They say April showers bring May flowers, but in southern Louisiana we know that crawfish are our rewards for inclement weather. Whether called crawdads, mudbugs or crayfish, the Procambatus clarkii or red swamp crawfish are always delicious no matter how you pronounce their name.
Though most of the University will be busy pinching tails and sucking heads at the football stadium today, there is a large group that does not like this practice, not that there is anything wrong with it, and those who engage in the practice are still allowed to marry. For those who are repulsed by this gastronomic tradition, there are alternatives. Crawfish bisque and etouffee are just two of the Cajun classics that are staples of the Louisiana restaurant scene.
Culinary artisans have not stopped there. Chefs around the world have begun using crawfish in creative and unexpected ways, stepping “outside of the box” to create dishes that are exciting and flavorful.
Students and faculty members of the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute were asked to submit their favorite Louisiana crawfish recipes. From the classics to new variations on an old theme, we are proud to present the best of the best.
Submitted by Chef John Kozar, associate professor of the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute
Add finely ground pecans to your favorite pie dough recipe for the crust, being sure to eliminate the sugar.
Filling (Yield= 2 10″ pies)
5 packs Philly Cream Cheese (softened)
8 oz plain yogurt (or sour cream or Creole cream cheese)
6 large eggs
Salt
Black pepper
White pepper
Cayenne pepper
Garlic, minced
2 bunches green onions
1 lb Louisiana crawfish tails
Chop green onions (using a good portion of the ‘greens’) and saut with a small amount of butter and salt and pepper. Add minced garlic. Add the Louisiana crawfish and heat through. Remove from heat and cool.
In a mixing bowl, cream the cheese until smooth. Slowly incorporate the eggs, mixing well after each addition and scraping the bowl as necessary. Fold in the yogurt, and then fold in the green onion/crawfish mixture. Taste batter and adjust seasoning.
Pour batter into par-baked shells and bake at 325 until set. Using a pan of hot water in the oven should help minimize cracking. Once set, let them cool overnight and then reheat or wrap and freeze.
When reheating, brush with egg wash and broil briefly to brown the top, then reduce oven temperature to heat through.
Submitted by Julie Webre-Stephany, Culinary Arts freshman
(Serves 2-4)
Stuffing
12 cups ground Louisiana craw- fish tails
2 cups oil
4 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
36-inch French bread, soaked in water and mashed
4 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour for dredging
Oil for frying
Fry crawfish in oil 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add onion, garlic and parsley and saut for 5-10 minutes. Stir in bread and eggs; cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and cool.
Stuff mixture into cleaned crawfish heads or roll into balls. Coat stuffed heads or balls with flour and fry in 1/2 to 1 inch of oil until brown. Remove from oil and set aside. Pour off excess oil.
Gravy
2 cups flour
1 cup oil
4 large onions, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
8 quarts water
Salt and pepper to taste
Add flour and oil to pot and stir over medium high heat until roux is dark. Add onions and celery and saut until wilted. Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
Add water and salt and pepper, bring to boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. When gravy has reduced, adjust seasonings and add stuffed crawfish and parsley.
Serve over rice.
Submitted by Walter “Moose” Richard, Culinary Arts senior from Thibodaux
2 lbs Louisiana crawfish tails
1 bay leaf
6 oz tomato paste
1 quart shrimp stock
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup flour
4 oz vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp Tabasco
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp garlic, minced
In a cast iron Dutch oven over medium high heat, combine vegetable oil and flour and stir with whisk or slotted spoon until dark.
Add bell peppers, onion and celery and saut for 3 minutes. Add garlic.
Slowly add shrimp stock. Add bay leaf, green onions and crawfish tails.
Add tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes. Add cayenne pepper, Tabasco, salt, pepper and green onions.
Cook for 5 minutes, remove bay leaf and serve over rice.
Submitted by Anne Parr, associate professor of the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute
(Serves 4-6)
1 stick butter, divided
1/2 onion, chopped
6 jalapeno peppers, sliced
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
1 lb Louisiana crawfish tails
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 stalks green onions, chopped
10 corn tortillas
2 cups grated cheese (Queso Blanco and Cheddar)
Melt 1/2 stick butter and add onions, 2/3 of jalapeno pepper slices (reserve the other 1/3), bell pepper, garlic, salt, white pepper, cayenne and oregano. Saut until onions wilt. Add whipping cream and simmer 10 minutes. Add sour cream and Monterey Jack cheese; stir and simmer 5 minutes. Place on lowest heat setting.
In separate saucepan, melt 1/2 stick butter. Add crawfish, chili powder and green onions. Saut 5 minutes.
While crawfish are sauting, dip each tortilla in cream sauce for about 10-15 seconds to soften. Remove and lay tortillas in large baking dish.
Add crawfish to cream sauce and simmer 10 minutes. Spoon a little crawfish sauce into each tortilla and roll. Place tortillas seam side down in baking dish and pour remainder of sauce over them. Sprinkle grated cheese over enchiladas and bake in 350ø oven until cheese is melted, 5-7 minutes.
Remove from oven, top with remainder of sliced jalapeno peppers.
