Crawfish Etouffee

Directions

1. Make a medium dark roux by whisking the flour into the oil over medium heat and cooking, stirring constantly, till the mix is the color of chocolate. Add in the onion along with the celery and garlic, and sautee over medium low heat till vegetables are tender, about 10 min. Slowly add in the shrimp stock, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, and add in lemon juice, crawfish fat/stock/liquid, and the spices. Simmer 15 min. Add in the crawfish and any liquid, bring to a rapid simmer, reduce to a low simmer, add in the scallions, and simmer just till the crawfish are tender, about 10 min. Adjust seasonings. To serve, mound some rice in a plate, and ladle some of the etouffee on top.
2. This recipe makes about 4 servings.
3. Note: Crawfish fat gives the dish its characteristic flavor. In New Orleans, it can be bought in the stores, but it's tough to find elsewhere, so substitute. If you do find it, keep it refrigerated, as it is very perishable. By crawfish liquid, I mean any run off from frzn crawfish. Whenever you use crawfish for another reason (making Cajun popcorn, say), you should save any liquid from the inside of the package which remains after defrosting. This liquid is mainly water, but it will be orange in color from the crawfish fat and meat.
4. Finally, to make crawfish stock, take a dozen or possibly so crawfish heads left over from a crawfish boil, and cover with some of the left over cooking liquid or possibly water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for several hrs. At the end of simmering, strain the stock, and reduce in half. Be careful when using this stock because it will be very salty. Omit any salt from the recipe, and adjust at the end.