Crawfish; aka crayfish, mudbugs, baybugs, crabfish, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, yabbies’, along with a host of other names, are perhaps best known as a crustacean associated with classical Louisiana cuisine. Although found worldwide, most species in North America are found primarily in the southeastern part of the country. So well known and loved in Louisiana that it’s the official crustacean of the state with over 100 million pounds grown and harvested each year.
Crawfish are not only an integral part of Cajun cuisine but engrained in its culture as well, going back hundreds of years. The website ExploreLouisiana.com puts that into proper perspective;
"To understand the significance of crawfish in Louisiana, one only has to take a drive on the Friday before Easter with their windows down. Propane tanks can be heard burning under huge pots of boiling water filled with seasonings and crawfish, as the pots are being slowly stirred by hungry yet patient devotees in backyards throughout the state. In Louisiana, crawfish is more than a local delicacy—it’s a dedicated food group and residents mark its season on their calendars. It is the centerpiece of springtime birthday parties; graduation celebrations and family gatherings and it is the culinary highlight for many visitors.
The history of crawfish intersects with Louisiana’s agriculture and religion, both integral parts of the state’s identity. According to Chef Patrick Mould, owner of Louisiana Culinary Enterprises and a Cajun cuisine ambassador, crawfish were first harvested from the waters of the Atchafalaya Basin and later became a farmed commodity when farmers turned their flooded rice fields into crawfish ponds to meet demand.
The crustacean is the gastronomic anchor of the Lenten season during which Catholics abstain from meat on Fridays. However, it has only been the past few decades that backyard boils have grown exponentially in popularity, says Mould. In the 1980s, technological advances changed menus and parties forever because live crawfish could then be shipped safely around the country, subsequently generating a groundswell of popularity. Imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery, but as Chef Mould says, “If you want to suck some crawfish heads and peel some crawfish tails, the only place to do it is in Louisiana.”
In this series I’ll present just a few of the dozens of examples of recipes using crawfish. Most know them as boiled and served steaming hot with new potatoes and corn on the cob, but the use of their tail meat is as vast and popular as that of shrimp.
This recipe is one of the most popular in the Louisiana and Gulf Coast regions. It comes once again, with the same descriptive argument, is it Cajun or is it a Creole dish? Essentially the Cajun version starts with the classic blond roux and holy trinity base. It’s thicker as a result of the roux and often does contain tomatoes. The recipe below is more Etouffee (or French for “smothered” in a sauce) then its Creole cousin.
In terms of it being a Creole dish, it typically would be a thinner sauce perhaps thickened with okra, similar to a Creole gumbo. Usually more vegetables are introduced as well with a bit more complexity of seasoning. Regardless, this is a recipe you can easily make during the week. It’s a fast and delicious stew and truly is one of the simple and fundamental dishes of Real and Rustic Louisiana cooking.
Crawfish Etouffee (Creole)
Course. Lunch or Dinner.
Cuisine. Louisiana Cajun/Creole
Makes. 4 servings
Takes. 20 minutes prep, 35-40 minutes cooking time
Ingredients
1/4 cup avocado oil
1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup celery chopped
3-4 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can Muir Glen fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1-pound frozen crawfish tails (or fresh if you can get them) * Note *
2 cup seafood or chicken stock
2 tbl Tony C’s or other Cajun seasoning
2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tsp chopped oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or parsley if preferred)
1/2 to 1 tsp Louisiana hot sauce to taste
2 cups cooked white rice for service
*Note* - Try to source Crawfish produced in the United States (many of which are from Louisiana). Avoid those from foreign sources as potentially raised in unsanitary conditions and markedly less flavorful as US grown. Support local crawfish farmers!!
Directions
In a separate bowl, combine half the Tony C’s with the thawed crawfish tails. Set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the base.
Beginning with a large enameled cast iron vessel (or similar cooking pot), add the avocado oil and flour over a medium high heat. When combined, reduce the heat to medium and continually stir until the roux takes on a light peanut butter color, or about 15 minutes.
Add the celery, bell pepper and onion immediately to the hot roux. Stir to soften, season with about half of what’s left of the Tony C’s Creole seasoning and cook for about 5-8 minutes. Add in the garlic and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
Next, stir in the stock, can of tomatoes and all the remaining dry seasonings bringing the pot to a gentle boil then reduce to simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally until thickened.
Once satisfied with the vegetable mixture, add the crawfish tails along with half of the chopped cilantro. Combine and heat through, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve in a bowl with a bed of white rice, garnish with the remaining chopped cilantro. Enjoy this delicious and flavorful crawfish dish as yet another example of Louisiana cooking tradition!!
Enjoy Louisiana Real and Rustic cooking, you will fall in love with it.
In the words of the late Justin Wilson……
In case you missed any recipes in this series, check out these other Louisiana Real and Rustic dishes;
Seafood Courtboullion
Boudin Stuffed Quail
Shrimp & Oyster Stuffed Whole Flounder
Red Beans & Rice
Cajun Side Dishes
Popeye's Chicken & Waffles
Dirty Rice
Shrimp Sauce Piquant
Crawfish are not only an integral part of Cajun cuisine but engrained in its culture as well, going back hundreds of years. The website ExploreLouisiana.com puts that into proper perspective;
"To understand the significance of crawfish in Louisiana, one only has to take a drive on the Friday before Easter with their windows down. Propane tanks can be heard burning under huge pots of boiling water filled with seasonings and crawfish, as the pots are being slowly stirred by hungry yet patient devotees in backyards throughout the state. In Louisiana, crawfish is more than a local delicacy—it’s a dedicated food group and residents mark its season on their calendars. It is the centerpiece of springtime birthday parties; graduation celebrations and family gatherings and it is the culinary highlight for many visitors.
The history of crawfish intersects with Louisiana’s agriculture and religion, both integral parts of the state’s identity. According to Chef Patrick Mould, owner of Louisiana Culinary Enterprises and a Cajun cuisine ambassador, crawfish were first harvested from the waters of the Atchafalaya Basin and later became a farmed commodity when farmers turned their flooded rice fields into crawfish ponds to meet demand.
The crustacean is the gastronomic anchor of the Lenten season during which Catholics abstain from meat on Fridays. However, it has only been the past few decades that backyard boils have grown exponentially in popularity, says Mould. In the 1980s, technological advances changed menus and parties forever because live crawfish could then be shipped safely around the country, subsequently generating a groundswell of popularity. Imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery, but as Chef Mould says, “If you want to suck some crawfish heads and peel some crawfish tails, the only place to do it is in Louisiana.”
In this series I’ll present just a few of the dozens of examples of recipes using crawfish. Most know them as boiled and served steaming hot with new potatoes and corn on the cob, but the use of their tail meat is as vast and popular as that of shrimp.
This recipe is one of the most popular in the Louisiana and Gulf Coast regions. It comes once again, with the same descriptive argument, is it Cajun or is it a Creole dish? Essentially the Cajun version starts with the classic blond roux and holy trinity base. It’s thicker as a result of the roux and often does contain tomatoes. The recipe below is more Etouffee (or French for “smothered” in a sauce) then its Creole cousin.
In terms of it being a Creole dish, it typically would be a thinner sauce perhaps thickened with okra, similar to a Creole gumbo. Usually more vegetables are introduced as well with a bit more complexity of seasoning. Regardless, this is a recipe you can easily make during the week. It’s a fast and delicious stew and truly is one of the simple and fundamental dishes of Real and Rustic Louisiana cooking.
Crawfish Etouffee (Creole)
Course. Lunch or Dinner.
Cuisine. Louisiana Cajun/Creole
Makes. 4 servings
Takes. 20 minutes prep, 35-40 minutes cooking time
Ingredients
1/4 cup avocado oil
1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup celery chopped
3-4 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can Muir Glen fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1-pound frozen crawfish tails (or fresh if you can get them) * Note *
2 cup seafood or chicken stock
2 tbl Tony C’s or other Cajun seasoning
2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tsp chopped oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or parsley if preferred)
1/2 to 1 tsp Louisiana hot sauce to taste
2 cups cooked white rice for service
*Note* - Try to source Crawfish produced in the United States (many of which are from Louisiana). Avoid those from foreign sources as potentially raised in unsanitary conditions and markedly less flavorful as US grown. Support local crawfish farmers!!
Directions
In a separate bowl, combine half the Tony C’s with the thawed crawfish tails. Set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the base.
Beginning with a large enameled cast iron vessel (or similar cooking pot), add the avocado oil and flour over a medium high heat. When combined, reduce the heat to medium and continually stir until the roux takes on a light peanut butter color, or about 15 minutes.
Add the celery, bell pepper and onion immediately to the hot roux. Stir to soften, season with about half of what’s left of the Tony C’s Creole seasoning and cook for about 5-8 minutes. Add in the garlic and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
Next, stir in the stock, can of tomatoes and all the remaining dry seasonings bringing the pot to a gentle boil then reduce to simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally until thickened.
Once satisfied with the vegetable mixture, add the crawfish tails along with half of the chopped cilantro. Combine and heat through, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve in a bowl with a bed of white rice, garnish with the remaining chopped cilantro. Enjoy this delicious and flavorful crawfish dish as yet another example of Louisiana cooking tradition!!
Enjoy Louisiana Real and Rustic cooking, you will fall in love with it.
In the words of the late Justin Wilson……
In case you missed any recipes in this series, check out these other Louisiana Real and Rustic dishes;
Seafood Courtboullion
Boudin Stuffed Quail
Shrimp & Oyster Stuffed Whole Flounder
Red Beans & Rice
Cajun Side Dishes
Popeye's Chicken & Waffles
Dirty Rice
Shrimp Sauce Piquant
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