Bacon-Dripping Crawfish Etouffee

Ingredients

• 0.5 pound Thick-cut bacon, diced
• 0.5 cup All-purpose flour
• 1 medium Yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 large Green bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks Celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 cups Seafood stock
• 1 pound Crawfish tails (peeled and deveined)
• 1.5 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 0.25 cup Green onions, sliced(optional)
• 4 cups Cooked white rice

Instructions

1. 1

   In a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, fry the diced bacon over medium heat until crisp and the fat is fully rendered.

2. 2

   Remove the crispy bacon bits with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving exactly 1/2 cup of hot bacon drippings in the pan (add a little butter if you are short).

3. 3

   Whisk the flour into the hot bacon fat constantly for 15-20 minutes to create a roux; cook until it reaches the color of a copper penny or peanut butter.

4. 4

   Immediately stir in the onion, bell pepper, and celery (the 'holy trinity') to the roux to stop the cooking process, and sauté until the vegetables are soft.

5. 5

   Add the minced garlic and Cajun seasoning, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant, then slowly whisk in the seafood stock and Worcestershire sauce.

6. 6

   Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens into a silky gravy.

7. 7

   Fold in the crawfish tails and the reserved crispy bacon, simmering for another 5 minutes until the crawfish are heated through.

8. 8

   Taste for salt, then serve immediately over mounds of warm white rice garnished with fresh green onions.