crawfish etouffee

[sanglier]

As the season winds down, it occurs to me that I've had plenty of boiled crawfish but not one plate of crawfish etouffee! Besides Bon Ton, who has a good one on the menu every day, vs. having to hope to catch it as a special.

Thanks!

[Boatman]

I was surprised to see it on the menu at Clancey's the other night. Our waiter described it as reddish brown, involving tomatoes, and I lost interest. (Everything was so good that night though that I certainly woulddn't dismiss it.) For me, the best in town is K-Paul's rich version, which always makes me light-headed, but I don't think it's on the menu right now. Nor is it as good when it's half shrimp.

[hazelhurst]

Clancy's has had it off-and-on for years although I've not had it there for awhile and don't remember if it had tomato or not (although one of the best I ever had used a small bit of tomato "for color" as the cook said). Shrimp etouffee, for me, is ggod but just makes me think how much I'd rather have teh crawfish. But shrimp etouffee with fat..and especially crab..is wonderful

[qbdave]

Sanglier, my wife and I were @ Gallitorie's last Saturday evening for dinner. Crawfish Etouffee was on the menu. I am far from a Crawfish Etouffee expert but I will say that I was very pleased. Both my wife and I agreed it was delicious.

[hazelhurst]

Good luck. I rarely have etouffee in town, although I will have it at Bon Ton. I don't know if Link has any in his places. Usually I get it if the waiter tells me so-and-so is making it in the back. I read critques of etouffees as being too watery or too thin but it supposed to be thin (ot thin-ish_, not gummed up with flour or cornstarch. The Outside Perception of what it is seems to color the way cooks respond. Years ago, in various places in town, we could get it done with crawfish fat despite the existence of those Kafka Clerks in the Health Department, and that makes all the difference.

Etouffee is not New Orleans food, though, so I don't fault anyone.

[sanglier]

The latter point is true, and therefore the problem. Even thinking of who has it as a special, I'm hard-pressed. Guess it's like crawfish bisque: find a great home cook to make it! Thanks hazel.

[hazelhurst]

I make crawfish bisque about once every, oh, four or five years. Then I remember WHY it has been four or five years since I made it!

[roro1831]

No one in my family has attempted to make bisque since my grandmother passed away. They all remember the work involved and don't dare attempt it.

[Hungry Celeste]

Aw, it's not THAT hard. The only annoying part is cleaning the heads...so I skip that part. If you make the bisque one day and the boulettes the next day, it's managable. Here's my recipe: http://bouillie.us/2010/12/24/christm...

[hazelhurst]

It's not HARd just time consuming. But, if you have help it goes pretty past. The heads take most of the time and some folks are mighty particular about teh stuffing. Some people use cornbread and have to make it themselves THEN get started. I can use the frozen heads and stuff them myself with noproblem. Of course, if you start with teh crawfish boil leftovers, you get the fat that comes in handy all the way around.

I know a 90-year-old man whose mother made a "crawfish stew" using nothing but the fat, tail, salt/pepper and that was it. Meant to do it this year but didnt get around to it

[hazelhurst]

I took a look at your recipe after posting and it certanly looks swell. I;ve seen the bouille before but am such a traditionalist I stuff the heads.(That leads to the bake/fry argument..or sometimes do both) I agree with you on seafood stock issue. If you have it, fine, but not everyone in the old days had it and the outlay of fuel to make that is considerable. This is the same thing I point out about etoufee: it's a fast deal. (soups and stews and bisque, perforce, are longer).