Recipe - Consomme Des Ecrevisses Aux Truffles

2 pound Crawfish, live
3 qt Water
3 teaspoon Salt
9 cup Water
1 md Onion, coarsely chopped
1 md Leek, white parts,
coarsely chopped
1 md Carrot, coarsely chopped
One half teaspoon Thyme
2 Bay leaves
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Truffles, coarsely chopped

CLARIFYING CLOUDY CONSOMME
1 md Leek, green leaves, washed
finely chopped
1 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 cheesecloth
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, Telerecord Productions
: Box 71112, New Orleans, Louisiana 1983
: Chef Michel Marcais, Begue's Restaurant, New Orleans

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini