Seafood Recipes: Crawfish Casserole, Crawfish Corn Bread, Crawfish Tortellini

*** Louisiana crawfish come from fresh water and are safe from the Gulf oil spill. Enjoy Crawfish Casserole, Crawfish Corn Bread and Crawfish Tortellini this crawfish season!




Photo by adie reed @ flickr



From Denny: With all the high drama unfolding out in the Gulf of Mexico from this BP oil spill the past month, people are confused as to which seafood is still safe to eat. Farmed crawfish come from inland fresh water ponds and are the primary source for the crop. Those inland sources are far from coastal contamination.

The government has prohibited fishing in specific areas of the Gulf affected by the oil spill. Fortunately, there are fresh water Louisiana fish and crustaceans still to be enjoyed this summer like crawfish and catfish.

The Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner, Mike Strain, gave the OK on Louisiana crawfish this month. He says our crawfish are not affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil leak.

Robert Romaire, LSU AgCenter aquaculture professor, said “Crawfish are raised in freshwater ponds and the Atchafalaya Basin,” Romaire said. “There are no crawfish ponds sufficiently close to the coast that can be impacted by the oil spill. Actually,” he added, “LSU AgCenter statistics from the past decade show a large percentage of the crawfish crop is harvested from ponds. More than 98 million pounds of crawfish came from domestic ponds in 2009,” Romaire said. “The wild crawfish crop accounted for nearly 15.5 million pounds.”

What about purchasing frozen or fresh crawfish tail meat? Remember, it's USDA-inspected and approved - and in proper cold storage.

For anyone living in the New Jersey area who like to go to the Crawfish Fest festival slated for June 4 - 6, check out CrawfishFest.com. Louisiana live crawfish will be shipped from crawfish farms only to the festival. Raw or grilled Louisiana oysters may have to be removed from the 2010 Crawfish Fest menu. That determination will be made closer to the festival date. They have been holding this festival for 21 years now.

After you go to a crawfish boil or two Louisiana folks usually start the round of various popular crawfish dishes. These three are easy to make and delicious crowd pleasers. If you don't have crawfish in your area you can substitute your favorite fresh seafood like clams, shrimp or fish.

Recipes Featured:

Crawfish Casserole
Crawfish Corn Bread
Crawfish Tortellini






LeBlanc Crawfish Casserole

From: Laura LeBlanc was featured in the October, 1993 Food Focus cookbook “Making Memories” and was another “Best of the Best” recipe selection for 1993

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients:

1 stick margarine plus 2 tbls. margarine
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 cup canned sliced mushrooms, drained
2 tbls. finely minced garlic
2 lbs. peeled crawfish tails
1 (103/4-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
2 to 3 cups cooked rice
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 dashes white pepper
1-1/2 to 2 cups grated Velveeta cheese
1 cup canned fried onion rings


Directions:

1. In a small skillet, melt 1 stick margarine. Cube cream cheese and add to the melted margarine. Stir over low heat until cream cheese is melted. Set aside.

2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons margarine and sauté the onions and bell pepper until vegetables are tender. Stir in the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic. Add crawfish tails and cook until heated through.

3. Add the mushroom soup and 2 to 3 cups cooked rice. Stir the cream cheese and margarine mixture into the crawfish mixture. Stir and season to taste with peppers.

4. Place mixture in greased (4-quart) casserole or several casserole dishes. Top with grated Velveeta cheese and fried onion rings. Bake in 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Note from Laura LeBlanc: Freezes well and can be made a day before you need to serve it. Shrimp can be substituted for crawfish.

Testing note: Food editor Tommy Simmons made the recipe as directed and then transferred the cooked crawfish and rice casserole to a slow cooker to keep it hot for serving at a church luncheon.





Crawfish Corn Bread

From: “River Road Recipes IV Warm Welcomes” published by the Junior League of Baton Rouge

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup (4 tbls.) butter
2 jalapeño chilies, chopped
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tbl. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 cups (6 ozs.) shredded cheddar cheese
1 (15-oz.) can cream-style corn
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pecan oil or vegetable oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 lb. peeled crawfish tails


Directions:

1. Sauté the yellow onion, bell pepper and green onions in the butter in a skillet until tender. Stir in the jalapeño chilies.

2. Combine the cornmeal, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl and mix well.

3. Stir the cheese, corn, milk, oil and eggs into the cornmeal mixture. Add the onion mixture and mix well. Stir in the crawfish tails.

4. Spoon the batter into a greased 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until light brown. Serve with a bowl of soup and/or a mixed green salad. You may bake the cornbread in a greased 9x13-inch baking pan.





Crawfish Tortellini

From: Frances Cangelosi and was selected as one of The Advocate Food section’s “Best of the Best” in 2003

Serves: 6 to 8. This dish freezes well.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 pods garlic, minced
1-1/2 to 2 lbs. crawfish tails rinsed very slightly
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup chopped fresh parsley
1-1/2 pints whipping cream
1 to 2 tbls. cornstarch dissolved in a small amount of water or milk
3/4 of a (20-oz.) pkg. of fresh tortellini with cheese
Salt
Red pepper


Directions:

1. In the butter, sauté the onion and garlic.

2. Add crawfish tails. Cook about 5 minutes.

3. Add Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, whipping cream and dissolved cornstarch. Stir into a sauce and heat until thick.

4. Boil tortellini according to package instructions. Drain.

5. Fold in sauce with the cooked tortellini. Season to taste with salt and red pepper. Serve immediately or put in a casserole to be heated at 350 degrees until heated through.

Note: Camille Cassidy makes this recipe often for family and guests. She usually doubles it to serve a crowd — sometimes making two double batches for a large group. She likes to add a little bit of liquid crab boil to the dish.


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Video: Louisiana Chef Makes Crawfish Etouffee

From Denny: This video is great for demonstrating how to make a roux fast and furious on the stove. If you are unfamiliar with how to make a roux then this video will prove useful. Making a roux to the desired color of choice is all about preference. New Orleans uses a very dark roux the color of milk chocolate, sometimes darker. In Baton Rouge we go for a lighter roux about the color of caramel candy.

The traditional roux most people know is what you use for a cream sauce - but you don't take it to the darker stages before adding water, milk or cream. A traditional roux is where you heat a pan, add butter or oil, then add flour until well dissolved, then adding the liquid quickly. The key to a good roux in Louisiana cooking, besides the color which adds a richer roasted flavor since you are basically pan roasting the flour, is to cook the roux and liquid for at least 30 minutes to cook out the flour flavor and glue like texture. That's when the dish gets to shine as awesome flavor, playing up the spices.

Since this is a local food video, and the local media doesn't usually keep embedded videos available past one year, I've included some recipes for crawfish etouffee and smothered crawfish (about the same thing).

Smothering your food sounds a bit psychopath to people outside the American South but it's a favorite of the slow food mindset in country Cajun cooking. What are some of the essentials for this smothering technique? You have to bring on board The Holy Trinity of diced onions, bell pepper and celery - along with some salt, pepper and garlic powder.

The smothering technique is also used for meat dishes like pan fried pork chops that are then covered and cooked with a small amount of liquid and veggies, creating a gravy. Basically, it's a kind of braising. First you sear the meat, then add the onions, bell pepper and celery, then the flour. When you add the flour this way you get a lighter brown roux. Add your liquid of choice and you don't have to worry about getting lumps in your gravy. Just cover and slow cook for a while until desired tenderness. Easy as can be!

It's one of those low maintenance dishes you can ignore for 30 minutes to an hour or keep on low heat until ready to serve. These kinds of slow food smothered dishes work well for busy households where everyone is on the go with different schedules but want a home cooked meal ready and waiting with ease. In the South we even smother potatoes and other vegetables besides meat dishes.

Chef Joe Caton, of Louisiana Lagniappe restaurant in Baton Rouge, serves up a classic Louisiana crawfish etouffee. He only offers this dish when the crawfish are in season and fresh. Be sure to visit Louisiana during crawfish season which lasts through May! The rest of the year you will only find the crawfish tails frozen.

If you don't have access to crawfish in your area then consider using shrimp, oysters or a meaty fish as any of those choices are equally wonderful!











Smothered Crawfish

From: The Louisiana Seafood Bible: Crawfish cookbook by Jerald and Glenda Horst

Serves: 4-6


Smothered Crawfish

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 small bell peppers, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbls. flour
2 lbs. crawfish tails
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Cooked rice

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a cast-iron Dutch oven over low heat. Add the onions, bell peppers and garlic. Sauté over heat until the onions are transparent.

2. Add the flour and stir until blended.

3. Add the crawfish, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve over cooked rice.

Tip: Smothering works best in a cast-iron pot over low heat. Take your time and do not rush this dish.





More recipes for Crawfish Etouffee from this blog:

Louisiana Crawfish Etouffee From Lafittes Landing - Famous Louisiana Chef John Folse

New Orleans Recipes: Crawfish Etouffee, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Jambalaya, Sazerac Cocktail


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Video: Louisiana Chef Makes Crawfish Etouffee

From Denny: This video is great for demonstrating how to make a roux fast and furious on the stove. If you are unfamiliar with how to make a roux then this video will prove useful. Making a roux to the desired color of choice is all about preference. New Orleans uses a very dark roux the color of milk chocolate, sometimes darker. In Baton Rouge we go for a lighter roux about the color of caramel candy.

The traditional roux most people know is what you use for a cream sauce - but you don't take it to the darker stages before adding water, milk or cream. A traditional roux is where you heat a pan, add butter or oil, then add flour until well dissolved, then adding the liquid quickly. The key to a good roux in Louisiana cooking, besides the color which adds a richer roasted flavor since you are basically pan roasting the flour, is to cook the roux and liquid for at least 30 minutes to cook out the flour flavor and glue like texture. That's when the dish gets to shine as awesome flavor, playing up the spices.

Since this is a local food video, and the local media doesn't usually keep embedded videos available past one year, I've included some recipes for crawfish etouffee and smothered crawfish (about the same thing).

Smothering your food sounds a bit psychopath to people outside the American South but it's a favorite of the slow food mindset in country Cajun cooking. What are some of the essentials for this smothering technique? You have to bring on board The Holy Trinity of diced onions, bell pepper and celery - along with some salt, pepper and garlic powder.

The smothering technique is also used for meat dishes like pan fried pork chops that are then covered and cooked with a small amount of liquid and veggies, creating a gravy. Basically, it's a kind of braising. First you sear the meat, then add the onions, bell pepper and celery, then the flour. When you add the flour this way you get a lighter brown roux. Add your liquid of choice and you don't have to worry about getting lumps in your gravy. Just cover and slow cook for a while until desired tenderness. Easy as can be!

It's one of those low maintenance dishes you can ignore for 30 minutes to an hour or keep on low heat until ready to serve. These kinds of slow food smothered dishes work well for busy households where everyone is on the go with different schedules but want a home cooked meal ready and waiting with ease. In the South we even smother potatoes and other vegetables besides meat dishes.

Chef Joe Caton, of Louisiana Lagniappe restaurant in Baton Rouge, serves up a classic Louisiana crawfish etouffee. He only offers this dish when the crawfish are in season and fresh. Be sure to visit Louisiana during crawfish season which lasts through May! The rest of the year you will only find the crawfish tails frozen.

If you don't have access to crawfish in your area then consider using shrimp, oysters or a meaty fish as any of those choices are equally wonderful!











Smothered Crawfish

From: The Louisiana Seafood Bible: Crawfish cookbook by Jerald and Glenda Horst

Serves: 4-6


Smothered Crawfish

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 small bell peppers, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbls. flour
2 lbs. crawfish tails
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Cooked rice

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a cast-iron Dutch oven over low heat. Add the onions, bell peppers and garlic. Sauté over heat until the onions are transparent.

2. Add the flour and stir until blended.

3. Add the crawfish, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve over cooked rice.

Tip: Smothering works best in a cast-iron pot over low heat. Take your time and do not rush this dish.





More recipes for Crawfish Etouffee from this blog:

Louisiana Crawfish Etouffee From Lafittes Landing - Famous Louisiana Chef John Folse

New Orleans Recipes: Crawfish Etouffee, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Jambalaya, Sazerac Cocktail


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Louisiana Crawfish Etouffee From Lafittes Landing

Boiled crawfish photo by adie reed @ flickr


From Denny: Crawfish are coming into season and besides the first crawfish boil of the season my tummy goes to thinking about crawfish etoufee, a savory stew served over rice. Traditionally, this is a Creole dish but is now found all throughout Cajun country. It's served in the most upscale restaurants which makes a lot of old timers chuckle. To them it's just a good ol' country dish that tastes good and not expensive to make when you live off the land.

"Etoufee" is a word that means to stew, smother (a favorite technique throughout the entire American South for everything from pork chops to crawfish) or braise. My Cajun father-in-law always talked about smothering his Mississippi Pork Chops. And, oh, were they good too! Anyway, call it smothering, stewing or braising, this method of easy slow cooking is used for shrimp, crab, crawfish, meats and game.

This is an easy version of etoufee for the beginner cook as it is made with the simple light colored roux, sometimes called white roux. You don't have to master the darker roux.

Lafitte's Landing is about 40 minutes outside of Baton Rouge, the capital city. Baton Rouge is an hour plus 15 minutes west of New Orleans. If you come to visit, come long enough to traipse across southern Louisiana, going from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and farther west to Lafayette in a horizontal bee line. Lafayette usually has an International Music Festival around Easter or early April which is great fun.

If you have never visited Lafitte's Landing at Bittersweet Plantation - the brain child and huge success and a bed and breakfast too - of Louisiana native Chef John Folse, then hike on over and pay them a visit! The food is top notch; bring your wallet too. It's worth the time and money every time. Take a look at their B & B Suites as they are in the process of adding new ones, go here. Call them for availability and pricing as they may not have updated their website.

This chef is quite enterprising. He has developed his products as frozen entrees and more, ready to ship from his website in case you get a craving for good Louisiana food. For the crawfish etoufee, check it out here.




Cajun sampler platter with crawfish etoufee (front right), photo by Wyscan @ flickr


Louisiana Crawfish Etouffee

From: Chef John Folse, Lafitte's Landing Restaurant in Donaldsonville, Louisiana

Yield: enough for your hungry friends and relatives

INGREDIENTS:

3 pounds cleaned crawfish tails (you can purchase these frozen)
1/4 pound butter
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons diced garlic
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup flour
2 quarts crawfish stock (by boiling the shells in water to extract the seasonings and seafood flavor)
1 ounce sherry
1 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons basil
2 tablespoons thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Louisiana Gold Pepper sauce


DIRECTIONS:

In a 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.

Add onions, celery, bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic and bay leaves. Saute 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted.

Add half of the crawfish tails and tomato sauce and blend well into mixture.

Using a cooking spoon, blend flour into the vegetable mixture to form a white roux.

Slowly add crawfish stock or water, a little at a time, until all is incorporated. Bring to a low boil, reduce to simmer and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add remaining crawfish tails, sherry, green onions, parsley, basil and thyme. Cook an additional 5 minutes.

Season to taste using salt and pepper. Serve over steamed white rice or pasta, adding a few dashes of Louisiana Gold pepper sauce.


*** To purchase any of Chef John Folse's products, check out his extensive offerings at his online store, go here.


*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

New Orleans Saints Celebration Menu: Jambalaya and Crawfish Gold

From Denny: It's been so long coming that Saints football fans in New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana are downright giddy. Here are some of their contributions to Louisiana recipes to enjoy the moment and the glory.

We have a preference for cooking with iron skillets here for long and slow cooking. These recipes are a perfect fit.





(Black-iron pot) Jambalaya

From: Mrs. W.R. Smith is from “River Road Recipes” published by The Junior League of Baton Rouge in their 50th anniversary edition

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. sausage or cubed beef
Salt and pepper for seasoning beef, if beef is used
3 tbls. bacon drippings
3 tbls. all-purpose flour
2 medium onions, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 tbls. parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-1/2 cups water
2 cups rice
2 tsps. salt
3/4 tsp. red pepper

Directions:

1. In a heavy, black-iron pot, brown sausage or seasoned beef in bacon drippings over medium-high heat. Remove browned meat from pot and set aside.

2. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a dark roux. Add onions, parsley and garlic and cook until soft.

3. Add water, rice, salt and red pepper. Return browned meat to the pot and stir.

4. When mixture comes to a boil, lower heat to lowest point and cook about 1 hour, covered tightly.

5. When rice is done, remove lid and let cook for a few minutes until rice dries a little.

Crawfish in Gold

From: Nancy Marionneaux

Serves: about 8

Ingredients:

1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp. minced jalapeño, seeds removed, if desired
1 tbl. olive oil
1 tbl. butter
1 (8-oz.) pkg. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tbl. minced garlic
3 tbls. flour
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. dried, crumbled thyme
1 (18-oz.) can chicken broth
1 (18-oz.) can water
1 lb. peeled crawfish tails
1 (24-oz.) pkg. yellow potatoes, sliced
2 to 3 tbls. whipping cream (optional)
Parsley

Directions

1. Sauté bell pepper, onion and jalapeño, if desired, in olive oil and butter over medium heat until translucent. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook until softened.

2. Add flour and sauté 3 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, chicken broth, water and crawfish. Turn up heat a little; stir until sauce thickens slightly.

3. Add sliced potatoes and reduce heat to low. Cook, uncovered, until sauce thickens and potatoes are fork tender.

4. Add whipping cream, if desired. Garnish with parsley.


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