Whether you boil your own or order them cooked, fresh boiled crawfish are the easiest excuse for instant partying. You can peel them yourself or take advantage of cooked and peeled tails available at stores - but do gather some friends and make these delicious crawfish recipes.

If you can resist the temptation of eating fresh strawberries right from the crate, try preparing the Strawberries Romanoff. Just don’t miss the opportunity of taking a ride on a beautiful spring day to enjoy any of these or other seasonal dishes first hand at our outstanding northshore restaurants.

RIPS on the Lake, Mandeville

With new owners and a complete remodeling, RIPS on the Lake has taken on a rejuvenated spirit that is evidenced by a constant flow of returning and first-time guests. Owners Roselyn and Clay Prieto, making sure that seafood still reigns on the Mandeville lakefront, have updated the menu to include Louisiana’s best. A steam kettle has been added for boiling or steaming local shellfish and flown-in fresh lobsters. No matter what changes take place, the view of the sunset from RIPS on the Lake is always magnificent!

Crawfish Bisque

10 pounds live crawfish or 1 quart boiled and peeled crawfish tails
12 cups seafood stock
1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)
2 cups onions, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 egg
2 1/2 cups cornbread, finely crumbled
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 tablespoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Lemon slices for garnish

Boil crawfish in salted and seasoned water. Strain and reserve 12 cups of stock. Allow crawfish to cool, then peel the tails and set aside crawfish meat. This should yield about one quart. Thoroughly clean and set aside two dozen of the crawfish bodies for stuffing. (In crawfish language, the crawfish bodies are referred to as “heads.”)

Crawfish Stuffing

Melt butter over high heat until simmering. Add onions and sauté until browned, about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper and celery and continue cooking for three minutes, stirring frequently. In a separate bowl, mix together salt, red pepper, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, basil and thyme. Add seasonings to vegetables, reducing heat to very low. Continue to cook for 30 minutes. Stir in the evaporated milk and remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg vigorously until frothy. Add the sautéed vegetables and crumbled cornbread.

Mince 2/3 of crawfish tails (in food processor, for several seconds) and add to cornbread mixture. To stuff crawfish heads, form the dressing into small oval shapes, pressing dressing into each crawfish body.
Place stuffed crawfish, stuffing side up, into a greased baking pan. Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven until browned, about 30 minutes.

Crawfish Bisque Sauce

In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat cooking oil and gradually add flour, stirring until browned. Continue cooking until roux is dark brown. In a separate pot, bring the seafood stock to a full boil, then gradually add stock to the roux, stirring until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir frequently; skim off the fat that floats to the top.
Add the remaining crawfish tails and the stuffed crawfish bodies and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle bisque into bowls, floating stuffed heads on top. Garnish with lemon slices and serve immediately. Yield: approximately 6-8 servings.

Patton’s Restaurant, Slidell

Building on the experience of two generations in the restaurant-catering business, members of the Patton family have brought their formula for success to the historic Salmen-Fritchie House in Slidell. Their featured Seafood Saks have become Jazz Fest favorites, and their entire menu reflects their Louisiana culinary heritage. Whether for a weekday lunch, weekend brunch, or for dinner, going to Patton’s Restaurant is like taking a step back in time, with time-honored Creole favorites served in a magnificent family home setting.

Crawfish Beignet

1 1/4 tablespoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups seafood stock
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
3 3/4 ounces pimento, chopped fine
3/4 cup green onions, chopped fine
2 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
2 1/2 cups boiled and peeled crawfish tails, chopped medium
1 1/2 teaspoons Patton’s Seafood Spice (available for purchase at Patton’s Restaurant)
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil for frying, heated to 350 degrees
White Remoulade Sauce (available for purchase at Patton’s restaurant)

In a mixing bowl, combine baking powder and flour, then add crawfish and seasonings to flour in order listed. Mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated to form a stiff consistency. If batter is too loose, gradually add more flour as needed to stiffen. Drop a tablespoon-size dollop of batter from a large spoon or small ice cream scoop into heated oil. When beignets float to the top, turn and fry until golden brown. Serve immediately with White Remoulade Sauce.

Michabelle Inn
& Restaurant, Hammond

Strawberry season in Hammond is always a cause for celebration, and the Michabelle Inn & Restaurant, located in the heart of Hammond, is ideally suited for any special event. Chef Michel’s many culinary awards line the walls of this exquisite home, which is listed on the National Historic Register. The surrounding acreage of gardens completes the ambience. While Chef Michel spins his magic of classic French cuisine in the kitchen, Miss Isabel presides over the restaurant with attention to every detail. This simple, yet elegant, dessert is a fitting ending to one of the feasts that await you at Michabelle.

Strawberries Romanoff

1 cup fresh strawberries, cut into morsels
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
Brandy to taste
Whipped cream

Combine sugar, orange juice and brandy until sugar is dissolved and mixture forms a syrup. Place strawberries in a martini glass, top with whipped cream and garnish with a whole strawberry. Pour the sugar, orange juice, brandy syrup over. Serve immediately.

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