints at Commander's Palace, Brennan's, and other top New Orleans restaurants; owning her own restaurant in Lafayette (Chez Marcelle); authoring books on her own and with culinary superstar Emeril Lagasse; and penning a popular column, Cooking Creole, for the New Orleans Times Picayune. Note that there is no black pepper in this recipe. Marcelle rarely cooks with it, preferring the kick that cayenne gives her dishes instead. We cooked this dish and shot the photos for this article right in Marcelle's own kitchen on Bayou Teche in her home town of St. Martinville, Louisiana. Click here to learn more about that day, Marcelle and for more of her authentic Cajun recipes.

Note from Marcelle:
This is a classic etouffée from south Louisiana. It's called a stew-fay simply because of the slurry that's added to thicken it up a bit.

You can substitute shrimp for the crawfish if you prefer.

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter 2 cups chopped yellow onions 1 cup chopped green bell peppers 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 pounds peeled crawfish tails (or substitute shrimp) 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup water salt and cayenne to taste 2 tablespoon chopped green onions 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves cooked long-grain rice

Makes 4 to 6 Servings 1. 2. 1. and 2. Heat the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy pot. Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery, and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes. 3. 4. 3. Add the crawfish and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to throw off a little liquid, about 5 minutes. 4. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne. 5. Remove from the heat. Add the green onions and parsley. Serve in bowls over rice.