2 dozen cleaned, lg. soft-shell crawfish
Buttermilk, flour and vegetable oil for frying stuffed crawfish

CRAWFISH STUFFING:

2 lb. crawfish tails
1/4 c. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1/2 c. minced onion
1 tbsp. finely minced garlic
1/2 c. chopped green onions
1/2 c. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1 egg
1 qt. chopped white bread or bread crumbs
Hollandaise Sauce (recipe follows)

To make stuffing, melt butter, add flour and stir over heat until light brown. Add onions and garlic and saute. Remove from heat. Add parsley, seasonings, egg, bread and crawfish tails and stir until mixed. Press or mound 1 oz. of the stuffing onto the back of the crawfish (where shell was removed).

Batter the stuffed crawfish by dipping it first into buttermilk and then rolling in flour. Drop into hot oil and deep fry to a golden brown. Cover with Hollandaise Sauce to serve.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE:

10 egg yolks
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. cream sherry
1/4 c. tarragon vinegar
1 tsp. chicken base
1/2 tsp. Tabasco (or to taste)
1 lb. melted butter

Chicken base is a flavoring concentrate used by chefs and is available in some grocery stores. Leave out if not available.

Combine all ingredients except butter in top of double boiler. Heat water in bottom boiler to boiling point. With a whisk, mix the egg mixture over heat until egg is creamy and lemon colored. Mixture will be thickened to a consistency of soft pudding. Take off heat and continue to whisk while adding butter slowly. Serves 8.