Crawfish Bisque

Crawfish Bisque

Most New Orleanian save the heads of the crawfish during a crawfish boil. We can use the heads to make a second meal called: crawfish bisque. We clean out the head of the crawfish, stuff it with meat and then soak in head in gravy. This is an oldie but goodie, passed down through several generations of New Orleans cooks.

Ingredients for Crawfish Bisque

• 3 lbs of crawfish tails
• About 25 crawfish heads (cleaned out)
• 12 – 15 cups of water
• Trinity (for the gravy and stuffing)
• 1/2 cup of onions
• 1/4 cup of celery
• 1/4 cup of bell peppers
• Cajun blend (to season to taste)
• Crab shrimp and crawfish boil
• 3 tablespoons of garlic

• 2 cups of onions
• 1 cup of celery
• 1 cup bell pepper
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups of bread crumbs
• 3 bundles of green onions
• 2 cups of flour
• 2 cups of butter
• Piping bag

 

Directions for Crawfish Bisque

Step 1: Peel & Save Heads

Peel Crawfish (DO NOT THROW AWAY THE SHELLS). Place tail meat in a bowl. Separate shells from the tail and remove the claws. Place the shells and claws in a large pot

Step 2: Stock

Add the water to the pot of shells and claws.  Bring to a boil, then allow to simmer for 30 mins.  Strain shells out of water and set aside

Step 3: Stuffing

Saute trinity and green onions until it’s nice and soft add a half tsp of crab shrimp and crawfish boil.  Add 1 lb of tail meat and trinity to the food processor and pulsate until it becomes close to a paste.  Add beaten eggs to the stuffing.  Add 2 cups of bread crumbs.  Mix well.  Pipe dough into heads and bake on a lined cookie sheet for 15 mins

Step 4: Gravy

Prepare butter roux (for roux help and tips see my roux video). Bring roux to a peanut butter color.  Add trinity.  Add stock.  Add green onions, garlic and season to taste!