Crawfish Au Gratin, a casserole of crawfish tails in a creamy, cheesy sauce topped with more cheese and seasoned breadcrumbs. Baked to golden perfection, it comes out of the oven with the cheesy sauce bubbling and the topping browned just inviting you to jump right in! But give it a few minutes to cool slightly, then serve it up with a crisp green salad and some crunchy french bread. Oh, man! You will love this simple, no-angst recipe from Sweet Daddy D and so will your guest!
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What is Crawfish Au Gratin and Why it is so good?
If you make a casserole in a shallow baking dish topped with cheese and breadcrumbs baked until the top is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling hot, you most likely have made an au gratin. Au gratin is a fancy French culinary term that refers to the method of cooking: simply a dish with browned toppings of breadcrumbs and cheese.
This method is wonderful for many seafood and vegetables but is perfect to show the potential and versatility of Louisiana crawfish. The mild but distinct flavor of crawfish tail meat blends well with the Trinity sauteed in butter and traditional South Louisiana seasonings in a cheesy sauce spiked with the mild and fruity flavor of dry sherry. This delicious combination is poured into a shallow baking dish (which the French call a gratin), then topped with more cheese and a sprinkling of seasoned breadcrumbs before it is baked or broiled until the topping is a golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.
Here’s What You Need
Note on Crawfish: Use only Louisiana crawfish, not imported crawfish. This recipe also works very well with leftover crawfish tail meat from a boil, but keep in mind that the seasoning from the boil will affect the flavor profile.
Note on the Onions: Normally I use yellow onions in the Trinity, but for this recipe, I prefer to substitute shallots. They are a little more delicate than yellow onions and the sweet flavor blends well with the sherry and crawfish tails.
Notes on the Cheese: For the sauce, I use grated American cheese for its mildness and melt-ability and Sharp Cheddar Cheese for the topping. You can substitute any cheese you prefer, but try to choose melty cheese. If possible, grate your own cheese as opposed to buying pre-grated cheese, which has a tendency to be dryer and may contain preservatives.
This recipe was developed using Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning, a no-salt, no-MSG all-purpose Creole seasoning. Created using Sweet Daddy D’s unique recipe, it enhances the individual flavors of your ingredients. Unlike most commercial seasonings, Le Bon Papa does not lay on top of your recipe, it elevates it to a higher level. You choose the amount of salt you want, Le Bon Papa will take care of the rest!
Le Bon Papa Seasonings is approved by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture to display the Certified Creole and Certified Louisiana Logos, assuring that our products represent the heart of South Louisiana.
Equipment
Here is some of the equipment I used in making this recipe:
This post is not sponsored, but you will find affiliate links on this page. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase.
Here’s What You Do
First…you have a beer. This recipe is so simple you’ll want to jump right in. But it will come out much better if you start by reading the recipe all the way through. So, pop the cap off a beer while you read the recipe and learn what you need and what you're going to do with each ingredient and piece of equipment. Start with mise en place to prepare each ingredient before you turn the heat on so all you have to do is assemble the recipe as you go.
Mise en place
Defrost (if necessary) and drain the crawfish tails in a colander. Set them aside. Do not rinse the crawfish as you don't want to lose that "fat" (See the Hints and Tips-FAQs for more on that!) I usually skip this, but you can mix about 1 tablespoon of Creole Seasoning into the crawfish tails as they sit.
This dish cooks pretty quickly, so we need things pretty fine:
- Finely chop the Trinity (shallots, bell peppers, celery), and the garlic.
- Slice the green onions.
- Combine the Herb and Spice Blend in a small bowl.
- Grate the American and Cheddar cheese.
- Warm the milk and mix in the egg yolk and mix well.
- Measure all the remaining ingredients.
Pro Tip: We want to blend the egg yolk with the warm milk, but we don’t want to cook the egg yolk in the milk. Warm the milk slightly so that it is not cold when you add it to the recipe, then quickly whisk the yolk into the warmed milk.
Prepare a small oven-safe casserole (with low sides) or a gratin dish by smearing softened butter all over the inside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Making the Cheese Sauce
What happens in this step? Here we will build a cheesy cream sauce for the crawfish. We are using mild American cheese because it melts well and will not overpower the main ingredient-crawfish. will cook
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When bubbly, saute the Trinity, stirring almost constantly until the shallots are starting to clear. This shouldn’t take more than about 8 minutes, but be careful not to let the Trinity brown.
Add the garlic, green onions, and half of the Herb and Spice Blend. Mix well to thoroughly combine all the ingredients until the garlic is aromatic. This should take about 1 minute. Keep it moving so the garlic doesn't burn or brown.
Add the AP flour and stir well to combine with the vegetables.
Pro Tip: This will be a light roux that takes on the color of the trinity, butter, and the Herb and Spice Blend. You don't want to brown the roux, so once combined, continue stirring for about 3 minutes until the flour taste cooks off.
Next, slowly add the warmed milk and egg yolk to the roux. Use a spoon or whisk to thoroughly combine everything into a thick paste. This should take about 2 minutes.
Combine the Worcestershire sauce with the cream sauce.
To this mixture, add 1 cup of grated American Cheese and mix for about 2 minutes until the cheese has melted into the roux mixture.
Add the crawfish
What happens in this step? It's time to add the guest of honor-the crawfish with a splash of some dry sherry to give the dish a unique homey flavor. Into the oven until it's golden brown!
Next, add the drained crawfish tails, the dry sherry, and the remaining Herb and Spice Blend. If using, now is the time to add a few (or more) dashes of Tabasco. Stir thoroughly to combine all the ingredients.
Pour the cheesy crawfish sauce into a small casserole or gratin dish that has been prepared by smearing soften butter on the inside. Top the dish with Cheddar cheese and a sprinkling of seasoned breadcrumbs.
Place the filled gratin dish on a baking sheet and place it in a preheated 375-degree Fahrenheit oven. Bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese topping is browned and the sauce is bubbly around the edges.
Pro Tip: You don’t want to bake the crawfish tails too long because you want a nice, firm bite when you eat it. If the top hasn’t been browned to your satisfaction after 20 minutes, place the au gratin under the broiler for about 2 to 3 minutes until it browns.
Remove the gratin from the oven and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes while the sauce tightens.
Serve with a crisp green salad and crunchy french bread.
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Hints and Tips (FAQs)
Make sure to use Louisiana Crawfish Tails, not imported crawfish. Leftover tail meat from a boil is also great with this recipe, but the seasoning from the boil will influence the flavor profile.
You can substitute dry vermouth, dry Madeira, dry Marsala, or a dry white wine for the dry sherry. For a non-alcoholic substitute, try ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar and ¼ cup of water.
You can substitute Yellow onions, White onions, or Vidalia onions for the shallots.
Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. First, wrap the casserole in plastic wrap, then cover it tightly with foil. Place the wrapped dish in a freezer bag and get as much air out as possible.
You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave in individual portions. Optionally, you can reheat the whole dish in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 20 minutes or until warmed through. Defrost frozen leftovers in the fridge overnight.
If you like it spicy, make sure to use all or additional cayenne pepper. You can also add some finely chopped jalapeno peppers. Removing the seeds and membrane will cut the heat a little.
The bright yellow to orange crawfish “stuff” squeezed from the heads and sticking to the tail meat is not fat in the usual sense, although that is what we call it. It actually is an organ in the head called the hepatopancreas that functions much like the liver in other animals out there. It is quite edible and adds a great deal of flavor. In Louisiana, commercial processors use vacuum sealing techniques and special bags to help keep the tails and fat fresh. One reason that imported crawfish are not desirable is the time between packaging and market may cause the fat to go rancid.
Wondering what to serve Crawfish Au Gratin with? Here you go:
Looking for some other great Crawfish Recipe? Sweet Daddy D has you covered.
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Recipe
Crawfish Au Gratin
Here's What You Need
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound crawfish tails
- ½ cup shallots finely chopped
- ¼ cup green bell peppers finely chopped
- ¼ cup celery finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 bunch green onions
- 2 tablespoons AP flour
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup American Cheese Grated
- ½ cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese Grated
- ¼ cup dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
Herb and Spice Blend
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning plus some for the crawfish tails-optional
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon White Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne optional
- Dash Tabasco optional
Here's What You Do
Mise en place
- Defrost (if necessary) and drain the crawfish tails in a colander. Set them aside. Optionally, mix about 1 tablespoon of Creole Seasoning in the crawfish tails as they sit.
- Finely chop the Trinity (shallots, bell peppers, celery), and the garlic. Slice the green onions. Combine the Herb and Spice Blend in a small bowl. Grate the American and Cheddar cheese. Warm the milk and mix in the egg yolk. Measure all the remaining ingredients.
Preparation
- Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When bubbly, saute the Trinity, stirring almost constantly until the onions are starting to clear, for about 8 minutes. Be careful not to let the Trinity brown.
- Add the garlic, green onions, and half of the Herb and Spice Blend, and mix well to combine. Continue stirring until the garlic is aromatic, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the AP flour and stir well to combine with the vegetables. Continue stirring for about 3 minutes to cook out the floury taste.
- Next, slowly add the warmed milk and egg yolk to the roux. Mix thoroughly for about 2 minutes.
- To this mixture, add 1 cup of grated American Cheese and mix to blend until the cheese has melted into the roux mixture, about 2 minutes.
- Add the drained crawfish tails, sherry, the remaining Herb and Spice Blend, and a few dashes of Tabasco (optional). Stir thoroughly to combine all the ingredients.
- Pour the mixture into a small casserole or gratin dish that has been prepared by smearing soften butter on the inside.
- Top the dish with Cheddar cheese and a sprinkling of seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Place the gratin dish on a baking sheet and place it in a preheated 375-degree Fahrenheit oven. Bake for about 20 minutes until browned and bubbly. If not brown enough, place under the broiler for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove the gratin from the oven and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes while the sauce tightens.
- Serve with a crisp green salad and crunchy french bread.
Kathy
This is absolutely delicious! I sprinkled the crawfish tails with a little cayenne as the Creole seasoning added too much salt the first time I made it. My daughter had never had it before and ended up having three helpings.
Sweet Daddy D
Fantastic, Kathy! Thanks for giving it a try. I developed that recipe with my own Creole Seasoning, Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning, which has no salt. You should give it a try.