4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup chopped shallot
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 pound crawfish tail meat
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon liquid crab boil
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 1/2 cups Japanese bread crumbs (panko)
Toasted French bread, for serving

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 2-quart square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat; stir in shallot and garlic, and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add crawfish, salt, and pepper, and cook about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine crawfish mixture, cream cheese, Cheddar, mayonnaise, bacon, vinegar, crab boil, hot sauce, 1 tablespoon tarragon, and 1 tablespoon parsley until combined. Spread mixture evenly into prepared dish; bake until hot and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

In a saucepan, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat; add bread crumbs, remaining 1 tablespoon tarragon, and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley, stirring until combined. Sprinkle evenly over crawfish mixture. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes more. Serve immediately with toasted French bread, if desired.

serves 12