Just because the crawfish season is coming to an end doesn’t mean that you have to stop eating crawfish. While less live crawfish means less boils, crawfish tails – which can be frozen and used year-round – can be cooked in a variety of fun and simple dishes. Here are some of our favorite crawfish appetizers which are sure to add some Cajun flair to any get-together!
Fried Crawfish Tails
When in doubt, keep it simple! Nothing says “down-home southern cooking” like battered and fried seafood. And, in our humble opinion, the best fried seafood is crawfish – no contest. It’s cheap, it’s easy and it’s a fun finger food that tastes great. There are a few different ways to fry up the perfect tail, but we think the secret is in the seasoning of the batter (try adding hot sauce!) and the use of top-quality crawfish (only found in Louisiana).
Crawfish Mac And Cheese
Who doesn’t like macaroni and cheese? Who doesn’t like crawfish? Why not put them together? When done right, cheese and crawfish go together like gumbo & rice. Fortunately, it’s pretty simple to make – just add your tails into the cheese mixture towards the end of prep. To get the perfect crispy, golden-brown top layer just pop the whole dish into the oven for around 30 minutes at 350ºF. Bon Appetit!
Word to the wise: this is an appetizer that you’ll want to make a lot of because people are sure to be going back for seconds (we usually double the recipe)!
Crawfish Meat Pies
Meat pies are a Cajun staple: small hand-held pies that are picked with a variety of rich, delicious melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Once prepared they’re easy to freeze and reheat without fear of losing their tasty flavor – making them a favorite for people wanting a taste of Acadiana on the go. Essentially they’re like Hot Pockets, but actually good.
As it turns out, crawfish pies are the best kind of meat pie. As it also turns out, we sell crawfish meat pies at our shop that we’ll put up against any recipe. Best believe ‘dat.
Crawfish Cakes
Now that we’ve talked about pies, it’s time to eat cake. You’re probably familiar with crab cakes: fried patties of minced crab meat mixed with breading, vegetables and seasonings. Crab cakes are cool and all, but crawfish cakes are where it’s really at. The general recipe is the same, just replace one crustacean for another, but the difference in flavor is really quite shocking! These tasty appetizers are the perfect bite-sized way to round out any family gathering. Just watch that everyone gets their fair share!
When shopping for ingredients for these appetizers, make sure that you’re considering the freshness and authenticity of your crawfish. It’s no secret that south Louisiana produces the best crawfish product around, and if you want to make a Cajun dish pop you need to buy Cajun ingredients. Fortunately, Acadia Crawfish has all the goods you’d ever need to cook up some amazing Cajun treats!