I’m always looking for new ways to serve crawfish and a new sauce to serve on top of fish. Crawfish Cardinale is a favorite Creole recipe from Antoine’s in New Orleans, LA. You can use leftover crawfish from a crawfish boil or use a package of crawfish tails. Serve this over pasta, rice, in a puff pastry shell, or over a grilled fish as a sauce.

The amount of crawfish you use depends on how you’re using the sauce. It should have at least one cup if you are using this as a sauce over fish, or up to two cups if you are shooting for something more filling. Two cups is about what you’ll find in the pre-shelled frozen plastic bags of crawfish.

If you are using crawfish in the shell, buy at least a pound, do a quick boil and shell before adding to the sauce. Although this recipe is quick to prepare it does need time on the back end for the flavors to develop. Move it off the burner cover and let it sit for a bit. This sauce should be rich, but not floury. If it becomes too thick during the summer just add a few tablespoons of water or chicken broth to thin it out.

My favorite way to eat this dish is in a puff pastry shell. It’s the perfect finger food for your next party and your guests will love you for it! The flaky puff pastry crust with the Crawfish Cardinale sauce will have your guests singing your praises!

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Crawfish Cardinale

5 from 3 votes

Recipe by Flip Flop Foodies Course: EntreesCuisine: CajunDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb 1 Louisiana crawfish tails

• 4 tbsp 4 unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup 1/2 minced shallots

• 1/4 cup 1/4 minced onions

• 1/4 cup 1/4 minced celery

• 1/4 cup 1/4 minced red bell peppers

• 1/4 cup 1/4 minced garlic

• 2 tbsp 2 tomato paste

• 2 tbsp 2 flour

• 3 cups 3 heavy cream

• 2 tbsp 2 Cognac

• 1 tbsp 1 fresh lemon juice

• 1 tbsp 1 chopped basil

• sliced green onions, for garnish

• finely chopped parsley

• salt and cayenne pepper, to taste

• paprika, for garnish

• parsley, for garnish

Directions

• In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Sauté shallots, onions, celery, red
  bell peppers and garlic 3–5 minutes or until translucent. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1
  minute. Add flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cream, Cognac, lemon
  juice, basil, green onions, parsley, salt and cayenne pepper. Whisk well. Cook 3–5
  minutes or until sauce-like consistency is achieved, stirring constantly. Add crawfish and
  cook 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasonings. Garnish with paprika and
  parsley.