Known as crayfish, crawdads, and mud bugs; the peoples of Louisiana are crazy about crawfish. This easy recipe is one of the best I have tried from Breaux Bridge. Serve over steamed rice.

1 stick (1/4 pound) butter

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped bell peppers

1 pound peeled crawfish tails

2 bay leaves

1 Tbs. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne

2 Tbs. chopped parsley

3 Tbs. chopped green onion

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and sauté until soft and golden, 10-12 minutes. Add the crawfish and bay leaves. Reduce heat to medium, stirring occasionally, and cook until the crawfish begin throwing off a little liquid, 10-12 minutes.

Dissolve the flour in 1-cup water. Add to the crawfish mixture and season with salt and cayenne. Stir until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Add the parsley and green onions and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve

--Excerpted from "Louisiana Real and Rustic" by Emeril Lagasse and Marcelle Bienvenu