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dear cooks,
Lunch at Galatoire's Restaurant the Friday before Mardi Gras is a big event. Placeholders are hired, special attire is selected, and breakfast is likely skipped in preparation for the delicious and satisfying meal. What are placeholders? Galatoire's Restaurant general manager and chief operating officer, and coauthor of GalatoireÕs Cookbook, Melvin Rodrigue, explains:
"In order to guarantee tables in the downstairs dining room, determined patrons have established the custom of hiring others to stand in line for them. These "placeholders" often arrive as early as the preceding Tuesday evening, bringing cots, pillows, blankets, radios, card tables, board games, and libations to comfort them during the long wait on the Bourbon Street sidewalk. Sometime around eleven oÕclock on Friday morning the patron will arrive and pay his or her placeholder for the place in line. For these patrons it is money well spent. They know the experience they will have will renew and revitalize them."
Many locals have been acquainted with the famous Galatoire's line. The colorful figures that have composed the social fabric of New Orleans over the past decades have also played a part in the Galatoire's Restaurant menu. There's a salad named for Mr. Leon Godchaux of the historic Godchaux department store, once on Canal Street; a chicken dish named for the many patrons who have hailed from the nearby financial district; and a crab dish named for Yvonne Galatoire Wynne, who devoted herself to Galatoire's Restaurant for over sixty years. Sprinkled throughout the cookbook are anecdotes and happy memories made at Galatoire's that reveal how deeply entrenched these dishes are in tradition, family, and friends.
New Orleans may be undergoing a transformation in the coming year, but one thing will stay the same—a passion for delicious food. Incorporate into your own feast this month Galatoire's famed recipe for Crawfish Bisque from Galatoire's Cookbook, and celebrate the spirit of New Orleans.
Galatoire's was selected as a Fodor's Choice restaurant, distinguishing it as one of the top restaurants in New Orleans. Read the review here.
Crawfish Bisque
Makes 2½ gallons; serves 10 to 12
This version of Galatoire's famous crawfish bisque does not include stuffed crawfish heads, which make the preparation of the dish very time-consuming and labor-intensive to prepare. Instead we have used fresh Louisiana crawfish tails, which are added at the very end of the cooking process.
This will keep for two to three days in the refrigerator. Do not freeze.
ingredients
Crawfish Bisque
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced (about 2 cups)
- One 6-ounce can tomato paste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 2 gallons Crawfish Stock (recipe included)
- 1½ cups brandy
- 4 pounds fresh, peeled Louisiana crawfish tails
- Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
Crawfish Stock
- 1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 4 celery stalks, diced (about 2 cups)
- One 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 pounds live crawfish
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to prepare
Crawfish Bisque
Place a large stockpot over high heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the onions are caramelized. Add the tomato paste and flour and stir until incorporated. Lower the heat to medium and cook the mixture, stirring continuously, for 5 to 7 minutes, until it becomes brown and sticky. Take extreme care not to burn the mixture. Whisk in the cream and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, whisking constantly, so the mixture will be smooth. Add the garlic and stock and stir to thoroughly incorporate. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until it has thickened slightly. Add the brandy and the crawfish tails and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne pepper.
Crawfish Stock
Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, tomato paste, and bay leaves and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring continuously, until the mixture is a rusty light brown color. Add the crawfish and stir, folding the whole crawfish through the mixture. If some of the crawfish are mashed in the process the quality of the stock will improve. Cook the mixture for 4 to 5 minutes, until all of the shells have turned bright red. Add 2½ gallons of water to deglaze the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring to a rolling boil. Once a rolling boil is achieved, reduce the heat until you obtain a low boil and cook the stock for 45 minutes. Strain the stock through a wire mesh strainer and discard the solids.
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happy cooking!
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