Crawfish Au Gratin

• crawfish tail↗1 lb
• butter↗1⁄4 lb
• onion, diced↗1⁄4 cup
• celery, diced↗1⁄4 cup
• red bell pepper, chopped↗1⁄4 cup
• yellow bell pepper, chopped↗1⁄4 cup
• garlic, diced↗1 tablespoon
• flour↗2 tablespoons
• heavy whipping cream↗2 cups
• dry white wine↗1 ounce
• lemon juice↗1 tablespoon
• hot sauce↗1 dash
• grated cheddar cheese, divided↗3⁄4 cup
• salt and black pepper
• green onion, sliced↗1⁄4 cup
• cup parsley, chopped↗1⁄4

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a heavy-bottomed 2-quart sauce pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, red and yellow bell peppers and garlic.

2. 2

   Sauté 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted.

3. 3

   Be careful not to brown vegetables.

4. 4

   Add 1/2 pound crawfish tails and saute 3 additional minutes. Sprinkle in flour, blending well into the mixture.

5. 5

   Using a wire whip, whisk cream into sauce pan stirring constantly until thick cream sauce is achieved.

6. 6

   Reduce heat to simmer, add white wine, lemon juice and hot sauce. Sprinkle in half of the cheddar cheese stirring the mixture constantly. Season to taste using salt and pepper.

7. 7

   Add green onions and parsley for color. If mixture becomes too thick, add a small amount of hot water or whipping cream.

8. 8

   Place equal parts of remaining crawfish tails in the bottom of six au gratin dishes, top with sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.

9. 9

   Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.