Crawfish Bisque
Submitted by funky chefs
Authentic crawfish bisque with stuffed crawfish heads, a dark roux, and ground crawfish tails simmered low and slow. The crown jewel of Cajun cooking, served over rice.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
50 minREADY
80 minThis is not a weeknight dinner. This is a labor of love, and every single minute is worth it.
Real crawfish bisque starts with a whole sack of live crawfish, about 40 pounds. You scald them, peel them, save the fat, and clean about 200 heads for stuffing. Then you build a dark roux, layer in the holy trinity, tomato paste, and crawfish fat, and let it all simmer into a thick, deeply flavored gravy loaded with ground crawfish tails.
The stuffed heads get packed with seasoned crawfish, breadcrumbs, and eggs, dipped in flour, and baked until golden. They float in the bisque like little treasures.
Ladled over rice, this is the dish that defines Cajun cooking at its most ambitious.
Chef Tips
- Stir the roux constantly. Walk away for thirty seconds and you’ll be starting over with a burnt pan.
- Save every bit of crawfish fat. It’s liquid gold and the backbone of the bisque’s flavor.
- Add hot water only, never cold, to the roux or it will seize up.
- The bisque improves overnight, so making it a day ahead is actually the move.
Ingredients
Directions
Use 1 sack crawfish (about 40 lbs.)
Scald crawfish in almost boiling water for about 15 min.
Drain and cool.
Peel crawfish and save the fat in a separate bowl.
Clean abt. 200 heads to stuff.
To make gravy: Grind onions, celery bell pepper, garlic and parsley.
Make roux with oil and flour. Stir constantly until browned.
Add ground seasonings. Cook on low fire abt. 30 min.
Add tomato paste and crawfish fat.
Cook abt. 30 min more. Add hot water and let cook on low fire.
Add ground crawfish tails, add salt and pepper.
Cook on high fire abt. 20 min. Add baked crawfish heads.
Cook on low fire abt. 1 hr. More hot water may be added if too thick.
Stir carefully. Serve in soup bowls over rice.
To make stuffing for heads: Grind onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic and parsley.
Fry crawfish and ground seasonings in hot cooking oil; cool.
Add cawfish fat and eggs.
Mix in bread crumbs, salt and pepper.
Stuff heads. Dip the stuffed part of head in flour and place on cookie sheet.
Bake for 20 min in 400℉ (200℃). oven.
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