Crawfish tails baked au gratin style in a creamy cheese sauce with South Louisiana seasonings.
Estimated Time 1 hourhour5 minutesminutes
Servings 4Servings
Here's What You Need
4tablespoonsbutter
1poundcrawfish tails
½cupshallots - finely chopped
¼cupgreen bell peppers - finely chopped
¼cupcelery - finely chopped
3clovesgarlic - finely chopped
1bunchgreen onions
2tablespoonsAP flour
½cupwhole milk
1egg yolk
1cupAmerican Cheese - Grated
½cupSharp Cheddar Cheese - Grated
¼cupdry sherry
1teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
¼cupseasoned breadcrumbs
Herb and Spice Blend
2teaspoonsCreole seasoning - plus some for the crawfish tails-optional
½teaspoonKosher Salt
½teaspoonWhite Pepper
¼teaspoonCayenne - 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.
Notes
Read my article Crawfish Au Gratin for more detailed instructions.This recipe was developed using no salt Creole Seasoning, Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning. If you use something else, make sure to taste the recipe before adding more salt.Make sure to use Louisiana Crawfish Tails. Leftover tail meat from a boil is also great with this recipe.Yellow onions can be substituted for the shallots.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.Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days or can also be frozen for up to 3 months if stored in an airtight container. Wrap it 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.Reheat leftovers in the microwave in individual portions or 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.