Stuffed Soft-Shell Crawfish

This is old-school Louisiana restaurant cooking, the kind of dish that makes a table go quiet for a second. Soft-shell crawfish get their top shells popped off, the calcium deposits above the eyes pulled out, then they’re piped full of a buttery Cajun stuffing spiked with cayenne and garlic.

Buttermilk-dipped, flour-dredged, fried crisp, then finished under a river of hollandaise. Yes it’s rich. That’s the whole point.

The stuffing leans on plenty of chopped white bread plus breadcrumbs to hold together under the fryer heat, with a beaten egg as the binder. Using a pastry bag to fill the shells keeps the stuffing packed tight so nothing falls out mid-fry.

The hollandaise rides the classic ratio of ten yolks to a pound of melted butter, whisked over a double boiler with tarragon vinegar and a shot of cream sherry for depth. A few drops of hot sauce at the end keep the richness in check.

Chef Tips

• Keep the oil at a steady medium-high, too cool and the stuffing absorbs grease, too hot and the shells blacken before the inside heats through
• Whisk the hollandaise over barely-simmering water, never boiling, scrambled yolks can’t be saved
• Hold fried crawfish on a rack in a low oven while you finish the sauce, they stay crisp instead of steaming on a plate
• Add the melted butter to the hollandaise in a slow drizzle, dumping it in breaks the emulsion

Variations

• Swap in soft-shell crabs when crawfish are out of season, the stuffing ratios still work
• Stir a few tablespoons of finely diced andouille into the stuffing for smokier Cajun flavor
• Use a lemon-butter pan sauce instead of hollandaise for a lighter finish