Crawfish Étouffée

1 pound crawfish tails, with fat
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 medium - large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons bell pepper, minced
1/2 stalk celery, minced
Green onion tops
Fresh parsley
2 teaspoons tomato paste
Cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 - 2 cups water (or substitute broth or beer)

Melt butter in pot, add flour and stir constantly. Cook roux until a nice deep brown is achieved, but be careful not to burn it. Add onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook until tender, and keep stirring. Add crawfish fat, if possible, and cook down 10-15 minutes. Add tails and tomato paste, then add water. Cook down for 20 minutes or so, but be careful not to overdo it. Add salt and peppers to taste. Cook a little more, then add chopped green onion tops and parsley and cook till ready. Serve over rice.

Shrimp and Tasso Gumbo

2 lb large shrimp in shell (21 to 25 per lb), peeled and shells reserved

14 cups water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 medium onions, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 lb fresh or frozen pork tasso, thawed if frozen, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

10 oz fresh or frozen baby okra, thawed if frozen, trimmed, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (2 cups)

3/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens

Simmer shrimp shells and water, uncovered, in an 8-quart pot until liquid is reduced to about 12 cups, 15 to 20 minutes, then pour through a sieve set over a large bowl and discard shells.

Stir together oil and flour in a 10-inch heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) with a flat metal or wooden spatula, then cook over moderately low heat (do not use a high-BTU burner), scraping back and forth constantly (not stirring) until roux is the color of milk chocolate, 30 to 45 minutes. (As roux cooks, it may be necessary to lower the heat to prevent scorching.) Add onions, celery, and bell pepper and cook, scraping back and forth occasionally, until onion is softened, about 8 minutes.

Scrape roux mixture into cleaned 8-quart pot, then add shrimp stock and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, then add tasso, salt, and cayenne and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Add okra and simmer until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in shrimp and simmer until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in scallion greens and salt to taste.

Gourmet - 6/2005

Crawfish Pasta Salad

1 bag 12 ounce size of rotini pasta
1 pound crawfish tails
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup ketchup
Zatarain's crab boil
Tabasco (to taste)
Salt (to taste)





Boil the rotini noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. In a separate pot, season water with crab boil and add crawfish. Bring to a boil, remove from heat. Let the crawfish soak in the seasoned water. This way the crawfish can absorb more flavor. Drain before combining with other ingredients.

In a glass bowl, make a dressing with the mayonnaise, ketchup and Tabasco. Toss in the noodles, celery, and crawfish. Serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold.

5/2009

White Beans

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

1 cup chopped boiled ham

1 tsp. chopped garlic

1 pound dried white navy beans, rinsed and sorted over, soaked overnight and drained

8 to 10 cups water (NOTE: I substitute chicken broth for water. You can also replace some of the liquid with evaporated milk for an extra creamy consistency.)

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and celery with the salt, black pepper, and bay leaves for about 5 minutes. Add the ham and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the beans and cover with water. Add the Tabasco. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for about 3 hours, or until the beans are soft and creamy. Stir occasionally.

Remove the bay leaves and serve over steamed white rice.

1/2003 – Emeril Lagasse

Maque Choux

8 medium ears of fresh corn ( or 1 lb frozen kernel corn ~ 4 cups)

1 lb tasso, andouiille or spicy smoked sausage (use your favorite brand) chopped into bite sized pieces

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 small green bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

1 medium tomato, cut up

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (or to taste)

Remove the husks from corn; scrub with a stiff brush to remove silks. Rinse.Use a sharp knife to remove corn from cobs, cutting two-thirds of the way to the cob. Scrape the cobs with a dull edge of a knife (this should be about 4 cups or corn).

Brown tasso or sausage in a 3-quart saucepan. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add margarine or butter to the now empty pan and cook onion and green pepper about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in corn, tomato, salt, black pepper, and red pepper. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes or until corn is tender. Add tasso/sausage back to pan and cook approximately another 5 minutes. Season to taste.

Makes about 6 side dish servings.

11/2008 - Jessica Diez

Red Beans and Rice

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped bell peppers

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. dried thyme

4 bay leaves

1 pound boiled ham, cut into ½ inch cubes

6 oz. sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted over, soaked overnight and drained

3 Tbs chopped garlic

4 cups cooked white rice

10 cups chicken stock or water

1/4 cup chopped green onions

Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt cayenne, black pepper, and thyme for about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves, ham, and sausage and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the beans, garlic, and enough water to cover the contents in the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours. Add more water if the mixture becomes dry and thick.

Use a wooden spoon to mash about half of the mixture against the side. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender and creamy. Add more liquid if it is too thick. The mixture should be soupy, but not watery. Remove the bay leaves and thyme. To serve ladle into bowls with rice. Garnish with green onions.

9/2000 – Emeril Lagasse