CRAWFISH BISQUE

Last summer was a good time for crawfish.  We had some excellent catches and made some great recipes.  After one of those great meals, I took all of the heads and tails of the left over crawfish and transformed them into stock.

It is fairly simple to make a crawfish broth.  You will need a large stock pot.  First, I took the leftover crawfish and rinsed them in cold water to clean off any residue from the boil. I then sauteed two minced shallots and 2 cloves garlic in olive oil.  I then added two chopped carrots, one chopped onion and 2 chopped celery stocks.  Once the vegetables were soft, I added the crawfish bodies.  As I stirred the crawfish, I also smashed the bodies to expose the meat and juices.  Use the entire crawfish, most of the flavor will come from the heads.  Once the bodies are smashed and browned, I added about 3 gallons off water to the pot.  The amount of water will differ based on the amount of crawfish you are using.  Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Let the crawfish simmer for about 3-4 hours and the water will have reduce in half.  Strain the stock and discard the bodies and vegetables. After stirring the stock, I then run it through a China hat to get rid of any larger pieces that passed through the initial strain.

Once you have made your stock you can use it in many different crawfish recipes.  I like to use my stock to make soups.  My favorite crawfish soup is crawfish Bisque.  The following is the recipe I like to use for my crawfish bisque.

CRAWFISH BISQUE

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₂lb crawfish tails
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 3 garlic cloves crushed
• 1/4 cup white wine
• _1/4  cup dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon paparika
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 quart crawfish stock
• 4 ounces tomato paste
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. In a saute pan heat a little oil over med-high heat and saute shallots, onions, and garlic for one minute.
2. Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
3. Add the Tabasco, and thyme and saute for another minute.
4. Deglaze the pan with the sherry.
5. Add the paprika, and crawfish stock base and combine well.
6. Stir in tomato paste and add the bay leaves.
7. Simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Whisk in heavy cream and the butter and bring to a boil.
9. Add the crawfish tails and simmer until cooked through.
10. Garnish each bowl with chopped chives and a few whole boiled crawfish.  Shrimp makes a great substitute if whole crawfish are not available.

If you would like to learn more about how to catch crawfish or cook them “The Crawfish, From Pond To Plate” on Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ED47QVA