This is just a bit of a different take on my seafood Bread by bringing in some seafood elements with the use of crawfish tails and shrimp. Now if you have access to fresh shrimp and crab, absolutely use those, . This would be an unexpected and delicious surprise for any party menu, so include it on your menu and watch it disappear! If you were a fan of the seafood bread at the now-gone Catch of the Day restaurant, I think I’ve come pretty close with my version. Be sure to check that out too!
What Type of Seafood to Use?
I love to use shrimp and crawfish tails in this recipe. You can also use scallops, lobster, mussels, or pretty much whatever you like.
What Type of Shrimp to Use
Shrimp can be found at the grocery store in a few different ways. There is raw, pre-cooked, raw and frozen, deveined, tails on, tails off, etc.
I never use pre-cooked shrimp. There is an obvious difference in taste due to the lack of quality. The shrimp is cooked and then frozen and you have to cook it/warm it up again. This usually overcooks the shrimp. Raw shrimp only takes minutes to make, just buy it raw.
Can You Use Frozen Shrimp? How to Thaw
You should thaw it first. You can thaw frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes.
Do You Keep the Tails on the Shrimp?
This is completely up to you and is a matter of preference. Often the tails are left on for presentation purposes only. The shrimp simply looks nicer and will have a nice curve to it when the tails are left on.
Leaving the tail on is often inconvenient when it comes to devouring the meal!
What Type of Crab to Use
I use lump crab meat. You can find it in the refrigerated meat section of the grocery store. Lots of people use imitation crab meat, sometimes called krab meat. You can use that if you wish, it’s also sometimes easier to find.
Imitation crab is processed fish meat. It is seafood and comes from surimi that has been deboned and minced into a paste. It does not contain crab. Crab extract is sometimes added for flavor.
Substitutions and Additional Add-In Ideas
Bacon
Chicken
Lobster
Caramelized Onions
Can You Make it Ahead
If you’re making this for a crowd, I wouldn’t make it ahead the night before. This is a dish that’s best served fresh while the cheese is still soft and gooey. After making it, I leave it in the oven on warm and covered in foil. You can, because the dish does reheat. It’s just served best when fresh.
How to Store It
You can store leftovers in the fridge, tightly covered for 3-4 days.
How to Reheat it
The best way to reheat it is in the air fryer on 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes or until warm. You can also use the oven at the same temperature. Heat until warm. You can use the microwave, but it doesn’t result in the best texture in my opinion.
Ingredients:
1 loaf of French bread, cut in half
1 stick of butter, sliced-room temp
1 –2 heads of garlic, reserved from the boil
½ onion, reserved from the boil
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup crawfish tails, Shrimp, peeled
green onion or herbs, to garnish
olive oil, as needed
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375*. In a food processor pulse garlic, and onion room temp butter until creamy and soft. Pulse in grated parmesan cheese. If the mixture is too thick, drizzle in some olive oil.
Place the French bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. On each piece of French Bread, spoon and smear the garlic butter mixture. Top with crawfish tails and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and green onion.
Bake 10-12 minutes until toasted and melted.