Crawfish Jubilee Sauce - Cajun Steak Diane Sauce

2 servings Prep: 10 m Cook: 20 m Total: 30 m Intermediate
5.0/5 (2)
Perfect sauce to put on steaks like Steak Diane, baked fish, flounder, fried fish or crab cakes and stuffed crab. This rich, buttery crawfish sauce with cream, mushrooms, and the holy trinity makes an elegant topping for any protein.

Ingredients

2 servings
  • 1/2 cup butter, divided (1 stick)
  • 1/4 cup onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/4 cup bell pepper
  • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp dry white wine
  • 1 pound crawfish tails, peeled
  • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup mushrooms
  • dash of hot pepper sauce

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Melt half of the butter in a heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook until vegetables are wilted 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in wine, and then add crawfish, green onion and mushrooms. Cook about 5 minutes or until crawfish are hot and wine is slightly reduced.
  4. Stir in cream and hot pepper sauce and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until cream is reduced and thickened. Remove from heat.
  5. Cut remaining 1/4 cup butter into pieces and add a few pieces at a time stirring constantly until all butter is incorporated and sauce is glossy.
  6. Adjust seasoning as desired and serve immediately over grilled steaks, baked fish, pan-fried flounder, crab cakes, or stuffed crab.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Why did my sauce break or separate?

A: Make sure to remove the pan from heat before adding the final butter pieces, and add them gradually while stirring constantly. If the pan is too hot, the butter will separate instead of creating a smooth emulsion.

Q: Can I use frozen crawfish tails?

A: Yes, frozen crawfish work well. Thaw them completely and drain any excess liquid before adding to the sauce to prevent it from becoming watery.

Q: Why is my sauce too thin?

A: Let the cream reduce longer in step 4, cooking until it visibly thickens and coats the back of a spoon. The sauce will continue to thicken slightly as you add the butter.

Tips and Techniques

The final butter addition is the key to a glossy, restaurant-quality sauce - this technique is called “mounting with butter” (monter au beurre). Don’t rush it or the sauce may break. If making ahead, prepare through step 4 and add the final butter pieces just before serving for best texture.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • crawfish tails: small shrimp (51-60 count), peeled
  • whipping cream: half-and-half
  • dry white wine: chicken or seafood stock

Equipment Needed

  • Heavy sauté pan or skillet
  • Wooden spoon or silicone spatula for stirring

Historical Context

Steak Diane became popular in American restaurants in the 1950s-60s, often prepared tableside with dramatic flambé. This Cajun version skips the theatrical flame but adds local crawfish and vegetables for a Louisiana spin on the classic.