SOUTHERN STYLE CRAWFISH GRAVY

I couldn’t even count how many crawfish boils we held and attended in the six years we lived in New Orleans, Louisiana, but I do know that the whole family loves crawfish and especially crawfish boils. There are no meteorological seasons in the South, but there is crawfish season and it’s celebrated throughout the springtime when the crawfish are harvested. Family and friends gather in large numbers to enjoy this special dish.
And this is how it goes: crawfish, potatoes, garlic, onion, corn, andouille sausages, and spices are boiled in a huge perforated basket inserted to a stainless steel pot heated by a propane jet burner. Once fully cooked, the crawfish is strained and everything is spread out onto a large table covered with newspapers. Everybody gathers around the table, peeling and eating crawfish for hours while enjoying a cold Abita, the local beer. We really loved those frequent gatherings where you would simply hang out together and have a good time.

Moving up north was quite a change in American culture, but we still cherish these fond memories that stayed with us, along with the many wonderful, spicy New Orleans Style recipes.

When I came across an article about Southern-style Thanksgiving recipes in a Bon Appetit magazine many years ago, of course I had to try the Cajun spiced turkey and gravy made with crawfish tails and bacon. Since then, the recipes have become staples of our Thanksgiving meal tradition. Two of my kids even prefer the crawfish gravy over the turkey! I still wonder if eating so much crawfish during my pregnancies has caused my kids love for crawfish and Southern spices.

Changing our diet to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for multiple health reasons (you can read more about this in the ABOUT ME section) left us with the problem that sauces or gravy that relied on flour or starch for thickening turned out watery. Now I use the onion technique to thicken the gravy, meaning I boil a large onion in broth until it falls apart, then I purée it with a stick blender and reduce the liquid as much as I can before I add it to the other ingredients. This method makes for a very flavorful gravy or sauce and if it’s done right, gives a similar texture to the original recipe. I know there are several other methods to achieve a thick texture I have read about people adding cashew or coconut flour but I must admit that I’ve never tried it. If you have a favorite SCD method to thicken your sauces or gravy, feel free to leave a comment below! The altered recipe has not hurt - it still boasts a high ranking among our favorite Thanksgiving recipes!

The gravy is spicy and adds a lot of flavor to the Thanksgiving turkey. We usually add a variety of side dishes like our Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Delicata Squash Gratin, Arugula with Lemon Dressing & Parmesan, or Spinach Salad with Roasted Beetroots. To complete the healthy Thanksgiving menu, I can only recommend the Festive Pear & Fig Pie, Walnut Caramel Pie, or if you’re in a hurry the Grain-Free Peach & Berry Cobbler made with frozen fruit. My kids love this refined sugar-free ice cream Anna’s Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream (for the record, chocolate is not SCD legal - we reintroduced it once symptoms had subsided) that I make and freeze one week ahead.

I buy frozen cooked crawfish tails at our local seafood market, but you can also order frozen crawfish tails through cajungrocer.com or substitute the crawfish with shrimp.

More of my Southern recipes: Cauliflower Jambalaya; Cajun Shrimp, Cajun Spice Mix.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb peeled cooked crawfish tails
1 lb sugar-free bacon, chopped into 1/2” pieces
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped into wedges
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped celery stalks
1/4 cup finely chopped jalapeño, seeded
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups vegetable broth or turkey stock or more as needed
2 tsp Cajun Spice Mix
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
6 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream or fermented cream (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Thaw, rinse, and pat dry the crawfish tails.

Bring two cups of vegetable broth, onion, and sea salt to a boil in a medium size saucepan. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the onion falls apart. Purée the onion using a blender or stick blender. If the broth onion mix is too liquid, return to the stove and simmer until the desired consistency is reached if it is too thick add some more vegetable broth.

Add the bacon to a large skillet and fry until the fat is melted and the bacon is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and set aside. Remove some of the fat, leaving enough for frying in the pan. Add the celery, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapeño to the skillet and fry until they turn soft, about 20 minutes.

Add the onion broth mixture, bacon, and crawfish tails. Heat once more. Add heavy whipping cream.

Garnish with chopped scallions, and serve immediately.

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