Etouffee is a classic Cajun preparation that usually begins with a roux. A roux is simply the combination of a fat, in this case butter but often oil, and flour.

A dark roux is essential in gumbo and etouffee, and making a dark roux can take up to 45 minutes of patient stirring in a cast-iron skillet. It's easy to burn a roux if it's not watched carefully, and once it's burnt, you have to start all over again.

The USS Louisiana's recipe, which serves 100, starts with five pounds of butter and five pounds of flour for the roux. In order to decrease the fat content and time at the stove, I've substituted an oven-baked roux here.

To make "oven roux," place the desired amount of flour on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every five minutes.

Browning the flour gives you the depth of flavor that you achieve in the classic dark roux, with a much simpler method. You can prepare the oven-baked roux while you chop the vegetables for the etouffee. And oven roux can be made and stored in a jar for future use.

The ingredients in the USS Louisiana's etouffee are straightforward. Three colors of peppers are used in the recipe, but feel free to use green bell pepper if that's what you have on hand. A chopped onion is added, and the vegetables are sauteed in a nonstick skillet. I use nonstick cooking spray instead of butter or oil to saute the vegetables, further decreasing fat grams. While their recipe sticks to just a few vegetables, many etouffee recipes call for diced celery, fresh chopped garlic and chopped scallions. Feel free to add these if you want a full-flavored etouffee. The scallions can be sauteed with the other vegetables, or they make a delicious garnish for the dish.

Professional kitchens have access to ingredients that most of us can't purchase at the supermarket. In this case, the USS Louisiana's mess specialists use lobster base and water as a flavor enhancer and liquid ingredient. I've substituted reduced-sodium chicken broth since it's readily available, or you could use canned clam juice.

To spice up their etouffee, the submarine's cooks use a combination of Old Bay and Cajun seasonings. Since they serve a crew with varied palettes, their etouffee is very mild. I've increased the amount to provide more authentic Cajun flavor, but feel free to use the Cajun seasoning to your taste. Look for both spice blends in the spice aisle. Old Bay, in its yellow tin, is a classic Maryland seasoning blend. Chefs Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse have wonderful Cajun seasoning blends on the market.

Crawfish tail meat is the main ingredient here, and it is available frozen in one-pound packages in many local supermarkets. You may need to ask someone in the seafood department where it's located in the store. The pound of crawfish usually will cost about $10. Substitute a pound of peeled and deveined shrimp if you prefer.

Since I've taken many liberties in the effort to reduce the fat in this recipe, I add a tablespoon of butter at the end to enrich the sauce. Once the crawfish and butter are added, the etouffee simmers for a few minutes and is then served over cooked white rice.

USS LOUISIANA CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE

1/2 cup flour

211 calories

22 grams protein

18.3 grams carbohydrates

2 grams fiber

5.3 grams fat

2.2 grams saturated fat

143 milligrams cholesterol

497 milligrams sodium

Nutrient analysis provided by Fran Frye, a licensed and registered dietitian of the Augusta District Dietetic Association. Send questions via e-mail to @yahoo.com.

1/2 green bell pepper

1/2 yellow bell pepper

1/2 red bell pepper

1 medium onion

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

Salt to taste

1 16-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 pound crawfish tail meat

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle flour over a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

While the "oven roux" is browning, dice the bell pepper halves and the onion. Heat a large nonstick skillet that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and saute until wilted and lightly browned, approximately 5 to 8 minutes. Whisk in the browned flour, seasonings and chicken broth and bring to a boil. (Whisk until there are no lumps in the sauce.) Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the crawfish tail meat and butter and simmer until the crawfish is heated through, about 5 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

COMING SEPT. 18: Mom's Taco Pie

See Karin prepare the recipe at noon Tuesday on WJBF-TV (Channel 6).