Canku Ota
	(Many Paths)
	An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
	March 9, 2002 - Issue 56
	Mudbugs

Editor's note: Perhaps the most distinctive and famous Louisiana food is Crayfish, which natives pronounce "Crawfish." It is more tender than lobster, more delicate than shrimp, and has a unique flavor all its own. In the spring, whole families go out crawfishing on the bayous and in field crawfish farms in an age-old tradition that has lived on and thrives to this day. " Few people actually know this, but Crawfish have only been around since 1775. See, it all started when the French living in Acadie, Nova Scotia were expelled from their land by the British. By land and sea they traveled across North America to arrive in South Louisiana. They were then welcomed by the French who already lived there. The Spanish helped out by providing land grants to these "Acadians." Now you may be asking yourself what Crawfish have to do with this story. Actually, they have everything to do with it. You see, people up in Nova Scotia really liked lobster. So it was only natural that when the Acadians made their move to South Louisiana, they brought their Lobster with them. The problem was that the lobsters lost their appetite along the way and shrunk up quite a bit. Since this smaller lobster didn't really look like a lobster any more, the Acadians, now known as Cajuns, called this small crustacean a Crawfish." :)
Crawfish Etouffee
	Ingredients: 1 Bunch Green Onions 1 Medium Yellow Onion 1 Half-Cup Chopped Celery (With Leaves) 1 Half-Cup Chopped Parsley 2 Tablespoon. Oil 1 Stick (1/4 Lb.) Butter 4 Tablespoon Flour 1 Lb. Peeled Crawfish Tails (With Fat, If Available) 2-3 Large Cloves Garlic, Minced Salt And Pepper (Black And Red)
Directions:
Chop onions. Save tops of green onions for later. Melt butter and combine with oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add flour, stir. Cook roux, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until light brown. Add onions, celery and parsley. Cook til onions are clear. Add crawfish, stir, season with garlic, salt and peppers. Add enough water (or stock) to make a rather thick soupy mixture. Cover and simmer over low heat about 15 minutes. Stir in chopped green onion tops. Serve over rice.
Crawfish Pie
Ingredients:
1 med. to large onion 3 stalks of celery 6 to 8 toes [cloves] of garlic 1 can of cream of mushroom soup 1 can light or regular evaporated milk 1 pound of crawfish tails 5 tablespoons of cornstarch pie crust for 2-crust pie
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Sauté onions, celery and garlic in butter or olive oil. Add milk and soup; bring to medium boil. Add crawfish, bring to medium boil again then add corn starch. Lower heat and cook for another 10 minutes or until thick. Grease pie shell w/butter and place pie shell in bottom of pan then add thickened mixture. Put on top shell and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
Crawfish Cornbread
	Ingredients: 1 1/2 c Cornmeal 1/2 c Cooking oil 1/2 ts Baking soda 1 ts Salt 1 cn Cream style corn 2 Eggs 1/2 lb Cheese, grated 1 c Onion, chopped 1 lb Crawfish tails 2 Jalapeno peppers, chopped
Directions:
Mix all ingredients except crawfish. Blend until moist. Add crawfish and stir well. Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Cajun Crawfish Jambalaya
Ingredients: 1/4 lb Butter or margarine 1/2 c Bell pepper -- chopped 40 ml Garlic -- chopped 1 c Onion -- chopped 1/2 c Celery -- chopped Crawfish fat 1 lb Crawfish tails 1 c Green onions -- chopped 2 tb Parsley -- chopped Cayenne pepper 4 c Cooked rice
Directions:
Saute in margarine the bell pepper, garlic, onion, and celery. Add some of the crawfish fat for flavor. Cook for about 30 minutes over a low fire. Add crawfish tails, green onions, 2 T. chopped parsley, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper , and 4 c. of cooked rice. I sometimes add a small can of stem and pieces mushrooms. Let this steam for about 5-10 minutes. Add a little margarine or water if too dry.

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