Crawfish Pumpkin Bisque
Executive Chef Jeff Tunks - DC Coast

Serves 6

For the bisque

Ingredients
7 small pumpkins
Creole seasoning to taste
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, julienned
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds Louisiana crawfish meat with fat
4 quarts crab stock (see recipe below)
1 pint heavy cream

Procedure
Split 1 of the pumpkins in half and remove seeds and loose pulp.  Separate the seeds and toast with Creole seasoning in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven.  At the same time, bake the pumpkin in a casserole dish with a little crab stock for 35 to 40 minutes, or until tender.  Remove the skin and sauté the pumpkin meat in butter with onions, garlic, 1 pound crawfish tail meat, and Creole seasoning.  Deglaze with crab stock.  Bring to a simmer for 20 minutes and finish with heavy cream.  Cook another 10 minutes and purée in a blender until smooth.  Adjust the thickness with hot crab stock.  Cut the tops off 6 small pumpkins and clean out the shells.  Strain the puréed soup and adjust to taste.  Pout the soup into the pumpkins and garnish with the remaining crawfish tail meal, Creole seasoning, and toasted pumpkin seeds.


For the crab stock

Ingredients
6 live female crabs
1 tablespoon tomato paste
.25 cup white wine
4 quarts water
1 shallot, sliced
1 head garlic, sliced in half
Black peppercorns
1 bay leaf

Procedure
Cut the live crabs in quarters.  Roadt with tomato paste and a little oil in a 6-quart stockpot over high heat until the crabs start to turn in color.  Deglaze with white wine, then add water and the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer 45 to 60 minutes and strain.