Crawfish Bisque...it's probably at the top of the list when you talk about Cajun treats. Although it may seem like it, not every Cajun dish is a fête, but making Crawfish bisque is traditionally a family affair. Normally prepared towards the end of crawfish season to use up all the leftover crawfish meat, it's not unusual to see family gatherings where many participate in the preparation.
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It's not as complicated as it may appear, but stuffing all those crawfish heads does get pretty time-consuming and labor-intensive. That's a great excuse to get the generations together and everybody pitch in...who knows, I bet this is the way much Cajun folklore has been passed down through the generations. Let’s take a look at Sweet Daddy D’s Cajun Crawfish Bisque...no-angst, delicious, and very special.
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Here’s What You Need
Leftover crawfish supply most of the foundation for this classic. Nothing goes to waste. The leftover crawfish tail meat will be used in the stuffing for the heads as well as being added to the bisque. The cleaned-out head shells will be stuffed with a filling made from ground tail meat, vegetables, seasonings, and breadcrumbs, while the remaining shells will be used to make a rich crawfish stock.
The rest of the ingredients for the stuffed heads include yellow onions, celery, garlic and parsley. To hold everything together, we’ll use whole eggs and seasoned bread crumbs. Season it up with creole seasonings and fresh ground pepper.
The bisque will start with a medium roux of vegetable oil and All Purpose Flour. The ubiquitous Trinity-yellow onions, celery, and bell peppers will be used, with some green onions, garlic, and parsley. A small amount of tomato sauce and some creole seasoning join all these other ingredients in the homemade crawfish stock.
Here’s What You Do
First...you have a beer. This is going to be done in two phases-making the filling and stuffing the heads and making the bisque, but you can do your mise en place all at the same time. Many of the ingredients are common to both, so, pop a beer, read through the recipe completely and make a plan. Chop your onions, green peppers, celery, green onions, garlic and parsley, keeping what you need for each phase separate. Measure out the creole seasoning into separate ramekins. Measure the flour, oil, bread crumbs and get your cleaned heads ready. Place two pounds of crawfish tails in one bowl and two pounds in another bowl-sprinkle some creole seasoning one each. l. Set eight cups of crawfish stock in a dutch oven and set to warm-make sure to have some reserved stock in case you need it. You may need another beer at this time.
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We’ll start with the stuffed heads:
Prepare the tail meat
Separate out about ¼ cup of tails and chop coarsely. With the remaining tails, process them in a food processor until they are fine. Add those to the bowl.
Put the vegetables in the food processor
In the same food processor, processor, grind the yellow onions, celery, parsley and garlic until very fine.
Add everything to the bowl
Dump the ground veggies into the bowl with the ground tail meat and make sure you get all the onion juice. Add about half the bread crumbs, eggs and creole seasoning. Mix well with your hands until you can form little balls. Add more bread crumbs and needed.
Stuff the heads
Take a cleaned crawfish head upside down in your left hand (for right-handed people) and slip your left index finger from the wide part to the narrow part (where the eyes used to be) and spread it apart. Place a little filling with your left hand and press it into the head, making it a little wider still. Push down with your index finger and press as much stuffing in there as possible, then clean off the outside of the head so that it is fully stuffed. You will end up with about a large tablespoon of filling, depending on how big the head is. Don't worry, you’ll get the hang of it after doing a few. It's not a beauty contest-just get as much in there and try to make them as uniform as possible. It will taste great no matter what it looks like!
Bake the stuffed heads
Place all the stuffed heads onto a baking sheet and place them in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until they are just starting to get brown. Take them out and set them aside until it's time to dump them in the bisque.
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Now it's time to start on the Bisque:
Make a medium roux
In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil until it is shimmering. Add the flour and whisk constantly until you have a medium roux, like milk chocolate. Remember that the roux will continue to brown some once you add the trinity, and this is what will give the bisque its beautiful color.
Cook the trinity in the roux
When the roux is where you want it, add the onions, celery and bell pepper. Continue to stir until the veggies are getting soft and the onions are beginning to clear. This should take about 8 minutes.
Add the aromatics
Thrown in the garlic, about ⅔ of the green onions and the creole seasoning. Stir continuously until the garlic is aromatic, which should be about 2 minutes.
Add the crawfish tails and tomato sauce
Add the tomato sauce and mix well, then the tail meat in about 4 batches, stirring constantly until everything is completely blended.
Stir in the stock
By now the stock should be about the same temperature as the roux and crawfish tails. This is important to make a smooth bisque-you don't want to add cold stock. Do this a ladle at a time, making sure to completely incorporate all ingredients before adding the next ladle. Once about half of the stock has been incorporated, you can add the remaining stock. Stir very well to make sure everything is mixed together without lumps.
Simmer
Bring the bisque to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the bisque for about 15 minutes. This will help the flavors to meld together.
Add the stuffed heads
Increase the heat again and start adding the stuffed heads, a few at a time. Keep stirring in between adding the heads until they are all added.
Reduce to a simmer and cover
Once the heads are added and the bisque returns to a boil, reduce the heat again to a simmer, cover, and continue to simmer for 45 minutes. Make sure to stir often as the heads will want to stick to the bottom. Add some of the reserve stock if needed.
Add the parsley and serve
After 45 minutes, add the chopped parsley and stir well. Taste for seasoning-add kosher salt and pepper is needed. Serve it in bowls over rice.
There you have it, that's simpler than you thought, right?
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Hints and Tips
- What happens if you don’t have crawfish heads? I thought everyone kept cleaned crawfish heads in their freezer, but maybe not. No worries, just form the stuffing into little football about an inch long-these are called boulettes. Follow all the instructions, just don’t stuff the heads. They will stick together and once baked and will be delicious. But...if you want to get in touch with your inner-Cajun, you can get some cleaned heads on-line at Tony's Seafood. (Sweet Daddy D has no affiliation with Tony's)
- Don’t have crawfish stock? Again, what? Guess what, no worries. Just use some commercial seafood stock, chicken stock or even vegetable stock.
- Don’t have crawfish tails? Come on? Is your freezer empty? Again, no worries. You can usually find frozen tail meat in the better grocery stores or order these online. Remember, stick with Louisiana crawfish. If you can't find those and need to go with imported, make sure to rinse them very well before you use them.
- Remember, it's a bisque-a thick, rich soup with a creamy consistency where the stock and seafood is thickened by a roux. With the roux and the stuffed heads or boulettes, it can get pretty thick. To make sure it has the consistency of a thick soup and not a thick gravy, make sure to have some extra stock on hand. If you don't have extra, just use a little water if you need to thin it out a bit.
- Don’t add salt until the end. If you are using homemade crawfish stock and/or leftover crawfish tails, there is likely some residual salt from the crawfish boil, or even salt from your commercial creole seasoning. Taste the bisque at the end and add more if you need to, but you don’t want to over salt it.
Want some other crawfish dishes? Try these delicious recipes:
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Yeah You Right!
Recipe
Cajun Crawfish Bisque
Here's What You Need
For stuffing the heads
- 2 pounds crawfish tails peeled
- 1 ½ cup Yellow Onions minced
- ½ cup Celery minced including leaves
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons parsley minced
- 3 whole eggs
- 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- Black pepper to taste
- About 50 to 60 cleaned crawfish heads
For the bisque
- 8 cups crawfish stock plus some extra if needed
- 2 pounds crawfish tails peeled
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup flour
- 1 ½ cup Yellow Onions finely chopped
- ½ cup Celery finely chopped
- ½ cup bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 bunches green onions finely sliced
- 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
- ¼ to ½ cup Tomato Sauce
- ½ cup parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning plus some for the tails.
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste.
Here's What You Do
To stuff the heads
- Set aside about ¼ cup of the crawfish tails.
- Place the remaining tails into a food processor and grind until fine, place in a bowl.
- Take the reserved crawfish tails and roughly chop them into small pieces, place them with the ground tails.
- Place the onions, celery, garlic and parsley in the food processor and chop until very fine.
- Place the vegetables in the bowl with the crawfish and make sure to include any juice generated by the food processing.
- To the bowl add the eggs, creole seasoning and pepper.
- Add the breadcrumbs, starting with about 1 cup. Mix all together with your hands. Add more breadcrumbs as needed to make sure it holds together.
- Stuff the crawfish heads with the filling. Starting on the wider end of the head’s opening, use your left index finger to spread the shell open, place filling into the head and stuff it tightly with your right index finger. Alternately, you could forego stuffing the heads and form the filling into small balls known as boulettes.
- Place all the stuffed heads on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside.
To make the bisque:
- Place the tail meat in a bowl, sprinkle with creole seasoning and set aside.
- Place 8 cups of crawfish stock in a stock pot and warm until almost boiling.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast iron dutch oven over high heat.
- When the oil is shimmering, add the flour and whisk constantly until you have a medium roux. Add the trinity (yellow onions, celery and bell peppers) into the roux and stir constantly until softened, about 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, about ⅔ of the green onions and the creole seasoning. Stir until blended and becoming aromatic, about 2 minutes.
- Add the crawfish tails in about four batches and the tomato sauce, stir to mix well.
- Making sure the stock is about the same temperature as the roux mixture, slowly add stock to the roux and crawfish, a ladle at a time, stirring to completely blend the stock into the roux mixture before adding the next ladle.
- Continue this, one ladle at a time, until about half of the stock has been added, then you can add the balance of the stock and mix together very well. Make sure there are no lumps.
- Bring the bisque to a high boil, reduce heat to a medium simmer and let it simmer for about 15 minutes uncovered.
- Add the stuffed crawfish heads and return to a boil.
- Once it boils, lower the heat to a simmer, cover and continue to simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir often to keep the heads off the bottom of the pot.
- Add some of the reserved stock if it gets too thick.
- After 45 minutes add the parsley and stir well.
- Serve in a bowl over a scoop of white rice, making sure to get some of the stuffed heads in each serving. Sprinkle chopped green onions on top.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Estimate
It's Me!
Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
read the "It's Me" page to find out more about me and this website…
Jodie Hebert
I have seen this revered dish made over the years and made it once myself before; however, I made this recipe over the weekend with the help of 3 others family members. It came out great! We doubled the recipe to stuff approximately 140 heads. Even my Mother, a pretty strong critic, said it was excellent 🙂 She was so proud she started telling everyone about it! The recipe is very close to my maternal grandmother's and paternal aunt's recipe- Hebert's on both sides...LOL. The one thing I think makes a big difference is that neither of my family recipe calls for homemade stock which I am a big believer in for Cajun cuisine. I made my own stock, skipping the oven roast, but boiled down the crawfish shells with the bouquet garni and veggies. Other than that, it was pretty much straight from this recipe. C'est Bon!
Sweet Daddy D
Fantastic, Jodie. I agree, the homemade crawfish stock really pushes this to the next level, but getting the family involved is really the magic. Crawfish Bisque should be a family affair. Thanks for the kind words, I am so glad you liked the recipe!
Tammy Meliet
I have making crawfish a long time, but I missed some of these steps. This looks absolutely delicious and I gratefully copied your recipe. I'm sure this is the way I will always make it now. I'll be sharing this with my kids too. Thanks much!
Tammy M. 🙂
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks, Tammy. That's great to hear. Get your kids to help you stuff some heads!! Enjoy!
Julie
This recipe looks so delicious! My dad ate this as a kid in Nola and I want to surprise him with this dish. I’m so excited to cook it. Thank you for the step-by-steps!
Sweet Daddy D
That's great, Julie. I get lots of great feedback on the recipe, everyone loves it. Thanks for giving it a try, let me know what you think!
John Billodeaux
I used a 12 inch disposal pastry decorating tube and cut off about 1.5 inches from the point. When the bag is filled with stuffing, it fits the crawfish heads perfectly. I nestled the heads against the base of my thumb using my finger, squirted the filling in. The whole process took about 10 seconds per head whereas it was taking me 20-25 seconds without the decorating tube.
Sweet Daddy D
Great idea, John! Thanks for sharing.
Bree Jefferson
Love the recipe 😍 have you ever tried mixing ground meat and crawfish tails too?
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks, Bree, I'm glad you liked the recipe. Nope, I have never thought of mixing ground meat with the tails. I'd have to give that some thought...let me know if you try it. Thanks for reaching out and the 5-Stars!
Kayllie
Do I have to add the garlic and tomato sauce? It's the 2 thing that gives me heartburn.
Sweet Daddy D
Hey Kayllie. Nope, if garlic and tomato sauce arent your thing, leave them out. There is only a very small amount of tomato sauce anyway, so that won't be a problem. Garlic is a pretty basic flavor in Cajun recipes, but many people either minimize it or leave it out. Make it the way Kayllie likes it! Enjoy! Thanks for the question.
cynthia scott
I love your recipe. It’s the best one i’ve seen so far. I can’t wait to try it!
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks, Cynthia. Let me know how it turns out.
J,J. Junius Arceneaux
Sweet Daddy Dee; Well Sunday I went all in and tried my hand at your recipe of Crawfish Bisque with Boulettes. I studied and re-read your recipe and made a HUGE pot of Crawfish Bisque. I enlarged the recipe to make a 20 plus serving. Well let me told you one ting, that Bisque came out 100% good may yea. I used 5 one pounds of crawfish. Made the Boulettes with three pounds and 2 pounds went into the sauce. I got so many compliments that I will try again for THANKSGIVING at our family gathering. At first I did not fully understand the recipe but after re-reading it I felt I would not be afraid. What also helped me was my huge cast iron pot. I say thank you Sweet Daddy May GOD BLESS and BON APPETIT .
J,J. Junius Arceneaux
Sorry for a repeat of my original post
Sweet Daddy D
No problem, JJ. I could read that all day long. Keep cooking!
J.J. Junius Arceneaux
Well "Sweet Daddy" I re-read and studied your Crawfish Bisque recipe and went for it. I enlarge the servings to 20 plus with your notes. Well Sweet Daddy I surprised myself and had many compliments on the final products. I used 5 lb. of crawfish. Three pounds to make the BOULETTES and added two pounds to the sauce. Also I do think my large cast iron pot contributed great success using your guidance and direction. Thanks again and may God BLESS BON APPETIT
Sweet Daddy D
Yeah You Right, JJ! That's a big batch. Thanks for giving it a try, I'm so glad it turned out well. Keep cooking!
J.J.
Sweet Daddy Dee, it is not clear how to use the crawfish in steps. You say chop 1/4 course then blend fine the rest. Do you put any whole crawfish tales in the sauce? Seems like in your direction you don't. Not really clear about this. Recipe and photos looks and sounds beautiful.
Sweet Daddy D
JJ-sorry if it's a bit confusing, there is a lot going on when you make bisque. The recipe calls for a total of 4 pounds of crawfish tails, 2 pounds to stuff the heads, and 2 pounds for the bisque.
In the section of the Recipe Card "To Stuff the Heads", (Step 1) take 1/4 of the tails (about 1/2 pound) and set them aside; (Step 2) run the remaining 3/4 of the tails (1 1/2 pound) through a food processor to chop fine. (Step 3) Using your knife, roughly chop the 1/2 pound of tail meat you reserved in Step 1.
In the section "To Make the Bisque", add the crawfish tails (2 pounds) to the veggie-roux mixture in Step 6.
Hopefully, that clears it up, but if you still have questions, shoot an email to [email protected] and I will be glad to follow up. Thanks!
Debby
Have you ever tried putting the stuffing in a pan to cook instead of stuffing the heads
Sweet Daddy D
Hey Debby. Yes, you don't have to stuff the heads. You can make boulettes. Just form the stuffing into football shaped balls. I have done this many times, but I pre-bake them. I mention this in the article's Hints and Tips section. I'm sure you can pan-fry them in some butter or a little vegetable oil, a couple of minutes on each side until they just start to brown. You're not trying to cook them at this stage, but this helps them keep their shape while simmering in the bisque. They will cook in the bisque. Go for it! Let me know how it turns out. Thanks for reaching out.
Pam
This is my 3rd time using this recipe. I follow it exactly( except for the beer). It is the best ever. My family and friends love it!!!💓💓💓
Sweet Daddy D
That's great to hear, Pam. Thanks for the kind words.
Sandra C.
I have been eating crawfish bisque for ages and my family always uses the "fat". At which point in the recipe would you add the reserved fat?
Sweet Daddy D
Hey Sandra C, that will make it extra good! Add the extra fat when you add the crawfish tails prior to adding the stock. Yummy! Thanks for the question, let me know how it turns out.
Denise
Can I stuff the heads and freeze them... I’ve made many crawfish bisque but never tried to freeze stuffed heads.
Sweet Daddy D
Hi Denise. I have a batch in the freezer right now. There should be no problem freezing the stuffed heads. I would recommend freezing them individually on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. For best results, make sure you have an airtight container, preferably a vacuum-sealed bag. Let them thaw in the fridge, then simmer them in the bisque and they should be great.
Wanda Bartholomew
I READ UR RECIPE , I AM CREOLE WOMAN JUST BEING NOSEY, AS I KNOW HOW TO MAKE BISCUE YOUR RECIPE IS DOWN TO THE T,YOU GOT IT GOING ON!! BE BLESSED MY FRIEND!💯😘😘😘😘😘✌
Sweet Daddy D
Yeah you right, Wanda! Thanks for throwing me some love. Peace.
Loan W
This recipe Tastes amazing! It’s one of my favorite things to eat. It’s rich and savory and makes for a happy husband as well. I love that the steps include a beer or two ?.
Sweet Daddy D
Fantastic, Loan. I'm so glad you tried it and really happy you (and your husband) liked it. Thanks for reaching out!
Elizabeth Impastato
Made this recipe and it was a hit! Everyone loved it including my boss (who is a popular Chef). Making it again today and can’t wait for it to be done!
Sweet Daddy D
Fantastic. Thanks for trying it and thanks for telling me about it. So glad you liked it! Enjoy!
Paula
How many people will this recipe serve?
Sweet Daddy D
Hey, Paula. You should have no problem getting 12 entre size servings with about 4 stuffed heads apiece. Normally I get a little more than that, but you know, serving sizes vary. Don't forget, most people serve this over a little rice a' la gumbo. Thanks for the question, let me know how it turns out.
Ann Atwood
Bobbie, am 81 yrs young - remember catching cf cleaning heads and helping Mother make bisque = took 2 days. :lots of garlic/onions etc. but not tomato sauce. If you know a place to order and have shipped, PLEASE let me know!!!
Sweet Daddy D
Hi, Ann. I appreciate you reching out. Yes, Crawfish Bisque is very labor intensive and that's why its so much fun when everyone participates. My recipe only calls for 1/4 to 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, so you could skip it and not effect the end product very much. Don't skip the onions and garlic, though! Check out the Cajun Grocer (https://www.cajungrocer.com/). They do a great online business, shipping product everywhere and have some choices on Bisque. I don't have an affiliation with them but I have used them and know them to have qualityy products and good service.
Donna
How long will this last in the refrigerator once cooked?
Sweet Daddy D
Hi, Donna. You should be safe keeping the leftover bisque in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. I would not go longer than that. In fact, the 2nd day will probably be even more flavorful.
Bobbie D LANDRY
Do u have to use tomato sauce
Sweet Daddy D
Hey, Bobbie. You don't have to use tomato sauce if you'd prefer to skip it. The recipe calls for 8 cups if stock and only 1/2 cup (at most) of tomato sauce, so it likely would not alter the flavor profile in a noticeable way. Thanks for the question.