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!

[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!

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!

[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.

[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".

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!!!

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 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)

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!!!

[Peggy C.]

Originally posted by JHolcomb


(Does this sound like an Epicurious review yet ).

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

[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 )

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 ). 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.