My Crawfish Etouffee

1 stick butter

1/2 cup flour

1 lb. crawfish tails with fat

2 Slices bacon chopped

1/4 link Cajun sausage chopped fine

1 medium white onion, chopped

3/4 cup bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup celery, chopped

1 1/2 cups clam juice or stock made from shrimp heads and shells

1/2 cup cream

1 TBSP Lemon Juice

the green ends of 4 green onions, chopped

1 TBSP chopped parsely

1 TBSP Tabasco pepper sauce

Salt, white pepper and Creole or Cajun seasoning

Render copped bacon and sausage in a heavy Dutch Oven on medium until crispy. Remove on to a towel and add celery, bell peppers and onions and cook on low until tender. Remove Trinity and reserve in a bowl. Melt the butter on medium low in the Dutch oven and add flour and stir slowly until the flour reaches a reddish brown color. ( Think of the color of a penny)

Add garlic and the reserved Trinity and stir on low for one minute. Add the clam juice or stock and and turn the heat up to medium high and stay with it stirring until it comes to a slow bubbling boil. ( you will not know for sure how thick your roux will make the dish unless you follow this step.) Turn down the heat to low simmer.

At this point it is time to check thickness and season. If it is to thick just add a little water or clam juice/stock if you have any extra. Once you are satisfied with thickness, add the Tabasco pepper sauce and reserved bacon, sausage and crawfish stir for a minute or so. Taste at this point and add salt, pepper and seasoning spice small amounts at a time until you are satisfied with the flavors.

Add lemon juice, cream and half the green onions and stir on low for 3 minutes. re-taste for seasoning. turn off heat, cover and let the flavors marry for about five minutes.

While this is happening, I get out the bowls, slice some French bread and place under the broiler and find my Ice cream scoop and ladle. Buy time I find the scoop and ladle it's time to check the toast!

I place a heaping scoop of rice in the center of the bowls and ladle the Etouffee over the top. Since Etouffee means smothered or covered, be generous! Garnish with remaining green onions and parsley and serve with the toasted French bread.

For a Creole twist to the above recipe. I render the bacon and sausage in a separate skillet. When I add the Trinity to the drippings, I add a heaping Tbsp of tomato paste to it as well. I just add the garlic and Juice/Stock to this and stir well and add to the roux to thicken. The finished dish calls for a side of fried okra!

PASTA MACQUE CHOUX

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup tasso ham

1/3 cup andouille or smoked sausage

1 cup cooked corn

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1 pint heavy cream

4 oz tomato sauce

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh basil

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

2 teaspoons oregano or 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 chopped green onion

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Cooked pasta- I just dump the whole small package into the pasta pot

Heat butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat.

Add tasso ham and sausage and brown lightly.

Add corn, onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Saute lightly for 2 minutes.

Add Cajun seasoning, heavy cream,tomato sauce, basil, thyme and oregano. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until cream reduces and starts to thicken. Be careful not to reduce too much because sauce could break.  Stir in green onion and parsley.

Serve over cooked pasta.

Cajun BBQ Shrimp

4 slices bacon chopped

2 lbs butter, and 1lb margarine + 1/4 stick margarine

1/4 cup fine chopped trinity

2 T Dijon mustard

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

6 oz of a good Ale.(I use Lazy Magnolia Pecan Ale)

1 tablespoon  Angle dust. ( See Comment)

1/4 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. oregano

2  cloves, roasted garlic crushed

1 cup shrimp boil, I always pour an ice tray full and cover with plastic wrap. (let melt at room temp)

1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

36-40  large uncooked, unpeeled shrimp, head on

1 tablespoon plain flour

Heavy cream.

Preheat oven to 375.

Place the shrimp in a large bowl and sprinkle with the Angle dust, toss well and set aside.

Render the bacon in a Dutch oven, add the margarine, trinity and crushed garlic. Cook on medium for 1-2 minutes.

Add the Worcestershire sauce, Ale and Tabasco sauce, Basil, Black pepper and oregano and Mustard. Cook on medium for about 3 minutes. Add the Butter and shrimp and toss well until butter is melted and shrimp are well coated. Place into the preheated oven and cook 15-20 minutes. 

In an Iron skillet melt the 1/4 stick of margarine add the Flour and make a roux. Add just enough of the shrimp boil to make a gravy that is on the thick side. Remove from heat.

When the shrimp are done, add a couple of teaspoons of the thick gravy to the pot and stir well. Take a ladle or two of the juices in the pot and add to the thick gravy until it is just smooth. 

Place a good serving of the shrimp in a bowl and plenty of the sauce. I serve this with toasted French bread and a side of fried green tomatoes or crab cakes topped with the gravy.