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    Home » Homemade Stock

    Homemade Crawfish Stock

    Published: Jun 5, 2018 · Modified: Feb 6, 2021 · By: Sweet Daddy D · with 16 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

    240 shares

    Recipe

    Crawfish Stock Ready to Freeze

    Homemade Crawfish Stock

    Any crawfish dish is great, but they taste best when made with homemade crawfish stock. Learn how to use those leftover shells and claws to make a rich crawfish stock you can use to make ettoufee, bisque, gumbo and many more Cajun classics.
    4.60 from 37 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 4 hours hours
    Total Time: 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 Cups
    Calories: 99kcal
    Author: Sweet Daddy D
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    Here's What You Need

    • 4 to 6 quarts crawfish shells and claws
    • ¼ cup margarine or butter
    • 1 large onion quartered
    • 1 large bell pepper quartered
    • 5 or 6 stalks Celery with leaves
    • 2 heads garlic sliced in half
    • 1 bunch parsley tied together
    • 30 peppercorns in spice bag
    • 16 to 20 cups cold water

    Herb and Spice Blend-Tied in a Bouguet Garni

    • 1 ounce fresh thyme
    • 1 ounce fresh basil
    • 1 ounce fresh oregano

    Here's What You Do

    Prepare the Ingredients

    • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
    • Place the margarine or butter in a pyrex measuring cup and melt in microwave.
    • Spread crawfish shells and claws in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. (Use two baking sheets if necessary).
    • Pour melted margarine over the shells and claws and mix together so some margarine gets on all the shells.
    • Place baking sheets in preheated oven and let roast for about 20 minutes.
    • Quarter the onion and bell pepper-no need to peel or de-seed. Chop the celery into halves. Tie the herbs together in a Bouquet Garni and tie the bunch of parsley together. Place peppercorns in a small spice bag.

    Make the Stock

    • Remove the shells from the oven and add them and the resulting juice into a large stock pot. (If using two baking dishes, place shells from one in the stock pot, then add vegetables before adding remaining shells)
    • Add all the cut vegetables, parsley, garlic, Bouquet Garni and pepper to the stock pot and mix together with shells.
    • Add the cold water, making sure to cover the shells by about 2 inches.
    • Place the stock pot over high heat and bring to a heavy boil.
    • Reduce heat to a high simmer, cover the pot and simmer for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally to keep things mixed up.
    • Remove the cover and maintain a high simmer for 2 to 2 ½ hours until the liquid has reduced down to about half of original volume.
    • Turn off the heat and allow to cool so it will be easier to handle and the flavors continue to blend. Place a strainer or colander over a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, place the solids into the strainer and allow to drain.
    • Continue this until all the solids have been removed from the stock pot.
    • Discard all the solids and return the drained stock back into the stockpot.
    • Place some cheese cloth in the strainer or colander, or use a very fine mesh strainer, and pour the liquid through to remove any remaining solids.
    • This can be used immediately or stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
    • If the stock will not be used within a couple of days, place the strained stock in freezer containers, label and freeze for put to six months.

    Recipe Notes

    Roasting the shells prior to making the stock intensifies the flavor.
    Use fresh herbs if you can. If you tie them together using butcher twine it will be easier to pull them out when you're done.  If you are using dry herbs, place those, along with the peppercorns in a cheese cloth bag. Bundling your herbs and spices like this is called Bouguet Garni
    I never add salt when making stock. In this case, the crawfish shells may have some remaining salt from the boiling spices. You'll want to salt the final dish you are making with the stock, so you don't want the stock too salty.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 121mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2085IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 3mg
    « Ella Brennan
    Cajun Crawfish Bisque »
    240 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.60 from 37 votes (33 ratings without comment)

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    1. Jim

      April 12, 2024 at 9:36 am

      Hello just started using stocks when cooking with crab.shrimp and crawfish should I use individual stocks are just a seafood sock which is better??

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        April 13, 2024 at 9:06 am

        Hey, Jim. It's always best if you match the stock with the proteins. If you're making Crawfish dishes, use crawfish stock, shrimp gumbo, use shrimp, etc. A good seafood stock can be used with any seafood. Chicken stock is a good generic stock that can be used with just about anything. Good luck, keep cooking!

        Reply
      • Jim

        April 18, 2024 at 11:07 am

        Great thanks ok I tryed the crawfish stock after a crawfish boil I used heads tail shells and claws stock came out good but I couldn't use it I think the heads had to much seasoning because the came out to hot to cook with where did I go wrong lol thanks jim

        Reply
        • Sweet Daddy D

          April 18, 2024 at 11:23 am

          Hey, Jim. That’s always possible when you use the shells from a boil. I’d try diluting the stock with some water. Next time, maybe cleaning the heads out a little more may be helpful.

          Reply
    2. JoJo

      February 25, 2024 at 11:18 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for the first time last year and I have been immensely looking forward to making it again this year! The recipe is well detailed and easy to follow. Before trying this recipe out I had never made stock before in my life. After making this recipe a few times last year I feel very confident in experimenting with many different kinds of stock.

      Again, this recipe is so delicious that I have come back to it a second year in a row. I highly, highly recommend!!

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        February 26, 2024 at 8:38 am

        Thanks, JoJo! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, glad you liked it! I appreciate you taking the time to let me know!

        Reply
    3. Elana

      December 05, 2023 at 8:39 am

      5 stars
      Out of this World!!! A very big slice of Home!!!

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        December 05, 2023 at 8:42 am

        Yeah you right, Elena! Thanks!

        Reply
    4. Joann

      August 14, 2023 at 9:00 pm

      When you say crawfish shells do you mean the whole body of the crawfish ?

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        August 14, 2023 at 10:19 pm

        Yes, I use everything I peel off the crawfish.

        Reply
    5. Jodie Hebert

      March 15, 2023 at 8:28 am

      5 stars
      I recently made a homemade Crawfish Stock for Bisque, but used already boiled crawfish and did not roast them in the oven prior to the stock pot. I am assuming this recipe starts with already cooked crawfish, for example, from a boil, correct?

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        March 15, 2023 at 9:52 am

        That is correct, Jodie Hebert. You can skip the roasting step if you prefer. I think it helps deepen the flavor a bit, but I have skipped that steps if I was in a crunch for time. Sometimes I "saute" the shells in the stock pot before adding the other ingredients, but you can even skip that step if you like.

        Reply
    6. ann

      April 28, 2022 at 9:05 am

      5 stars
      Just the way I make it. I hate thyme...it will ruin a dish for me so I sub sage or rosemary. Btw, I just cooked up a bunch of fresh crawfish and my one neighbor was terrified of them! I even showed him how to eat them. He tried one and didn't like the flavor (WTF?). Too much work he said. Haha! His loss. More for me and they were so good. Yum!

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        April 28, 2022 at 11:16 am

        Hey, Ann. Thanks for reaching out. You are not alone in your feelings about thyme. Lots of people feel the same way (kind of like cilantro!). My Mother-in-Law is with you on this one, I never put thyme in anything I cook for her. I'll pray for your neighbor, keep at him, I bet he converts, they always do!

        Reply
    7. Cheryl

      March 14, 2021 at 6:28 pm

      Taste pretty good!

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        March 15, 2021 at 10:58 am

        Thanks, Cheryl!

        Reply

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