1 lb Crawfish tails; peeled
2 c Corn; cut from the cob,
- reserving 4 cobs
15 oz Can cream-style corn
1 c Onions; fine chopped
2 Celery ribs; fine chopped
1 md Bell pepper; fine chopped
1 bn Green onions; fine chopped,
- use about 2 or 3" of the
- fresh green part
4 tb Parsley; minced
3 cl Garlic; up to 4, minced
6 tb Butter
6 tb Flour
1 tb Worcestershire sauce
16 oz Can tomatoes; drained,
- reserving liquid
1 Turkish bay leaf; up to 2
1 ts Dried thyme
Salt & pepper
Hot pepper sauce
MMMMM---------------------------STOCK--------------------------------
Shells & claws from peeled
- crawish, NOT the heads
4 tb Butter
1/4 c Brandy or Cognac
1 c White wine
Water
1 Carrot; in large pieces
1 Celery rib; in large pieces
3 Green onions; in large
- pieces
3 Parsley sprigs
2 cl Garlic
1 Turkish bay leaf
1 pn Thyme
Make stock first. Ten pounds of boiled crawfish make one pound of
meat. Peel crawfish, reserving shells and claws. Rinse shells and
let drain. Melt butter in a large pot; add shells and fry until
sizzling and hot, turning them often. When shells are hot enough,
heat a small pot, pour in brandy and ignite. Remove shells from
fire, pour in brandy, tossing and turning until the flame dies down.
Add wine and water to cover shells. Add onion, celery, green
onions, parsley, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Let it all simmer for
an hour. Strain carefully and reserve.
In another pot, melt butter, add flour and let cook on low fire
until medium brown. Add chopped vegetables and let cook on a low
fire until wilted, stirring often. Chop tomatoes and add to pot
with reserved liquid. Let cook a few minutes.
Add stock -- just enough to make a soupy consistency, then add
Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, thyme, crawfish, corn, and about
four of the cobs (for added flavor). Let simmer an hour. Taste for
salt, pepper, and hot sauce. If using boiled crawfish, it is
usually peppery enough.
Remove the cobs and serve.
If the soup is too thick, add more stock or water. If it's too
thin, cook a little more flour and add to thicken it.
Note: If you prefer to buy crawfish tails already picked, buy a
couple of pounds of boiled crawfish and pick them so as to have the
shells to make your stock. Shrimp may be substituted.
Grand Prize Winner by Marguerite Sigur,
Times-Picayune Cooking Contest, 1984.
