Holiday Crayfish Bisque
18 January 2012 in Holiday Food
Recently a bunch of us were fortunate enough to spend some holiday time with old friends at their cottage in Birah in the Eastern Cape (about 40kms from Port Alfred).
Where the holidays happen
We’ve all been friends for many years and when we get together we tend to drink too much, eat too much and laugh a lot! This year was no exception.
You can't beat a sundowner on the beach, Wally & Karlene, Charlie & Ermie, Annie & Jimmy
My name for this blog came about because one of our friends Karlene, (in the blue dress) is a very talented cook and on our previous holidays I would always be her assistant, her Sous/Sue Chef. Some years back Charlie and Ermie’s (whose cottage it is) son had a civil wedding while we were all at Birah (the real wedding was held later) Karlene and Wally suggested that we launch our boat on the Cowie River and fish for crabs to make bisque for the impromptu reception we were holding for the young couple. So we all had a wonderful day catching crabs, we caught loads and when we were driving back I asked why all the boats on the river had orange stickers? Those were the licenses that we didn’t have, had we been caught they would have confiscated our boat, a fact Wally conveniently forgot to mention! The crab bisque was so good we were fighting over the leftovers the next day.
This year Karlene arrived with some crayfish and it just so happened that her son Reg had caught fish, so there was no hesitation, seafood evening coming up!
Freshly caught fish
Karlene is a pro at filleting fish and she was even happier when she realized I had taken my knives and sharpening steel with. The fillets were later fried in beer batter and served with a homemade tartar sauce.
Karlene expertly fillets the fish
Before you read any further, this is not an exact recipe, more a method *embarrassed cough*…..blame the G & T’s for my lousy note taking. I could phone Karlene and ask but I’d put money on the fact that she won’t remember quantities either! 
"I see no ships...."
In the meantime we needed the fish heads for the stock. Karlene roughly chopped some onion, carrot and celery, added water and the simmered everything for one and a half hours and then sieved the stock. Next, she finely chopped some more onions and fried them in some butter, she added flour and cooked it a little, then she poured in the stock and 2 tins of condensed tomato soup. In the meantime she had cooked the crays for 6 minutes in boiling water.
The cooked crayfish
About this time we got another refill and started shredding the meat off the fish heads, you would be amazed how much we got. Then it was all added to the soup along with the shredded crayfish and some cream. It was awesome, awesome soup, we fed 12 and there was still enough for lunch the next day, when it tasted even better!
Crayfish Bisque
It’s amazing what you can do in a holiday home, with limited pots and pans, no blenders, good ingredients and a natural cook like Karlene.
We gathered around the fire most nights
I would love to be round the fire right now, listening to the banter and backing our chairs away because the boys were having a pyrotechnic moment!
rumtumtigger said on 19 January 2012
I can completely relate to not remembering (or cooking with) any exact quantities – and that’s when I’m stone cold sober. Cooking is something you “feel”, an oppurtunity to get creative – not diligently follow a recipe ;o)
Sous Chef said on 19 January 2012
Exactly! there was no recipe, Karlene is a natural.
mitzireddy said on 19 January 2012
Sounds like a wonderful break, Sue and the food looks yummy.
Sous Chef said on 19 January 2012
We were very lucky with the weather and we ate like kings.
janicetripepi said on 19 January 2012
O M G …. heaven! To die for Sue xx
Sous Chef said on 19 January 2012
The bisque followed by the beer battered fish was all superb!
Debbie said on 19 January 2012
OMW….could do with a bowl of that now…looks so yummy.
Would be proud…made my first bottles of jam yesterday…peach,well chuffed with my Martha Stewart impression
Sous Chef said on 19 January 2012
Me too! I saw your jam, I’m suitably impressed Martha
nina said on 19 January 2012
I think the most amazing thing is that it all happened with friends….wonderful recipe from fresh ingredients…that is how we should eat!!
Sous Chef said on 22 January 2012
Absolutely Nina, we ate some great food at the beach, we all took turns in cooking.
sideview said on 19 January 2012
it sounds devine, i’m just wondering where mine is………………
Sous Chef said on 22 January 2012
It was divine, and it disappeared at great speed
Lisa said on 19 January 2012
Hey Sue, Looks delicious. I need a fire like that right now!!
Sous Chef said on 22 January 2012
Shame Lisa, are you feeling the cold in France?
foodandthefab said on 20 January 2012
Beautiful pics and wonderful story of a lovely holiday. Lucky gal!
Sous Chef said on 22 January 2012
Thanks Ishay, we are very fortunate to have such good friends.
Annie Parsons said on 22 January 2012
And I can vouch for the MOST amazing bisque I’ve ever tasted!! Nice story Sue – would love to be back there right now!
Sous Chef said on 22 January 2012
Annie Parsons I am sooo impressed! Thanks for taking the time to comment and I too would love to be back there.
Blondie said on 22 January 2012
Time spent with old friends is always amazing (especially when at least one of them is a great cook)! I love your pics, especially the one of the bisque on the table, with the ocean in the background!!
Sous Chef said on 22 January 2012
It’s always good to have a natural cook amongst the throng, glad you liked the pics.
Brenda said on 23 January 2012
Sjoe, found your blog again after hours of navigating and searching. Love the bisque!
Sous Chef said on 23 January 2012
Sorry Brenda, it really is a mission and everyone is complaining. Hopefully we will all be across soon and it will be easier. I will put a link up on FB next time.
Food24 Ed said on 24 January 2012
Hi Brenda and Sous, Searching for Sous’s blog is super easy
Just enter this link into your browser: http://blogs.food24.com and in the search button enter ‘sous chef’ and she will pop up!
We are implementing subscribers VERY SOON!!
xxx
Sous Chef said on 24 January 2012
Thanks for that, I have put it up on FB so that others can see what to do. Good news on the subscribers
browniegirl said on 23 January 2012
What an awesome awesome post Sue. Well done….that looks like an amazing bisque. I would also like to be around that fire…incognito….listening to all your natter
Good knives and a sharpening steel are essential in a holiday home hehe!! xx
Sous Chef said on 23 January 2012
Thanks Colly, you would love it round the fire, many many laughs! I never go away without at least 2 good knives and my steel.
Colonialist said on 23 January 2012
I finally gave up and signed in here so that I could see what you were up to. A waste of a blog – what do I know about food other than what I like to guzzle?
I bet that if you’d known about the orange stickers before, you would have gone home crabless!
Sous Chef said on 24 January 2012
Nice to see you Col, thanks for taking the time. There was no way we would have launched our boat had we known we were taking a chance of having it conviscated! That said we had a delightful time catching the crabs, great fun.
adinparadise said on 25 January 2012
Looks absolutely delicious, Sue. It sounds like a delicious holiday you all had there.
Sous Chef said on 26 January 2012
It was fabulous AD, both the soup and the holiday!