Crawfish usually seem so foreign to visitors coming to the South. Laughingly called “mudbugs”, they are more properly known as crayfish in the North, but “when in Rome” please call them crawfish. They grow to an enormous size in warm bayou waters and their flavor surpasses that of shrimp. Several restaurants specialize in a crawfish platter, which features crawfish cooked in many different ways, including crawfish pie and boulettes (little fried balls of crawfish meat, bread crumbs and seasonings). The story is told of the mama crawfish crying to her children: “Run like the devil, chil’ren, cause das a Cajun comin’, and them doggone Cajuns eat anything.”

Chop all vegetables well and saute in melted margarine. Add crawfish tails or shrimp and fat then cook, covered for about 20 minutes on a low fire. While your waiting for this 20 minutes to pass, you can get out that mason jar, 1/2 cup brandy and maybe a little sweet tea, just for the taste you see, and enjoy that 20 minutes. Add tomato paste and seasoning. Traditionally, one does not add a roux to Crawfish Etouffe, for then it becomes crawfish stew. The work etouffe means smothered.
Crawfish dinner accompanied by crawfish shaped French bread loaf. Set out on the bridge to “coozin” (cousin) on my momma’s side of the family at Dudley LaBlanc’s house and the Acadian Village in Lafayette, La. is where to be at supper time, and “y’all better come hungry” momma used to say.
Well, until next time, bon appetite.
The Cajun Queen

Crawfish Etouffe a la Tomate

1 pound cleaned crawfish tails (or shrimp)
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 t. cayenne red pepper
1 tablespoon parsley
1 t. salt
1 tablespoon green onion
crawfish fat and water to make 3/4 cup
(you can use melted butter and water)
1 tablespoon celery chopped fine
1 stick margarine
1 heaping tablespoon pimento
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 heaping teaspoon flour
2 very thin slices of lemon

Chop all vegetables well and saute in melted margarine. Add crawfish tails or shrimp and fat then cook, covered for about 20 minutes on a low fire. While your waiting for this 20 minutes to pass, you can get out that mason jar, 1/2 cup brandy and maybe a little sweet tea, just for the taste you see, and enjoy that 20 minutes. Add tomato paste and seasoning. Traditionally, one does not add a roux to Crawfish Etouffe, for then it becomes crawfish stew. The work etouffe means smothered.