Crayfish Etouffee

Leslie in Texas's Note:

This recipe is a twist on the more usual Cajun- style etouffee- it's served on crisp tortillas and garnished with grated cheese and sour cream! You can substitute uncooked medium peeled and deveined shrimp for the crayfish. The recipe comes from the R.S.V.P. section of an April 1989 issue of Bon Appetit and was requested from the Cafe' Blue Bayou restaurant in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 (28 ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes , drained (juices reserved)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• ¼ cup finely chopped celery
• ¼ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme , crumbled
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil , crumbled
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup dry white wine
• vegetable oil
• 6 flour tortillas (or corn)
• 1 lb cooked crayfish tail , meat
• grated cheddar cheese
• sour cream

Directions:

1. Dice enough tomatoes to measure 1/2 cup (reserve remainder for another use).
2. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add onion,celery and bell pepper and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add flour, reduce heat to low and stir 5 minutes; do not brown.
5. Mix in garlic,cayenne,thyme,basil and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stir in wine and diced tomatoes and bring to boil.
7. Reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding tomato juices as necessary to thin sauce.
8. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool,cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over low heat, stirring constantly.).
9. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
10. Add tortillas in batches and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes;transfer to plates.
11. Add crayfish to sauce and cook 2 minutes; spoon mixture over tortillas.
12. Sprinkle etouffee with grated cheddar cheese and top each with a dollop of sour cream and serve.