How To Cook Crawfish

For sea food lovers, lobsters, prawns, squids, exotic fish and caviar make for delectable dishes or pickings. These are some out of the ordinary preparations that one usually gets to enjoy only at choicest of restaurants. Chefs churn out mouth watering dishes from them, but they come with an exorbitant price tag, often making them fit only for the rich and the well-heeled. One such creature from the sea that is a favorite of many is the humble crawfish. Crawfish, which are also known as crayfish, are freshwater crustacean arthropods which look like miniature lobsters. They are so tasty that people in certain parts of the world are known to honor them with celebrations, fiestas and holidays! You, however, need not go to a restaurant to savor them anymore as they’re quite easy to make even at home. Here are three methods to make cooking crawfish in the comfort of your very own kitchen easy. These cooking tips are bound to bring you much delight and gastronomic fulfillment.

Crawfish Recipes

Easy Crawfish Etouffee Recipe

1 lb. Crawfish tails (peeled)
1 stick Margarine
1 tbsp Paprika
1½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
1 medium Onion (chopped)
½ Bell Pepper (chopped)
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
3 drops Tabasco
2 cup Water
2 tsp Cornstarch
2 Bay leaves
Parsley

Method

Melt margarine in a deep, thick aluminum frying pan.
Add crawfish tails to margarine. Season with paprika, salt and pepper.
Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove crawfish from margarine. Set aside.
Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and tabasco to the pot used to cook the crawfish. Saute 10 minutes. Return crawfish to pot. Add water.
Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove ½ cup liquid from the pot. Blend cornstarch into liquid. Return to pot. Add bay leaves.
Cover and simmer 10 to12 minutes or until crawfish tails are tender. Remove the bay leaves. Sprinkle with parsley.
Serves 4 people. Serve over hot rice.

Fried Crawfish

Ingredients

4 to 6 whole Crayfish
1 tbsp of Tomato Paste
1 Onion
3 full glasses of Dry White Wine
1 small Carrot
60gm Butter
2 twigs of Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Bay Leaf
A dash of powdered Thyme
A bunch of Garni

Method

In a vessel cook all the ingredients together in half the wine and butter until the vegetables are cooked.
Add the remaining butter and fry the crayfish until the shells turn red.
Add another glass of wine, the tomato paste, the bunch of garni and seasoning. Now cover the vessel and cook for 15 minutes.
Arrange the crayfish on the plates. Thicken the sauce and pour over the crayfish. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Crayfish Soup

Ingredients

1 lb cooked Crayfish meat
1 Chicken Bouillon cube
1 cup Water
1 medium chopped Onion
1 quart Milk
1 cup Butter
Little chopped Dill to flavor
3 tbsp Flour

Method

Saute the onion in butter until tender.
Boil water and melt the bouillon cube in it and mix with onion and butter.
Stir the flour with 1 cup of milk until all lumps are dissolved.
Add slowly to the pot and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
Mix in crayfish meat and dill and cook till it is tender.
The dish is now ready to be served.

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