Ruby Tuesday Too - Louisiana Crawfish - March 24, 2014

My month long trip to the South in January was a wonderful visit to friends and family.

I was also delighted to feast on some of my favorite foods, from grits to barbecue to 

raw oysters to catfish and, of course, as I had hoped, Louisiana crawfish were in

season when I arrived in New Orleans.

Crawfish prices have certainly gone up!!  Nearly fifty years ago, when I started

nursing school at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, you could buy boiled crawfish,

three pounds for a dollar.  This past weekend, because of recent cold temperatures,

crawfish cost six dollars a pound at the Louisiana Crawfish Festival!

Crawfish, or crayfish, or "mudbugs" as some call them are freshwater crustaceans

that look like small lobsters.  They are found mainly in brooks and streams with

fresh water running through, to meet the huge demand, the main source is through

aquaculture.  Lousiana produces most of the world's crawfish.

With the tail being the only really edible part ( the claws provide barely any meat ),

you have to eat quite a bit to feel full.  Crawfish are GOOD eating, though,

and it is easy to consume several pounds!

In case you've got crawfish handy, here's a recipe from the Food Network,

compliments of Emeril Lagasse.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/crawfish-etouffee-recipe2.html

Crawfish Etouffee

21 Reviews 

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001SHOW:  The Essence of Emeril

EPISODE:  CAST IRON

Total Time:  1 hr 50 min    Prep:   30 min     Cook:    1 hr 20 min

Yield:8 servings

Level:Intermediate 

CATEGORIES 

Crawfish Main Dish Southern

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 1/2 cups fish or shrimp stock

1 cup peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Hot pepper sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 pounds crawfish tails, with the fat

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Cooked white rice, for serving

Directions

In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter and whisk in flour to combine well

. 

Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until roux is a peanut butter color.

Add onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme and cook until vegetables are

soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add stock, tomatoes, salt, red pepper, hot sauce, and

 Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil.

Skim surface, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring

occasionally.

Add crawfish tails and fat, lemon juice, green onions, and parsley and cook for 15 to 20

 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining butter and stir to combine well. Taste and adjust

 seasoning if necessary. Serve over hot rice

.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/crawfish-etouffee-

recipe2.html?oc=linkback

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crayfish

I am participating in

Ruby Tuesday Too

Add your red photo to 

join in the fun!