EASY CRAWFISH RECIPES FOR CRAWFISH BOIL LEFTOVERS
After hosting a traditional Louisiana Crawfish Boil with all the fixings−corn, potatoes, garlic, andouille sausage, maybe a little celery and mushrooms− sometimes you’ll end up with crawfish boil leftovers. Don’t let them go to waste! Crawfish are not only a low-fat source of protein, but they’re full of essential vitamins and minerals, too. So what do you do with all the leftover crawfish from your crawfish boil?
The first step is to pick all the crawfish out of their shells. We even provide tips on how to peel crawfish like a pro. Peeling is easiest when they’re still a little warm, but you’ll want to work quickly. Leftover cooked crawfish are highly perishable and should be refrigerated or frozen as soon as everybody’s finished eating. You can also freeze the crawfish tails if you’re not planning on using them in the next few days. Consider freezing them in 1 cup portions, so you can take out what you need for specific recipes.
RECIPES FOR LEFTOVER CRAWFISH
Once you have finished deshelling your boiled crawfish, there are a variety of crawfish recipes you can try. The beauty of all of these recipes is that you can make them one day, and they can be enjoyed the next day, assuming you’re using super fresh crawfish.
Crawfish Boil Chowder is easy and delicious. This crawfish recipe is a great way to use up the potatoes and corn in your boil also, and you could even tweak it to use the leftover sausage as well. Onions, garlic, bell pepper, celery, and Cajun seasoning are items that most Louisiana cooks probably have on hand. Plus, you can freeze the soup and enjoy it another day.
Crawfish Pasta Salad is another fun way to use up crawfish, and it will keep in the fridge for several days. You can tweak the recipe to include different kinds of pasta and vegetable, like subbing regular peas for snow peas, or diced red bell pepper (raw or jarred and roasted) in place of carrots.
This recipe for Crawfish Pie uses store-bought pie crusts and a mixture of the green onions, bell peppers, and garlic, plus a little corn starch to hold it all together.
Hoping to get your kids to try crawfish? Sneak it into a Crawfish Quiche with some sauteed shallots, egg, and plenty of cheese, and they’ll never know the difference. Or just make a standard omelet the way your family likes it, but throw in a few crawfish as well.
July Walker of the Times Picayune and nola.com has a great recipe for the classic dish Crawfish Etouffee. Starting with an easy roux, the recipe takes just about 30 minutes and is the perfect dinner to impress a crowd. It’s one of those dishes that looks complicated, but is truly simple. Adjust the spice by adding a dash of Tabsco or cayenne pepper.
This recipe for Crawfish Enchiladas becomes even easier when you use prepared and seasoned rice and canned enchilada sauce.
Bon Appétit!
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