Recipe: Crawfish Pie

Can I tell you just how popular crawfish pies are here in Louisiana? Everyone loves them! AND they are easy to make! Don't have crawfish available in your area? Not to worry - substitute a favorite fish or combination of fish and frozen shrimp. Louisiana is all about getting creative and not breaking the bank or emptying the wallet to eat well. Enjoy!

If you don't own any of the editions from I to IV River Road Recipes cookbook series, you can purchase one over at Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. The first edition still remains popular after decades in print. The cookbooks come from The Junior League and all proceeds go to charities in the community. These cookbooks are practically the local food bibles for comfort cooking here in Louisiana. You won't be disappointed!

Make sure you watch the Scott Hargrove video, link to YouTube posted is at the end of the recipes, as he is easy to follow, a likable instructor and he has yet another version of this delicious easy recipe. He also shows you how to make your own pastry.

***

Crawfish Pie from the Baton Rouge, Louisiana beloved world renown cookbook series: River Road Recipes cookbooks.

This is from River Road Recipes IV: Warm Welcomes.

Makes 3 (9-inch) pies to serve 18.


Ingredients:


1 1/2 cups chopped onions

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can of cream of mushroom soup

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

2 Tablespoons cold water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 bunch parsley, trimmed and chopped or minced

3 lbs. Louisiana crawfish tails

8 ozx. Parmesand cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

6 refrigerator pie pastries


Directions:


Saute onions, celery and garlic in the butter in a large saucepan until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the soup and evaporated milk. Mix the cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir into the soup mixture.

Add the green onions, parsley and crawfish and mix well. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cheese, salt and pepper.

Line 3 (9-inch) pie plates with 3 of the pastries. Spoon the crawfish mixture evenly into the 3 pastry-lined pie plates. Top with the remaining pastries, fluting the edges and cutting vents.

Bake in a 350-degree F. oven for 30 minutes or until light brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. You may prepare, bake in advance and freeze for future use. Reheat at 325-degrees F. for 25 minutes or until heated through.


Second version of Crawfish Pie


From the restaurant Oysterella's

Crawfish Pie


1 lb butter

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 onion, diced

1/4 Tasso ham, diced

1 cup white wine

1 lb crawfish tail meat


Add 1/2 cup flour

2 quarts heavy cream

1 Russet potato, peeled and blanched

3/4 cup frozen or fresh peas

1 cup carrots, peeled and blanched

Seasoning:

Cayenne pepper TT (TT = to taste)

Salt TT

Black pepper TT

1 Tablespoon Tabassco

2 Tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce


Melt butter and saute red and green peppers.

Add yellow onion.

Add Taso and crawfish tail meat.

Deglaze with white wine.

Whisk in flour slowly so lumps do not form.

Add in 2 qts. heavy cream.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add two tablespoons Worchestersire sauce and one tablespoon Tabasco. All to thicken. Ladle into oven safe crock or cooking dish.

Lay puff pastry on top of dish. Cut off excess. Brush pastry with egg wash.

Place into 375 convection oven and cook for ten minutes.

***

Two videos:

Scott Hargrove, really great guy, different recipe than here and easy to read superimposed on the screen as he instructs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDcP7V2elbM&feature=PlayList&p=58E014BAC3D81DEE&playnext=1&index=6

AND

From WKRG.com is a demonstration for Oysterella's chef - http://www.wkrg.com/recipes/recipe/crawfish_pie/19931/