Crawfish bisque with crawfish boulettes

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
Vegetable oil for frying
5 pounds Boiled crawfish
4 quarts Water
1 cup Vegetable oil
1 cup Flour
3½ cup Chopped onions, divided
1¾ cup Chopped green bell peppers,
Divided
1¾ cup Chopped celery, celery
Salt and pepper
¼ cup Plus 3 tablespoons chopped
Green onions
¼ cup Plus 2 tablespoons chopped
Parsley
½ teaspoon Minced garlic
1 pounds Peeled crawfish tails
4 slices Stale bread, torn into
Pieces
1 Egg, beaten
pinch Cayenne
1½ cup Dried fine bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Rustic Rub

Directions

Preheat the oil. For the crawfish stock: Remove the tails and peel, reserving the meat and peelings. Pinch off the claws and reserve. Put the tail peelings and claws in a stockpot and cover with the water.

Bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes. Drain. You should have about 3 quarts of stock. Let the stock cool. For the bisque: Combine the oil and flour in a large cast-iron or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, make a medium brown roux, the color of peanut butter. Add 3 cups of onions, 1½ cups bell peppers, and 1 ½ cups celery.

Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the crawfish tails.

Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the crawfish stock and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add ¼ cup of the green onions and the parsley. For the boulettes: In a food processor with a metal blade, combine the onions, peppers, celery, garlic, crawfish tails, bread pieces and egg together. Pulse the mixture a few times to finely chop the mixture.

*Do not puree. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the green onions and parsley. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.

Shape the mixture into small balls, about 1 tablespoon each. Season the bread crumbs with the Rustic Rub. Roll the balls into the seasoned bread crumbs. When the oil has reached 360 degrees, deep-fry them until golden brown, about 2 minutes Remove the boulettes from the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season with Rustic Rub.Garnish each soup with a couple of the boulettes.

Yield: about 2 ½ dozen

EMERIL LIVE SHOW #EMIA42

Related recipes