290388 Tue Sep 24 16:04:53 -0700 2002 19 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1575936 I just got this terrific recipe for an Alsace Crawfish Stew. Question is, where do I find crawfish or crawfish tails in NYC area? Fresh or frozen. Please advise! Tue Sep 24 16:04:53 -0700 2002 0 Tatyana Gourov 1 1575938 Frozen definitely available at Fairway and also at the Ninth Ave. fish markets. Higher up, mebbe give Jake's a call to see if they've got any frozen? Downtown, pretty sure Jefferson Market will have frozen. Fresh mudbugs aplenty in Chinatown when in season (not now though, sorry). Name your neighborhood for other suggestions. Enjoy! Any chance you can post the recipe? Tue Sep 24 16:20:32 -0700 2002 1575936 0 Dennison 2 1575939 Oh, anywhere in greater NYC area is fine. Thanks for the suggestions. Here's the recipe. ALSACE CRAWFISH STEW 1 lb. cooked crawfish tail meat 2 tbls. minced shallots 1 tbls whole butter salt and ground white pepper to taste 1/4 cup white wine 1/4 cup marsala or dry sherry 2 cups heavy cream 1/2 tsp aged dry sherry vinegar Melt butter and sautee shallots until soft. Add the crawfish, wine and marsala and simmer until liquid is reduced until almost a syrup consistency. Add the cream and reduce again until desired thickness is acheived. Season with salt and pepper. Kick up the seasoning with a little aged dry sherry wine vinegar. Tue Sep 24 16:33:36 -0700 2002 1575938 0 Tatyana Gourov 3 1575960 Two things here: I was able to get frozen crawfish tails in Iowa City, IA, of all places, for about $10/pound.In New Orleans, Louisiana crawfish tails cost about $8/pound in the supermarket, while imports form China are as cheap as $2.99/pound (frozen). Crawfish tails are typically packaged "with fat", and in classic Louisiana dishes like crawfish etouffee, that fat is an important component of the dish. Should it be used in your recipe? Tue Sep 24 22:58:04 -0700 2002 1575939 0 david in NOLa 4 1575973 I'm not sure what you mean by "packaged with fat". There's no fat in crawfish. Do you mean that fat is added to it when it's frozen or something? My recipe calls for fresh or frozen tails but no fat. Wed Sep 25 09:16:24 -0700 2002 1575960 0 Tatyana Gourov 5 1575975 Crawfish "fat" is just the orange-colored remains of the contents of the head left on the tail when you peel a mud bug. Also, avoid Chinese-processed frozen tails and stick to the more expensive Louisana products. The Chinese tails tend to taste like styrofoam. Wed Sep 25 10:16:09 -0700 2002 1575973 0 Greg Spence 6 1575976 Why do they call it "fat"? Wed Sep 25 10:21:43 -0700 2002 1575975 0 Tatyana Gourov 7 1575989 Because "fat" is easier to say than "hepatopancreas". Wed Sep 25 11:53:05 -0700 2002 1575976 0 Margaret 8 1575992 Hey, it least it doesn't have the same negative connotation ;- ) Not that I mind fat (you've seen the recipe - it's loaded with it, which of course is what makes this dish so tasty) Wed Sep 25 12:04:32 -0700 2002 1575989 0 Tatyana Gourov 9 1575997 Mmmmmmmmmm....hepatopancreas.... Yes, I think there is some fat in it, though, judging from some recipes that call for melting it just until the fat rises. I'm a Nawlins transplant here in Maine, loved your recipe and copied it. Thanks for posting! Wed Sep 25 12:48:55 -0700 2002 1575992 0 Margaret 9 1576025 Paul Prudhomme says the fat can often be substituted for some or all of the butter in a recipe, so it must contain a significant amount of oil. He also, by the way, says that whole crawfish don't freeze well because the fat quickly turns rancid. Wed Sep 25 18:17:52 -0700 2002 1575992 0 Joan 7 1575990 I'm not sure why they call it fat; I never really thought about it. It may not be "fat" as one would find in a land animal, but it's rich and "fatty." It seems to behave like fat when you're cooking, too. Let me see if I can get some help from the New Orleans board. Wed Sep 25 11:53:53 -0700 2002 1575976 0 david in NOLa 7 1576074 In lobster its "tomally", in crab its "butter". Thu Sep 26 13:13:58 -0700 2002 1575976 0 Jim H. 6 1576148 Please avoid frozen Chinese crawfish at all costs. Not only are they terrible-tasting (who knows how long they've been frozen), but the state of LA tested a sampling of frozen chinese crawfish sold retail and found a list of nasty things, including a couple of banned antibiotics and some heavy metals. Stick to US product and you should be okay. Most of it is packed in LA and meets environmental standards that the Chinese crawfish don't. Also, the crawfishing industry (both wild & farmed, but little/no taste difference there) supports lots of folks in southern LA. Crawfish are an important secondary crop to LA's rice farmers, as well as part of a seasonal economic base of traditional fisherman in the Atchafalaya basin. Bon appetite. I'm sure you can find several sources online for frozen, peeled tails, shipped from LA. Here's one link below: Link: http://www.cajun-goods4u.bigstep.com/ Fri Sep 27 09:26:27 -0700 2002 1575975 0 Hungry Celeste 2 1575942 I live around the corner from Jake's, and they have live ones in season. I have never noticed them frozen, but it doesn't hurt to call. Pat G. Tue Sep 24 17:20:10 -0700 2002 1575938 0 Pat Goldberg 1 1575955 I was shocked to find frozen crawfish tails for about $8.00 lb a few years ago in (of all places) Harrisonville, MO. Never seen them in the San Francisco area...(that's why we call ourselves the "City that knows how"). You might ask a good seafood wholesaler to get a pound bag or so. Tue Sep 24 20:44:51 -0700 2002 1575936 0 Jim H. 2 1576039 $8 per lb is a GREAT price for frozen tails only. I pay about $12 for a 12oz frozen bag of crawfish tails. Not worth the time nor trouble to shell your own. Wed Sep 25 20:55:37 -0700 2002 1575955 0 Sweet Willie 1 1575982 I buy frozen crawfish at Pisacane on First Avenue between 51st and 52nd. In the past, I've bought live crawfish at Citarella. Wed Sep 25 11:13:45 -0700 2002 1575936 0 OPJK 1 1576069 Hi, I forgot the most important part yesterday, sorry. Fresh is significantly better than frozen, although frozen will do in a pinch and if you want a little piece of heaven, I would recommend the below link. We imported a bunch to Maine once and ahh! C'est bon! Link: http://www.suckdahead.com/ Thu Sep 26 12:52:30 -0700 2002 1575936 0 Margaret 2 1576086 Thanks for the link. Problem is, when I click on "order" it says "page not found". Do you think they don't have Internet ordering anymore? Thu Sep 26 15:15:23 -0700 2002 1576069 0 Tatyana Gourov