Fried Crawfish Etouffee Balls
Author: Robyn Smith
Yields: 10
Ingredients
Quick Crawfish Etouffee
- ½ cup butter
- 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup finely chopped onion
- ¾ cup finely chopped celery
- ¾ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
- 1 pound crawfish tail meat
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Creole seasoning, such as Tony Chachere’s
Fried Crawfish Etouffee Balls
- 2 cups Quick Crawfish Étouffée, recipe precedes
- 2¼ cups plain bread crumbs, divided
- 2 cups cooked and cooled jasmine rice
- ½ cup chopped green onion
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 large eggs, divided
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (16-ounce) bottle ranch dressing
- 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt, such as Lawry’s
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Peanut oil, for frying
Instructions
FOR QUICK CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, and cook about 10 minutes or until mixture is the color of peanut butter.
- Add onion, celery, and bell pepper; cook about 6 minutes or until softened. Stir in crawfish, salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook for 15 minutes. Let cool completely before making balls. Etouffee can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 6 months.
FOR FRIED CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE BALLS
- In a large bowl, stir together Quick Crawfish Etouffee, ¼ cup bread crumbs, rice, green onion, hot sauce, salt, cayenne, and 2 beaten eggs. Chill for 30 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 2 eggs and milk. Place flour in a separate medium bowl. Place remaining 2 cups bread crumbs in a third medium bowl.
- Scoop étouffée mixture into golf-ball-size rounds. Roll each ball in flour, then egg mixture, then bread crumbs. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm or up to 24 hours (see note).
- In the work bowl of a food processor, combine ranch dressing, chipotles in adobo, garlic, seasoned salt, and pepper. Pulse until combined. Set aside.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 4 inches. Heat over medium heat until a deep-fry or candy thermometer reads 350º. Fry balls in batches for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot with ranch dressing mixture.
Notes
Balls may be frozen at this point in step 3. Place balls on a baking sheet, and freeze until completely solid. Transfer to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag, and freeze for up to 6 months. Let thaw in refrigerator overnight before frying.
