CRAWFISH BISQUE

Prep Time: 2 Hours
Yields: 6 Servings

Comment:
Crawfish bisque is a tradition in Louisiana. This dish is often made toward the end of crawfish season in May or June. Usually, an immense pot of bisque is made to feed an entire family and have enough left over for everyone to freeze a portion to enjoy later.

Ingredients for Stuffing:
2 pounds crawfish tails, cleaned
60 cleaned crawfish heads
1½ cups minced onions
1 cup minced celery
½ cup minced bell peppers
2 tbsps minced garlic
½ cup chopped parsley
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
Ask your seafood supplier to clean 60 crawfish heads. The shells may be frozen for an extended period of time. If desired, soak heads overnight in cold soda water prior to using them. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a food processor, grind crawfish tails, onions, celery, bell peppers, garlic and parsley. Transfer ingredients to a mixing bowl then blend in eggs. Add bread crumbs, a little at a time, using just enough to hold mixture together. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff equal amounts into crawfish heads. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

Ingredients for Sauce:
1 pound crawfish tails, cleaned
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1½ cups diced onions
1 cup diced celery
½ cup diced bell peppers
2 tbsps minced garlic
¼ cup tomato sauce
3 quarts crawfish stock
1 cup sliced green onions
½ cup chopped parsley
salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly until dark brown roux is achieved. (See roux recipes.) Add onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Sauté 3–5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Blend in crawfish tails and tomato sauce. Slowly add crawfish stock until a sauce-like consistency is achieved. Additional stock may be needed during cooking process. Bring to a rolling boil then reduce to simmer. Gently stir stuffed crawfish heads into mixture. Simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent crawfish from settling to bottom of pot and scorching. Add green onions and parsley then season with salt and pepper. Serve in a 10-ounce soup bowl over steamed white rice.