Crawfish Time Lafayette La Verot Food

CRAWFISH IMPERIAL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the oil. Add the onions, peppers, and celery. Season with salt and cayenne. Saute for about 5 minute, or until wilted. Add the crawfish tails and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely. In a mixing bowl, combine the crawfish mixture with the garlic, parsley, green onions, 3/4 cup mayonnaise, mustard and hot pepper sauce. Mix well. Spoon the mixture into 4 individual gratin dishes. Mix together the bread crumbs and remaining mayonnaise. Season with Essence. Mix well. Spread the top of the crawfish mixture with the bread crumb mixture. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until bubbly and brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

CRAWFISH BOIL RECIPE FOR 40 TO 45 POUNDS OF CRAWFISH

Steps:

• Leaving the crawfish in the broth for a longer time results in more spiciness. Sprinkling additional spice mixture on the crawfish after draining also will increase the spiciness.
• Crawfish Crab and Shrimp Boil: There are many manufacturers to choose from. This is a spice blend of salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, and additional spices. Typically a bag of spice mix costs about $5.00. The brand used for the show was Lousiana Fish Fry Products Crawfish Crab and Shrimp Boil.
• Instructions:
• Place the cooking pot with its basket on the propane burner and fill with 11 gallons of water, about halfway. This should be about the right amount of water to protect against spillage when the potatoes or crawfish are added later. Add the 2 sticks of butter and 2/3 of the bag of Crawfish Crab and Shrimp Boil, and the 5 pounds of red potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes for 15 minutes and, while the potatoes are cooking, rinse the crawfish.
• Place the bag of crawfish in 1 of the coolers, or, on the ground and hose down the bag until the water runs clear, about 5 minutes. Open the bag and pour the live crawfish into 1 of the coolers. With the drain of the cooler open, continue to rinse the crawfish for 5 minutes or until the water runs clear.
• After the potatoes have cooked for 15 minutes, add the corn and continue cooking the corn and the potatoes for 15 minutes more. Remove a potato and test for doneness, continuing to cook, if needed. Remove the basket and dump the corn and potatoes into 1 of the coolers. Close the cooler in order to keep the corn and potatoes warm.
• Pour the crawfish into the cooking basket and lower the basket into the pot. Bring to a boil and cook the crawfish for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the crawfish to simmer in the liquid for an additional 15 minutes.
• Remove the crawfish and serve with the potatoes and corn. Traditionally, the crawfish is dumped onto a newspaper covered table (we used a door on 2 sawhorses). Additional spice mix can be sprinkled on the crawfish, if desired.
• Variation: Some cooks add 1 to 2 pounds of sweet onions, peeled and cut in wedges, and/or the juice from 1 dozen lemons to the cooking liquid.
• Variation: With proper ventilation, several pounds of shrimp could be cooked with approximately 1/2 to 1 cup of the spice mixture indoors. However, without proper ventilation the spice mixture fumes will overwhelm the typical house.

CRAWFISH ROLLS

Steps:

• Sweat the garlic, bell peppers and shallots together in a medium saute pan over medium heat with the butter. Add the crawfish tails and Cajun seasoning. Cook until the tails turn pink and become opaque. Remove from the heat and let cool into a mixing bowl. Once cooled, mix in the spinach, white cheddar, corn and black beans.
• In a heavy-bottomed, straight-sided, medium saute pan, add enough oil to reach at least 1-inch up the sides. Heat over medium-high heat.
• Place 2 ounces of the mixture in the middle of a spring roll wrapper. Egg wash the edges and dredge in cornstarch. Fry in batches until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oil and enjoy.
• A viewer or guest of the show, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.

CRAWFISH BOIL

Steps:

• Place the peppercorns, coriander, clove, and allspice into a spice grinder and grind for 10 to 15 seconds.
• Fill a 40-quart pot with 5 gallons of water and add the freshly ground spices, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, thyme, oregano, dry mustard, dill weed, and bay leaves. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, approximately 40 minutes.
• Rinse the crawfish thoroughly in the bag in which they arrived to remove excess dirt and mud. Put the crawfish in a large container and fill with cool water. Stir to remove dirt from the crawfish. Transfer small batches of crawfish to a colander and rinse under cool running water. Pick out any debris or dead crawfish. Once all crawfish have been rinsed, discard dirty water, and return the crawfish to the container. Repeat this process 6 to 8 times, or until the water is clear.
• Once the seasoned water comes to a boil, add the potatoes, corn, garlic, and sausage. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the crawfish, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Drain well and serve immediately.

CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE

Steps:

• In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter and whisk in flour to combine well. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until roux is a peanut butter color.
• Add onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme and cook until vegetables are soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add stock, tomatoes, salt, red pepper, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil.
• Skim surface, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add crawfish tails and fat, lemon juice, green onions, and parsley and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining butter and stir to combine well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve over hot rice.

CRAWFISH MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil over high heat; salt it generously. Add the macaroni and cook according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• Preheat the broiler to high.
• Heat a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter, then add the onions. Cook until the onions soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Then stir in the garlic, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper and cook for another minute. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the pan to melt. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and stir until it turns a deep blonde color and has a nutty aroma, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking frequently, until it starts to thicken. Then add the cream and thicken for another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cheeses until melted. Add the crawfish to the sauce, and then fold in the macaroni until coated. Remove from the heat.
• Divide the mac and cheese among 8 large ramekins or cast-iron skillets. Broil until the tops of the noodles are golden brown and bubbly. Let cool slightly, then serve warm.

CRAWFISH ÉTOUFFéE

Steps:

• Before preparing the vegetables, clarify the butter (not shown in video): Place 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup) in a small saucepan over low to medium heat. Milk solids will foam to the surface, then sink to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the simmering settles and the milk solids have separated from the butterfat, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and strain to remove milk solids. Measure out ½ cup of clarified butter for use in this recipe. (Cool the remaining butter and store in a lidded container in the refrigerator.) Prepare the vegetables: While the butter is clarifying, dice the onion and celery and mince the garlic. Remove stem ends from red bell pepper and jalapeño, then slice the peppers lengthwise into thin strips. Discard the seeds and white veins, then small-dice the strips.
• In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the clarified butter and flour over high heat; whisk to combine and get rid of the lumps. This will form a paste called a roux. As soon as the lumps are gone, reduce heat to medium, switch to a wooden spoon, and cook, scraping the bottom to keep it from burning. (If you see steam or smoke, turn the temperature down further.) Keep stirring to prevent the roux from burning, up to 30 minutes. As the roux cooks, it will darken in color.
• When the roux is reddish and on its way to brown, add onion, red pepper, celery, jalapeño, and garlic; stir to combine with the roux. Allow vegetables to sweat and soften, about 2 minutes.
• Turn heat to high and slowly add the stock into the roux mixture, whisking constantly. As the sauce comes to a boil, it will rapidly thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. Once the sauce is the right consistency, add the crawfish and bay leaves; stir to combine. Season to taste with several pinches of salt. Stir in the chopped scallions and cayenne pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer, 10-12 minutes.
• Assembly: Taste étouffée and adjust seasoning. Stir in chopped parsley and juice of one lemon and stir to combine. Serve over hot steamed rice.

CRAWFISH ETOUFFéE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil begins to lightly smoke, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until it turns a peanut butter brown color. Turn off the heat. Stir in the celery, onions and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Return the heat to medium to medium-low and stir in the garlic and bay leaves. While the trinity cooks, combine the cayenne, thyme, white pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Stir into the skillet, a little at a time, to build flavor (see Cook's Note).
• Whisk in the stock 1 cup at a time, making sure it is incorporated and smooth. Bring to a boil, then cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add the crawfish and cook until they tighten in appearance, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, then stir in half of the green onions. Serve immediately over fluffed rice with hot sauce and garnish with the remaining green onions.