Louisiana holds great memories for me. I was young, just married, totally in love  (now married 30 years and counting) and hosting my own TV cooking show. Crawfish were always a popular topic, and I had more than a few stories to tell. I am not sure if everyone was laughing with me or at me, but it was a really fun time and I was too young to care which. Dave and I ate some of the best food on the planet in our neighbor’s homes.  Seasoning food to perfection was an art my neighbors had grown up on. Two elderly sisters opened their home for reservations. We arrived at 7 pm and were directed to one of the three small tables set up in the living room. While this may sound a little unorthodox, they  served some of the most exquisitely seasoned seafood ever. Here is my favorite crawfish etouffee recipe  adapted from “taste tests” of my Louisiana neighbor’s best . I always prepare it in the microwave because it comes out perfectly. Don’t be daunted by the long list of ingredients. It goes together faster than fast (as in 15 minutes once I had all the ingredients out). In Louisiana some of the best ettouffee is just butter and seasonings meant to go over the rice. Omit the flour if you want and instead of a sauce, you will have a seasoned butter mixture to spoon over the rice. Both ways its amazingly simple and pure Louisiana.

• Crawfish Ettouffee
• ¼ cup  butter
  1 cups chopped onions
  ½ cup chopped celery
   1  red bell pepper, chopped
• 6 ozs peeled crawfish
  1 clove of garlic, minced
  1 bay leaves
  1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ½ cup water
• 1 tsp chicken base from a jar
  ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
  1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  1 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
  1 tablespoons chopped green onions
• Cooked Rice

·         In a 2-qt glass dish, Microwave (high) 2 tablespoons of the butter.

·         Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and Microwave (high) 4 to 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

·         Add the crawfish, garlic, and bay leaves and Microwave (high) 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining butter and stir until mostly melted.

·         Dissolve the flour in the water. Add to the shrimp mixture. Stir in chicken base and Worcestershire sauce.

·         Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and cayenne. Microwave (high) 3 to 4 minutes, stirring once until mixture is thickened.

·         Stir in the parsley and green onions.

·         Serve warm along with Rice.

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