New Orleans Crawfish Topping

6 servings Prep: 10 m Cook: 15 m Total: 25 m Beginner
Be the first to rate!
Not only are crawfish great as a meal all by themselves, but they are wonderful in a variety of sauces. This elegant crawfish topping features tender crawfish tails, mushrooms, and green onions simmered in white wine and butter with just the right amount of Cajun seasoning—perfect for spooning over grilled fish, steak, or chicken.

Ingredients

6 servings
  • 1 package crawfish tails (about 1 pound)
  • 1 small package fresh mushrooms, sliced (about 8 oz)
  • 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • Tony Chachere's seasoning to taste
  • Dash of Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Tabasco and salt

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Sauté crawfish tails, mushrooms and green onions in white wine and butter over medium heat, along with Tony Chachere’s seasoning to taste. Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Tabasco, and salt.
  2. Cook or reduce down until the mushrooms wilt and release their liquid, about 10-15 minutes. Add additional butter and/or wine to obtain a good consistency for your sauce—it should be slightly thickened but still pourable.
  3. Serve over your choice of grilled or baked fish (like fried catfish or grilled tuna), steak, or chicken breast.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Why is my sauce too thin or watery?

A: Make sure to cook the sauce long enough for the mushrooms to release their liquid and then reduce. If it's still too thin, simmer a bit longer uncovered to evaporate excess liquid, or add an extra tablespoon of butter to help thicken and enrich the sauce.

Q: Can I make this ahead of time?

A: This sauce is best made fresh, but you can prep all your ingredients ahead of time. The crawfish tails can be thawed and drained, vegetables chopped, and butter measured out. Then it only takes 15 minutes to cook when you're ready to serve.

Tips and Techniques

Don’t overcook the crawfish tails—they’re usually pre-cooked when you buy them frozen, so you’re really just heating them through and letting them absorb the flavors. Overcooking will make them tough and rubbery.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • crawfish tails: small shrimp (41-50 count), peeled and deveined
  • white wine: chicken broth or seafood stock
  • Tony Chachere's seasoning: Cajun seasoning blend of your choice, or make your own with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt and pepper
  • fresh mushrooms: canned mushrooms, well-drained

Equipment Needed

  • Large skillet or sauté pan
  • Wooden spoon for stirring

Historical Context

Crawfish has been a staple of Louisiana cuisine for centuries, originally harvested by Native Americans and later embraced by Cajun and Creole cooks. While crawfish étouffée and boiled crawfish are the most famous preparations, elegant crawfish sauces like this one became popular in New Orleans restaurants as a way to showcase the delicate sweetness of Louisiana crawfish.