Crawfish Etouffee Recipe with a Silky Cajun Gravy - Quickie Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked long-grain white rice, kept warm
• 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup (32 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• 2 cups (480 ml) seafood stock or chicken stock, warmed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb (450 g) peeled crawfish tails, thawed if frozen and drained
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or hot sauce, optional
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste