Crawfish Etouffee

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter has melted add the chopped onions, celery, and bell pepper. Cook the veggies until they become translucent, about 10-15 minutes. Lastly, add the minced garlic and stir for another 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves and the crawfish and cook for 10 minutes more.

2. Add the water and stir. Now, slowly add in the flour. This will thicken up the stew. Stir until the flour has completely dissolved. Add all the seasonings (creole seasoning, cayenne pepper, paprika, red crushed pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, red hot sauce) and stir completely. If you have some preserved bacon fat, scoop about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat into the stew and stir; if not then don’t worry about it. Allow the etouffee to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes before serving and serve over white rice.