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
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