2 lb Crawfish, live

3 qt Water

3 ts Salt

9 c Water

1 md Onion, coarsely chopped

1 md Leek, white parts,

– coarsely chopped 1 md Carrot, coarsely chopped

1/2 ts Thyme

2 ea Bay leaves

Salt (to taste) Pepper (to taste) Truffles, coarsely chopped
————————-CLARIFYING CLOUDY
CONSOMME————————-
1 md Leek, green leaves,
washed

– finely chopped 1 ea Celery, stalk, finely

– chopped 4 lg Egg whites

Consomme:
=========
Wash and purge crawfish in 3 quarts of
salted water for 30 minutes.
Rinse and drain the crawfish and place
them in another pot with 9 cups of water and chopped vegetables.
Bring to a boil and add seasonings.
Simmer for 30 minutes.
Do not
boil too fast or the consomme will become cloudy.
Dip the crawfish
out of the liquid and allow them to cool.
Strain the consomme.
When
crawfish are cool enough to handle, remove meat from shells and
return to the strained consomme just before serving.
Clarifying
Cloudy Consomme:
===========================
Mix vegetables with
egg whites.
When consomme is cold, add the vegetables and egg
whites mixture and bring to a boil, then lower the heat.
A crust
will form on the top.
Let the consomme simmer until clear.
Strain
by moving crust to the side and pouring through cheese-cloth
without breaking the crust.
Consomme en Croute:
===================
Put the crawfish tails and coarsely chopped truffles in an oven
proof cup and pour the consomme over them.
Cover each with a puff
pastry top.
(Puff pastry may be purchased in dough form at the
supermarket.) Bake at 425 F for 12 to 15 minutes or until the dough
is browned and crisp.
Source: Great Chefs of New Orleans,
Tele-record Productions : Box 71112, New Orleans, Louisiana - 1983
: Chef Michel Marcais, Begue’s Restaurant, New Orleans