Crawfish Boulettes with Creole Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 pound peeled crawfish tails or 1 pound cooked and peeled shrimp
- 5 slices stale bread, broken into small pieces
- 1 egg beaten
- 3 tbsp chopped green onions
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1 1/2 cup dried fine bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp Creole Seasoning
- Solid vegetable shortening or vegetable oil for deep-frying
- Creole Tartar Sauce:
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp each chopped parsley leaves & chopped green onions
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp Creole or whole-grain mustard
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Boulettes: In a food processor with a metal blade, combine the onions, peppers, celery, garlic, crawfish tails, bread pieces and egg together. Pulse the mixture a few times to finely chop the mixture. Do not puree. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the green onions and parsley. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- Fill a large, heavy stockpot or saucepan with shortening or oil to a depth of 3 inches. Preheat oil to 360 degrees F.
- Shape the mixture into small balls, about 1 tablespoon each. Season the breadcrumbs with the 1 tablespoon of Creole Seasoning. Roll the balls into the seasoned breadcrumbs, coating completely.
- Fry the boulettes in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per batch. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Season with additional Creole Seasoning while hot. Serve hot with Creole Tartar Sauce.
- Creole Tartar Sauce: Put the egg, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and green onions in a food processor and puree for 15 seconds. With the processor running, pour the oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream. Add the cayenne, mustard, and salt and pulse once or twice to blend.
- Cover and let sit for 1 hour in the refrigerator before using. Best if used within 24 hours.
Common Problems and Solutions
Q: Why are my boulettes falling apart in the fryer?
A: Make sure the mixture isn't too wet—the stale bread should absorb moisture. Also, don't skip the breadcrumb coating as it helps hold everything together. Let the shaped balls rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before frying to help them firm up.
Q: Can I make these ahead of time?
A: Yes! Shape and bread the boulettes, then freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag. Fry directly from frozen, adding about 1 minute to the cooking time.
Q: Why is my tartar sauce too thin or not emulsifying?
A: Make sure to add the oil very slowly in a steady stream while the processor is running. If it breaks, start with a fresh egg in the processor and slowly drizzle the broken sauce into it while running—it should come back together.
Tips and Techniques
Use stale bread or day-old French bread—it absorbs moisture better than fresh bread and helps bind the mixture. If your bread is fresh, toast the pieces lightly in the oven first. Don’t overmix in the food processor; you want texture, not paste. Keep the oil temperature steady at 360°F—if it drops too low, the boulettes will absorb oil and get greasy.
Ingredient Substitutions
- crawfish tails: cooked shrimp, lump crabmeat, or even cooked white fish
- stale bread: panko breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs
- Creole Seasoning: mix of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, thyme, and oregano
Equipment Needed
- Food processor
- Deep fryer or heavy stockpot
- Candy/deep-fry thermometer
- Paper towel-lined plate
- Large mixing bowl
Historical Context
Boulettes are part of Louisiana’s rich French culinary heritage, with the term meaning “little ball” in French. While similar fried balls appear across Cajun cooking (crawfish, shrimp, or crab), they all share the same principle—combining precious seafood with the holy trinity and bread to create something that feeds more people without skimping on flavor.
