GRAVY:
2 lbs(6 cups) crawfish tails, chopped
5 med onions, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
2 & 1/2 cups flour
2 cups cooking oil
1 16oz can stewed tomatoes run thru blender (optional for taste and color)
2-3 quarts of chicken stock
red pepper to taste
salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped shallots
Combine hot cooking oil and flour over med heat to make dark golden brown roux. Add all of the chopped vegetables except the shallots and parsley. Cook about 25 to 30 minutes, covered on low to medium heat, stirring frequently. Add crawfish tails and stewed tomatoes, if used, cook about 10 minutes. Add stock, a little at a time, and add the shallots and parsley. Adjust consistence, if necessary, with boiling water. Cook 20 minutes. Set aside.
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Crawfish Balls (same recipe for bisque):
9 cups crawfish tails (31bs),
chopped 1/2 cup shallots, chopped
5 med onions, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
8 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
6 eggs
Plain and or Italian bread crumbs
salt and red pepper to taste
Mix all above vegetable ingredients thoroughly. Separate into 3 equal parts. Separate chopped tails into 3 equal parts. (Each separate combination of tails and vegetables will make 25 to 30 golf size balls). Run vegetables twice thru grinder. Run chopped tails once thru grinder. Combine ingredients, add salt and pepper and 2 eggs to each batch and mix thoroughly. Add bread crumbs until right consistency. Shape into balls and place onto baking sheet sprayed with Pam. Bake for about 50 minutes in 350°F oven. Repeat until all three batches are baked. Add balls to pot of gravy and simmer 30 minutes. Serve over rice.
From Marion Broussard - My Dad's brother