Crawfish Bisque

Photo Courtesy of Chef Brad Peters
Serves 8

CRAWFISH

12 pounds boiled crawfish OR 2 pounds tail meat and 35 cleaned heads*

If purchasing tail meat, buy at least 3 pounds boiled crawfish; peel, reserve shells and heads

STUFFING

• ¼ cup flour for roux
• 4 tablespoons oil
• ½ large onion, finely chopped
• ½ large bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup plain bread crumbs
• 1 cup chopped crawfish tails*
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 stick butter
• ½ cup flour for rolling heads

Make a dark roux with the flour and oil.* Add onions, then bell pepper and celery and cook until tender. Add tomato paste and chopped tails. Add seasonings and simmer on low flame 10 to 15 minutes. Add bread crumbs, crawfish, parsley and butter. Fill each head with stuffing. Roll in flour and bake for 15 minutes in a 300-degree oven. Set aside.

BISQUE

• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup oil
• ½ large onion, finely chopped
• ½ bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 ½ quarts crawfish stock*
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons thyme
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cups crawfish tails*
• 1 ½ tablespoon parsley, chopped

Make a dark roux with the oil and flour.* Add onion, the bell pepper and celery and cook until tender. Add stock, seasonings, tomato sauce and garlic and simmer for 40 minutes. Add crawfish tails and stuffed heads and simmer another 20 minutes. Add parsley.

NOTE: To make stock, boil shells from at least 3 pounds crawfish, plus trimmings from onions and other vegetables. Cover with water 2 inches over the shells and boil for 15 to 20 minutes.

*RESOURCES:

Crawfish Stock – FoodieAffair.com

Crawfish Tails – FoodieAffair.com

Crawfish Heads - FoodieAffair.com
Pre-made Roux - FoodieAffair.com