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Louisiana Crawfish Boudin

Source of Recipe

From "Real Cajun" by Donald Link


Recipe Introduction

"Although it's difficult for me to fathom, not everyone is a huge fan of pork and liver. So it's no surprise that a more contemporary version of the classic boudin was developed using the region's two most important crops: rice and crawfish. In this recipe, which takes considerably less time to make than pork boudin, I reduce the stock to intensify the flavor of the crawfish and allow the sweet meat to break down and marry with the other savory flavors. The result is so delicious and satisfying that every time I make it I wonder why I don't prepare it more often. Crawfish boudin is especially good for outdoor entertaining and picnics on warm Louisiana spring days, since it's not as heavy as the pork variety. Boudin can also be grilled over really low heat. If you don't want to stuff the sausage into casings, simply shape it into balls, roll in bread crumbs, and deep-fry until golden brown."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 tablespoons butter
â—¦ 1 small onion, finely chopped
â—¦ 1 small poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
â—¦ 1 medium jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
â—¦ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
â—¦ 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
â—¦ 1 tablespoon dried thyme
â—¦ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 teaspoon chili powder
â—¦ 1 teaspoon paprika
â—¦ ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
â—¦ 4 bay leaves
â—¦ 1 pound Louisiana crawfish tail meat
â—¦ 2 ½ cups crawfish, shrimp, or chicken stock
â—¦ 1 ½ cups long-grain rice
â—¦ 1 bunch scallions, sliced (green and white parts)
â—¦ ½ cup chopped parsley
â—¦ Hot sauce, to taste
â—¦ About 3 feet of sausage casings, rinsed


Recipe

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, poblano, jalapeño, garlic, salt, thyme, black pepper, chili powder, paprika, white pepper, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the crawfish and ½ cup of stock and cook, stirring, until the stock has cooked down by two-thirds.

Stir in the rice and an additional 2 cups stock.
Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer very slowly until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the cooked rice mixture to a mixing bowl. Add the scallions, parsley, and hot sauce, then mix vigorously by hand for 2 minutes to break down the starch of the rice. (You want the mixture to become slightly starchy and pull together but remain moist.) Using a mixer fitted with the stuffer attachment (without the grinding plate), extrude the mixture into the casings, twisting them into 4- to 5-inch links.

Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a deep skillet. Reduce the heat so the water is barely simmering (about 180° F), and add the boudin. Poach for 5 to 7 minutes, just long enough to heat the inside of the sausage. (A lot of stores in Cajun country hold their cooked boudin in a rice cooker full of water.) Refrigerated, crawfish boudin will last for 3 to 4 days. It can be frozen for up to 3 weeks.

Makes about 1 ½ pounds
(or four 5-inch links)