Rev: Crawfish and Corn over Smoked Gouda Potatoes, CL August 2000.

[lindrusso]

Wow! This was awesome!!

We ended up using only half the amount of crawfish called for because I discovered that the bag I bought had a leak (it was frozen when I bought it)! :mad: But, no worry, it was still wonderful! Great flavors that made us ooh and aah and also a great comfort food dish. Better yet, it was quite simple to prepare. Oh, and the portion size is quite large - very generous indeed.

If anyone needs the recipe, I'd be glad to post it later. I am late for a game of Scrabble with DS! :)

MMMMMM!!!!!

[JennieL]

Thanks for the review! I just received my Aug. issue today and this is the first thing I want to make!

Jennie

[Holly in KC]

I'd really like to make this recipe without substitution. I went on a crawfish search today, but came up empty. I tried: Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats, Hen House & Hy Vee. No luck.

Does anyone in the midwest have any idea where I could find it? Lindrusso - where did you find it?

[mochadelsol]

I realize you don't want to sub. BUT it might have been Jewel can't really remember but someone used chicken and said it was wonderful, just a thought.

[Ohioan]

I would think shrimp would work out fine, too. Or lobster tail???

Cheers, Phoebe

[lindrusso]

Hi Holly. Shrimp or Lobster would work fine, as Phoebe suggested.

I found the crawfish in the seafood freezer section. One warning - I had to pick carefully through the freezer kind - there seemed to be a lot of roe and, um, intestinal stuff still attached. If you're not squeamish, it won't be a problem, but I'm the squeamish type for sure! :)

Good luck! If I can find it in my small midwest town, surely you can too! :D

[Holly in KC]

Phoebe - I like the lobster idea, but my quest continues....
Mochadelsol - I think you are referring to JeAnne (greysangel) - she made the recipe without the crawfish and served it along side the BBQ chicken... this also sounds good, but I'm still on a quest. :)

Now - back to my quest:
I found a package of "crawfish tail meat" "with fat" at WalMart. The package was from China, but was distributed by a Louisiana company (I think it was Bernards, or something like that). The meat looked opaque, but it didn't say if it was cooked. I wouldn't know what to do with uncooked crawfish tails, and I'm not thrilled with the "with fat" comment. The package was about $3 for 12 ounces.

I also found a package of Panamerican "crawfish tail meat" - again, no indication if it was cooked (and again, from China). This one was $8.85 at Hy Vee.

How can you tell if its cooked or not??? Am I getting close?

[Linda in MO]

Originally posted by Holly in KC
I'd really like to make this recipe without substitution. I went on a crawfish search today, but came up empty. I tried: Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats, Hen House & Hy Vee. No luck.

Does anyone in the midwest have any idea where I could find it? Lindrusso - where did you find it?

Holly, do you have a Super WalMart by you. I have seen it there before and it was really cheap, too. Like 3 or 4 bucks and it's 10 bucks at my local grocery store. It's around a lb. and it's frozen in a black and clear bag (I think).

[Holly in KC]

Roe and intestinal stuff? Ack ack ack. I'm squeamish!!!

:)

The lobster or shrimp ideas are sounding much better...

[Linda in MO]

Oops Holly, looks like I was posting at the same time as you. The crawfish was cooked because you have to cook crawfish while they're alive.

[Holly in KC]

Thanks, Linda. I clearly don't know much about crawfish. (I think I'll go back and do a little remedial reading from the 4/02 issue) Thanks so much for your help.

If I can just get past the roe & other "stuff"....

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by Holly in KC
If I can just get past the roe & other "stuff"....

Hi again Holly!

First - maybe the brand that you would be using isn't "dirty" like mine was.

Second, there ARE things that you can do to get around the ick factor. The best alternative is to have someone else clean them! :D

The other idea is to use surgical gloves when touching the "ick". I use these when making meatballs or handling ground beef. The raw meat grosses me out and I really don't like the idea of it getting under my finger nails! :eek: :rolleyes:

[Holly in KC]

Lindrusso -

I have surgical gloves too!!! They are in the drawer with my foils, saran wrap, etc. Out they come when I make meatloaf, hamburgers, etc. I thought I was the only one. It's nice to come out of the closet!!!

I hadn't thought about using them to handle the crawfish. Great idea!!! So - do you kind of rinse 'em off under water as you clean? (I can't see my SO helping out on this task. He's fairly handy in the kitchen, but I'm not sure he could trim a chicken breast .... much less a crawfish tail).

I think I'm getting my nerve back. It's still on the menu for Wednesday. :D

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by Holly in KC
I thought I was the only one. It's nice to come out of the closet!!!

So - do you kind of rinse 'em off under water as you clean?

Holly - nope you're not the only one! :) I got the idea from my SIL. She doesn't eat meat, but used to prepare meat dishes occasionally for her boyfriend and that's how she got herself through the "ordeal". :D

I did clean them under running water. The roe will just kind of stick to the tails if you don't. Sorry, hope I haven't set you back again! ;)

[chefbecky]

Just wanted to weigh in and say that I subbed chicken/turkey sausage for the crawfish, and this was awesome! I sued the fully cooked sausage (I think the brand is Aidell's) in sundried tomato flavor. I cut it in slices and added at the same time I would have added the crawfish. The smoky flavor of the sausage complemented the gouda perfectly.

[Peggy C.]

I buy it at Wild Oats, pre-cooked (frozen)no yuk factor and it is about $6 for a pound of tail meat. As matter of fact I have some in my refrigerator defrosting for dinner, wish I had the ingredients on hand to try this, but will have to settle for salads.

[KCSoccer]

Holly,

The Hen-House nearest to me (Merriam) has a pretty good seafood department, and if they don't have it, they can usually order what you're looking for (like the time I was on a "mission" to find fresh seaweed for a clambake). Ask the fishmonger at Hen House or Whole Foods about precooked cleaned crawfish tails -- that should take care of the "yuck" factor.

If you're still looking for fresh, you might try the Asian markets at the City Market. They have all kinds of fresh (and weird) fish and seafood there. Or call Kiki's Bon Ton restaurant in Westport and find out where they purchase their crawfish.

Personally, I think that crawfish tastes too "fishy" and would probably substitute shrimp.

Good luck!

[lisas3575]

I made this tonight with Quorn tenders. It was easy and tasty-- I'd give it an 8. The thyme really highlighted the dish.

[Holly in KC]

You guys are all so great to help me like you have!!! :D

Chefbecky - your substitution sounds wonderful... I'll have to give it a try - after my experimentation with the crawfish :)

Peggy - funny that your Wild Oats carried crawfish, and mine didn't seem to. I'll have to try the "other" Wild Oats that is semi-convenient. I'm very into the "no yuck" factor.

KCSoccer - I thought about the City Market as an option, but hadn't tried there yet. I'm afraid of the yuck factor returning.... I find it interesting that you think crawfish tastes "fishy" ... I've only had it once: at Yahooz in a salad and it was sweet and yummy. I think shrimp tastes fishier :D Go figure!

This recipe had been on my menu for tomorrow night, but I've decided the whole crawfish thing is definitely a weekend meal. Not sure what I'm going to do about tomorrow night, but this just moved to my Saturday or Sunday menu (depending on when we play golf this weekend) :D

Thanks again to all for your help. I'll report back this weekend after my crawfish "experience".

[Leslie w]

Originally posted by chefbecky
Just wanted to weigh in and say that I subbed chicken/turkey sausage for the crawfish, and this was awesome! I sued the fully cooked sausage (I think the brand is Aidell's) in sundried tomato flavor. I cut it in slices and added at the same time I would have added the crawfish. The smoky flavor of the sausage complemented the gouda perfectly.

Did you use smoked gouda? I have a hard time finding smoked gouda so I was thinking about subbing smoked sausage, using shrimp instead of crawfish since the only crawfish I can get in CT is seasoned, and regular gouda. Whadda think?

[deb]

Hi Holly, I originally noticed that you were looking for crawfish in the KC area on kansascitycooking.com. I had Dan Cherrington post a location where you can find it in the northland.
Make sure you check the kitchen klatch section. I hope that's what you are looking for!

[JHolcomb]

Originally posted by Leslie w


Did you use smoked gouda? I have a hard time finding smoked gouda so I was thinking about subbing smoked sausage, using shrimp instead of crawfish since the only crawfish I can get in CT is seasoned, and regular gouda. Whadda think?

I found smoked gouda but it was more than I wanted to pay, so I'm using smoked cheddar instead, which I think will be as good as or even better than the gouda. DH hates crawfish so I'll be using shrimp (Does this sound like an Epicurious review yet ;)). My sister is coming to stay on Friday before she flys out to her new home in Hawaii and I want to make her something with shrimp and cheese. That girl can EAT some cheese (oddly, she's the skinny one and I--with all my good eating habits--am the fat one. Go figure).

[chefbecky]

Hi Leslie,

I used smoked gouda, and I thought it worked really well with the sausage flavor. Personally, I loved this recipe, and it strikes me as one in which you can use the basic outline of the recipe, and sort of work within that framework. To me, if you've got fresh corn and gouda (two of my faves), you can't go wrong!

[Holly in KC]

Deb -

Thanks! Dan actually passed your note along (at least I think it was yours... he suggested that the PC at North Oak and Vivion has fresh (!) crawfish). I will definitely stop by there this weekend to check it out, but given my squeamishness, I think I'll try the frozen variety. Maybe after dealing with pre-cooked, pre-cleaned I can "graduate" to the fresh kind!

I'm going to do one last check at Wild Oats near Mission Center mall, and if I come up empty, will buy the $9 stuff at Hy Vee. Basically, I'm hoping that it will be "cleaner" that the $3 package at WalMart. Probably won't, but that's my hope.

Will post my results this weekend.

Thanks so much for taking the time to post - on both boards!!!:D

[Peggy C.]

Originally posted by JHolcomb


(Does this sound like an Epicurious review yet ;)).

Only if you're using rice instead of the potatoes!:D

[Holly in KC]

Okay - I know y'all have been eagerly awaiting my first crawfish cooking experience, so here goes: (ha! just kidding about the "eagerly awating" part :D )

I found the crawfish at my "regular" Hen House on Saturday. I know they weren't there the first time I looked!!! I stopped by the frozen fish section on a whim - fully expecting I'd have to drive to another grocery store to pick them up, and there they were! (The $9 variety).

I am glad I decided to make this dish on a weekend night. (Becky, the reader that sent this in, must be a really experienced cook -- she thinks this is an easy weeknight recipe! Not me :rolleyes: ). Like Lindrusso, I had a fair amount of cleaning to do. I'm pretty picky, so it probably took my 30 minutes to clean them (it really wasn't that bad, though).

The recipe is just awesome! The sweetness of the crawfish and the corn are offset by the spice of the paprika and the cayenne, and the smooth, smokey flavor of the gouda in the potatoes. It's just a great combination. While small (maybe salad?) shrimp would certainly work, I definitely think its worth searching for the crawfish. I find them to be less fishy and sweeter than shrimp. I can't believe this was a reader recipe! Yum!

[deb]

Thanks for posting your review Holly. I live north of the river in K.C. also so maybe you can save me some time. Which Hen House did your find your crawfish at? Did you use smoked Gouda? If so, where did you get it? I have not actually used smoked Gouda before so I'm not sure if it is hard to find or not. The picture looks awesome and the reviews are great so I think I will try this soon!

[Holly in KC]

Deb -

Found the frozen crawfish at the Hen House on Antioch (next to the Hobby Lobby - and where the Westlake used to be. They had a bunch (must of just got them in - they had frozen alligator as well (!) ). Let me know if my directions aren't specific enough.

Yes, I used the smoked gouda. I'm a big fan of this cheese. I'm pretty sure I bought it at the Price Chopper on Barry (& North Oak). It's not too difficult to find. You are going to love the flavor!!

Be sure to post your review if/when you try it!

[deb]

Thanks for the info Holly, I will be sure to post a review!

[melis104]

Thanks for the review. My boyfriend loives crawfish, he grew up on it in California so I don't think he'll mind doing the yucky stuff.

[Peggy C.]

Holly KC, I'm glad you found the crawfish! And actually I was eagerly awaiting your review. I'll give this a try soon, I still have one pound of crawfish frozen so maybe this weekend, I definetely don't have enough time during the week.:(

[knunes]

Originally posted by Holly in KC

The recipe is just awesome! The sweetness of the crawfish and the corn are offset by the spice of the paprika and the cayenne, and the smooth, smokey flavor of the gouda in the potatoes. It's just a great combination.

My sentiments exactly! I made this tonight. I'm very lucky to live where there are some fresh seafood stores accessible. I had my choice of frozen or fresh crawfish tailmeat for 7.98 a pound and it didn't have anything to clean---it looked great! After braving it to make this on a weeknight, I'd make sure I wasn't as hungry as I was when I made it next time, because it took me longer than I thought. I got the potatoes peeled and cubed and on the stove in a hurry, but the 20 minutes they needed to cook was gone before I had the garlic minced, the onion chopped, the green onion chopped, the smoked gouda shredded (and that was all with my Cuisinart! I MUST be slow in the kitchen!) for the crawfish cooking. Next time I will do what one is supposed to do and assemble things before hand. If that were true, I bet I could do it start to finish in....40 minutes. Which would be okay if it weren't hot as hell and past dinnertime!
I did LOVE this dish though. Smoked gouda is my new favorite cheese. I put it in every quiche I make nowadays. I would think any vegetarian who likes the smell of bacon would love adding this to quiche or omelets. I get it in my regular grocery stores, so I don't think it's too hard to find. The person who used smoked cheddar is probably right though, it's probably just as good in this dish.

[aliwally]

So has anyone tried this with shrimp yet? What were your thoughts?

I'll look for crawfish, but considering past experiences with my local grocery stores, I seriously doubt they'll have any, so I'll be forced to sub. Don't really want to do chicken as we've had that already this week, and DH and I love shrimp.

[Celina]

I know this is dumb, but for the fresh corn...did you cut it off the cob before it was cooked or what? When I made this dish (which was good but I didn't rinse the crawfish, YUK! ...did I just say that? I grew up in La. for cry out loud and love "mudbugs") i used the ones from China and they were not the best. I'll take everyones advice and rinse them next time. Also, my youngest DD (10) wanted to help make dinner that night and I used instant mashed potatoes (she made them....can I still be on the BB?) So, when you're in a time pinch and just have to have this dish, used instant...it was really good and quick!

[HDgirl]

I made this last night with lobster instead of the crawfish. It was very good.

I used fresh corn and cut it off the cob without cooking it. I think next time (SO asked for me to make it again) I may grill it first.

[Ralph]

Absolutely delicious! And our first experience w/crawfish.

I found frozen, cooked crawfish tail meat in the frozen seafood section of my usual grocery store (Meijer). It was Bayou Select brand but was from China.

The dish was quite spicy, but I substituted half of the paprika with "half-sharp" paprika & didn't precisely measure the black pepper. Used smoked Gouda, but I'm not sure I tasted it that much.

Definitely think this would work with shrimp and I'm anxious to try the sausage variation that Becky mentioned.

[AnnaSue]

Originally posted by Ralph
I found frozen, cooked crawfish tail meat in the frozen seafood section of my usual grocery store (Meijer).

May I ask which Meijer you found this at? I was just at the one in Bolingbrook a few hours ago looking for crawfish to try this recipe and they didn't have any. (or at least I didn't see any, and the woman working there didn't recall ever seeing it there). I've looked at 2-3 other stores now, and haven't found it at any of those either. I'd love to know which Meijer has it.. I can't wait to try this recipe!

[Ralph]

Originally posted by AnnaSue


May I ask which Meijer you found this at?

I shop at the one on 59 in Aurora. I think they're all designed the same. They were in the frozen fish section (w/shrimp, Mrs. Paul's stuff) that is in a case next to the meat counter; it's not in the other frozen sections (veggies, ice cream, waffles, frozen dinners, etc.). It comes in a small (8 oz.) package.

[knunes]

Originally posted by Celina
I know this is dumb, but for the fresh corn...did you cut it off the cob before it was cooked or what?

Yes. Just stood the corn cobs up on a cutting board, took a big sharp knife and went from top to bottom until I had gone all around. Some of the little kernels went flying, but if you have a big enough cutting board you can catch the little buggers!

[AnnaSue]

Thanks Ralph! Glad to hear the Route 59 store has them. The Bolingbrook store only seemed to have the fresh ones which I didn't really feel like figuring out. We are going to the Keywester across the street from the Meijer on 59 on Friday night, so I'll just stop in and get some on the way home. Can't wait to make it this weekend!

[dmcgreevey]

I made this on Tues night and we both loved it. The gouda was great in the potatoes- a nice twist.

I made it with shrimp since my grocery store had no crawfish. I bought the cooked shrimp and then took the tail off and cut each in half. I also added in some red pepper into the saute- it added some color and crunch. I somehow managed to get it done and on the table in 30 minutes.

Yum!

[Peggy C.]

I don't have a lot to add to this review, just wanted to add that we really liked it. I know we will make it again and again as we love crawfish. The potatoes were just great and would be a great side dish for a steak or a roast also.

John helped me with the prep work so I was able to get this on the table in pretty short order.

[deb]

Just wanted to add another positive review on this dish. It is fun, different and very very tasty! DH wanted to take a picture of it because he thought it looked like it should be served in a gourmet restaurant!

[Holly in KC]

Deb -

Thanks for posting your review! So: did you find the smoked gouda?

[mrswaz]

Hi!
I just made this last week, only I used shrimp instead of the crawfish. the only crawfish I could find up here had the bodies and tails still on...I certainly wasn't about to shuck a pound of crawfish...:p
Anyways, the only suggestion I have for shrimp users is to buy uncooked shrimp versus cooked. The cooked shrimp didn't really take on the wonderful flavors from the tyme and spices. Plus, if you're not careful, precooked shrimp will turn to rubber. Next time I plan on using uncooked shrimp.
This has definetly been added as a regular in menu planning!

Erika

[deb]

Yes Holly, I did find smoked gouda at Hen House! I also bought the 16 oz. frozen package of cleaned and cooked crawfish tails that you suggested also from Hen House. They really made the dish very easy to prepare. I used frozen corn from a bag because I could not find any good fresh corn. It worked well and also was a time saver. I can see how time consuming this dish could be if you had to clean shrimp/crawfish and used whole ears of corn and chop all the onions, garlic, etc.. (DH does all the chopping). I would not have tried this if it had not been for all the great reviews and suggestions. Thanks so much!

[dmcgreevey]

Can anyone post this recipe? I forgot my shopping list at home and wanted to hit the store after work.

Thanks! Dawn

[TLee4]

Bumping up, in case someone can help!!

[Peggy C.]

I don't have the recipe in front of me, but here is some of what is in it.

crawfish
corn
smoked gouda
russet potatoes
garlic
onion
green onion
paprika
cayenne
thyme (?)
red pepper (?)

anyone else remember?

[lindrusso]

Here it is - it's yummy! :)

Crawfish and Corn over Smoked Gouda Potatoes
Potatoes:
6 cups cubed peeled baking potato (about 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda cheese
Crawfish:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (16-ounce) package frozen cooked and peeled crawfish meat, thawed
1/2 cup chopped onions
Fresh tyme sprig (optional)

1. To prepare potatoes, place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return potatoes to pan; add milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mash potato mixture with a potato masher to desired consistency. Stir in cheese. Keep warm.

2. To prepare crawfish, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in corn; sauté 2 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, paprika, red pepper, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and crawfish; sauté 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in green onions. Serve crawfish mixture over mashed potatoes. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups crawfish mixture and 1 cup mashed potatoes).

3. Calories 454 (28% from fat); Fat 14.1g (sat 8g, mono 3.9g, poly 1.2g); Protein 30.3g; Carb 53.4g, Fiber 6.1g; Chol 171mg; Iron 2.2mg; Sodium 781mg; Calc 263mg.

Enjoy! :)

[dmcgreevey]

Thank you!

[swquilts]

OK, I have to ask a stupid question:confused:

How does 1/2 pounds of potatos produce 6 cups of diced? I can never figure this out in other recipes that say "about 3 lbs" and it says to use 4 cups of diced whatever. I just use a BIG Pyrex measuring thing and hope I have the correct amount.

[Peggy C.]

I wonder if that might be a typo, maybe it is supposed to be 1 1/2 lbs. I don't recall off the top of my head.

[tuff2000]

I am bumping up this old summer favorite. We are going to make this tonight, but we are going to use shrimp rather than crawfish. We bought the smoked gouda, and have everything the recipe calls for. We did not make this last summer, so this will be our first attempt:) I am so excited, after all the great reviews, I am sure this is going to be a crowd pleaser:) I decided to buy extra green onions to flavor it up, and I am sure we will up the spices. Thanks everyone who previously reviewed this and left such great tips:)!
Tara

[sunberst]

dbf & i made this together and it was awesome (except for the quality of the crawfish which i will comment on below). the smoked gouda really went well with the creaminess of the potatoes. the corn was so crisp & sweet with the bits of juice releasing as you bit into it. i used half regular paprika & half penzey's half sharp paprika. the onions and garlic tasted so good nestled on top of the potatoes. i nibbled on the fresh sprig of thyme and it was a perfect early august dinner with a glass of white wine & a green salad.

i would have liked this even better if my crawfish werent gross.

i usually buy my frozen pre-cooked crawfish meat from supreme lobster, and they are always clean & smell fresh. the ones there also say "with fat" on the package, which my fish guy told me is a must for flavor & keeping the crawfish from being dry.

well this time i didnt have time to drive out to supreme lobster, so i went to meijer. big mistake. i bought the bayou select brand in the black package. i opened up the package and it smelled really fishy. crawfish had never smelled fishy to me before. then i began to rinse them and saw all of the intestinal ick. i spent a good 20 minutes carefully rinsing each one and removing any gross stuff. the package said "pre-cooked and ready to eat". not me. they did not look clean! they must have lower standards at the packing plant where these came from (china) because they were not the crawfish i was use to dealing with.

they tasted fishy too, did not have that good sweet flavor crawfish are suppose have. dbf noticed a difference in the quality of the flavor as well. they were also a little dry & a few tasted sandy/grainy (despite my serious cleaning).

so this dish was wonderful. just make sure you buy good crawfish meat. i gave this dish a 7/10. but with the right crawfish, i think it can easily be a 9/10! do try!

[knunes]

Mmmmm...thanks to the bump, I remembered how delicious this was last year and made it tonight. I still love it, and can't believe how big the portions are! I halved it, since only two of us were eating it, and I was stuffed.