Prudhomme's Crawfish Boudin - Boudain D'ecrevisses - Louisiana Crawfish and Rice Sausage

Ingredients

• 1 package natural hog casing (37 millimeter)
• 2 lbs peeled crayfish tails, coarsely chopped (if you can't find crawfish tails, shrimp may be substituted)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or red pepper of your choice)
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/8 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1 cup chopped green onion top (save the white part for another recipe)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 cups hot cooked rice (for best results, use freshly made rice)
• water, to heat the boudin

Directions

1. 1

   To prepare casings: Let casings soak in cool water about five minutes to remove salt on outer surface (no longer, or they will become too tender to stuff) and flush salt from the inside by placing one end on faucet nozzle and turn on cold tap water (if you see holes or water leaking, cut and discard).

2. 2

   Remove casing from faucet and gently squeeze out water; cover rinsed casings and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. 3

   Place the crawfish in a bowl and sprinkle the seasonings on top; mix well and set aside.

4. 4

   Heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the vegetables over medium heat for about five minutes or until translucent.

5. 5

   Add the seasoned crawfish and cook about 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

6. 6

   Remove from heat and stir in the rice, mixing very well.

7. 7

   While the mixture is still hot, fill the casings, making links by twisting the filled casing several turns periodically (a four inch link is a good size).

8. 8

   To cook:.

9. 9

   Place the sausage in a single layer in a large pan or dutch oven and cover with water.

10. 10

    Heat over high until water is nearly simmering and reduce heat to maintain just under simmering until the sausage is heated through about 15 to 20 minutes (cooking over higher heat may lead the casings to burst).

11. 11

    Drain and serve immediately.

12. 12

    An alternate method of cooking would be to saute the sausages in a frying pan in a little oil or butter.