Sinful Sauce Showdown

This recipe is incredibly rich and sinfully delicious. It is the type of dish where you use the self-checkout at the supermarket when buying the ingredients in order to avoid the disdainful judging eyes of the cashier. It is a meal that you hope your guest don't come early while you are cooking it for fear they will see the copious amounts of bad for you components you are adding into the pan. But instead of feeling guilty for embarking on this full fat, creamy adventure I decided to go the opposite route. Knowing I don't cook like this often, I wanted to take full advantage. So what did I do? I doubled the queso sauce recipe below and decided I would serve it later in the week with pasta for Round 2 of this deliciousness.

Obviously needing to space out the number of days we indulged in this recipe, I stored my second batch of sauce in a sealed container and put it in the fridge until later in the week. I made the enchiladas on Friday and on Tuesday after work I started filling a pasta pot with water in order to boil some penne to serve with my much anticipated crawfish cream sauce. Right around the time my water started to boil Forrest sauntered into the kitchen and asked what was for dinner. I told him that we would be having the cream sauce that I made over the weekend on top of pasta. With an amazingly calm expression, he commented that we didn't have any of that left over. I explained that I wasn't talking about the few enchiladas that remained after our dinner party on Friday night, but about the very large container of sauce I placed all the way in the back of the fridge separated from everything else. Once again, Forrest mentioned that we didn't have that any longer. Certain that he was still confused, I (not so calmly) asked what had happened to it. He told me that he ate it. For some reason I couldn't believe what he was telling me. When did he heat up the sauce, cook pasta and have 6 people over to help him consume the 3 cups of creamy deliciousness laced with cheese and a full $16/lb of crawfish? This is when he revealed the true shocker. He ate it throughout the week - for a snack! with potato chips! I was livid. I couldn't believe it! I ranted and raved about how he turned a roughly $30 dish into a snack, we now had nothing for dinner, and I was looking forward to eating it again and wouldn't have the chance. Instead of apologizing, offering to go out and get us dinner to make up for it, or claiming ignorance, he looked at me and remarked, "It was so good too!"

Crawfish Enchiladas
Adapted from Paul Prudhomme

Ingredients

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 cup canned green chiles, chopped

3/4 cup finely chopped green bell peppers

2 3/4 teaspoons of salt
2 3/4 teaspoons of white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground red pepper (cayenne)
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup dairy sour cream

8 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese or other white (preferably non-processed) cheese (2 pounds)

2 pounds peeled crawfish tails

2/3 cup very finely chopped green onions

1/2 cup cooking oil

20 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Directions

In a large skillet melt ½ stick of the butter. Add the onions, green chiles, bell peppers, 1 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 3/4 teaspoon of white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of oregano and the minced garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in the cream and bring mixture to a rapid boil;

then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the sour cream;

with a metal whisk, beat continuously until the sour cream is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add 3 cups of the cheese

and stir until melted. Set the sauce aside.

In a 4-quart saucepan melt the remaining ½ stick butter. Add the crawfish, green onions and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of white pepper, 1 teaspoon of red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano.

Sauté over medium heat for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cheese sauce to the crawfish mixture

and stir well. Simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

In a small skillet heat the oil to 325º. Holding the tortilla with metal tongs, dip each into the hot oil just long enough to soften, about 1 second on each side; drain on paper towels.

Spoon about ⅓ cup sauce on each tortilla

and roll up tortilla; place seam side down in a baking dish.
Cover the tortilla from end to end with a generous amount of additional sauce. Then sprinkle it with the remaining cheese.

For the prettiest presentation, place the enchiladas under a broiler near the flame until the cheese melts and begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Or, bake the enchiladas in a 350º oven until cheese melts, about 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Emeril with Ease

This is one of the easiest Emeril recipes I have ever made. His recipes are normally accompanied by mile long ingredient lists and several detailed steps. Don't get me wrong, it is always worth it - I find his recipes to be reliably delicious every time. But it was refreshing to find one that was such a cinch. Give this a try next time you have crawfish on hand - you won't be disappointed!

Crawfish Smothered Grits
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

• 1 pound peeled crawfish tails
• Salt
• Cayenne
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 cups beef stock
• 3 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking white grits
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

In a mixing bowl, toss the crawfish tails with salt and cayenne. In a 3-quart saucepan, over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season the onions with salt and cayenne. Saute for 2 minutes, or until the onions are soft.

Add the crawfish and garlic.

Continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock and half and half to the pan. Season generously with salt and cayenne. Bring the liquid to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the grits and stir constantly until they are very tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the cheese and stir to mix and melt it.

Serve warm.

Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Petite Pinna

I used the suggested pasta shape in this recipe as well. This particular recipe called for orecchiette. Orecchiette is a type of pasta whose shape resembles a small ear. In Italian, "ear" is orecchio, so this translates as "little ears". I have heard my favorite Italian chef, Giada, define this translation several times. Every time she mentions the small pasta I can't help but think of my best friend Amanda. Amanda has the littlest ears. I mean really extremely small teeny tiny ears.

The funniest story about Amanda's little ears is that one time I aided her in a very poor earring choice for our other best friend's wedding. You see, Amanda is really fun and flashy. She likes bold statement pieces when it comes to clothing and jewelery. So when our friend Lauren got married and dictated the bridesmaids must wear pearl studs, Amanda felt limited. I told her not to worry and that we would find pearl studs to fit her style. We went to the department store together and I found a pair of earrings that Amanda swears were the size of the golf balls. What can I say? - she likes to stand out. But considering the minuscule size of her sound detecting organs, huge white spheres may not have been the best choice. The earrings literally drooped down on her lobes and were visible in every photograph that Amanda appeared in that day. Lauren has been married almost five years now and Amanda still reminds me consistently of my fashion misdirection. I learned a valuable lesson that day - bigger isn't always better!

Crawfish Mac and Cheese
Adapted from Emeril Lagassse

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup diced pancetta
• 1/2 cup small diced onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 pound cooked and peeled crawfish tails, with any fat
• 1 pound orecchiette pasta, or small shell pasta, cooked al dente, drained
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 cups grated white Cheddar
• 2 cups grated fontina
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook pasta 10 minutes, drain and set aside.

Set a large, wide-mouthed 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta to the pot and cook the pancetta until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the butter and flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.

Add the half-and-half

and whisk until smooth.

Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Season with the salt, white pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg and cook for 3 minutes. Add the crawfish to the pot and stir to combine.

Remove from the heat and fold in the grated cheeses.

Once combined, stir in cooked pasta. Stir to combine well.

Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish such as a 9 by 13-inch casserole. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the Essence and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Pour the last 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the breadcrumbs.

Bake uncovered until golden brown and bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes.

Me O My O

My mother's mother was an amazing cook. She made several dishes that I loved, but probably my favorite was her crawfish pie. The crawfish pies that she made were individual sized pies in miniature aluminum pie pans and had a stuffing type filling. I loved those little pies so much and she only made them on rare occasion. She would make several dozen at a time and then freeze the extras. When she passed away there were a few left in her freezer and I can remember strategically rationing them knowing I would never have them again, especially ones that she had prepared. My mom and Grannie don't cook with recipes. It is all in their heads, so when she left this earth she took that famous crawfish pie recipe with her.

Ever since I have been cooking, I have been searching for a crawfish pie recipe that sounded similar to the ones I so fondly remember. I thought I found one about a year ago and waited until a trip to New Orleans to try them out for my siblings since I knew they were the only ones other than myself who could make a true comparison. While I was preparing them, I could tell something wasn't right and my fears were confirmed when my brother Trey told me they were like eating Cajun flavored sawdust. They were absolutely too dry and we ended up having to pitch them.

This was my second attempt and since I was unable to find another individual pie recipe I figured I would give this full size pie a go. It was to die for! The flavor was spot on and although the filling was more loose than my Grannie's recipe it was outrageously delicious. I found the pie crust very crumbly and tough to make into a pretty presentation, but the end result was a perfectly flavored crust with just the right flakiness. I wouldn't change a thing and I can officially claim my crawfish pie recipe hunt over. I have decided to savor the memory of my Grannie's recipe and start a new tradition with this one!

I think I might even get the Dirty Coast T-shirt with the design below to celebrate my success:


Crawfish Pie
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 5 1/2 tablespoons ice water
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Emeril's Essence
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 pound peeled crawfish tails
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Directions
In a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Using short pulses work in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Work the dough until you have a smooth ball.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half and roll each ball into a circle about 14 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick. Gently fold the circle of dough in half and then in half again so that you can lift it without tearing the dough, and unfold into a 9-inch pie pan. Reserve the other circle for the top of the pie.

In a large saute pan, heat the butter. When the butter is melted, add the onions, peppers, shallots, garlic, salt, cayenne, Essence, and black pepper.

Saute for 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are golden and wilted. Add the tomatoes and cook for 6 minutes.

Add the crawfish tails and parsley.

Stirring occasionally, cook for about 4 minutes. Dissolve the flour in the chicken stock and add to the pan.

Stir for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat. Add the Parmesan cheese and mix well.

Cool for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour the cooled filling into the piecrust.

Top the filling with the remaining crust and crimp the edges. Place the pie in the center of a cookie sheet and brush with an egg wash.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the edges of the piecrust are golden. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Place a slice of the pie in the center of a plate. Garnish with chives.

Hoppy Hankering

My husband and I were just discussing the theory of wanting things that you can't possibly have. We weren't talking about desiring things that were out of just outside of your reach or slightly unattainable. We were specifically referring to the need to have something that is physically impossible to possess in this world at the present time. Am I making any sense? Here is an example - Chick-fil-A on Sundays. Ahhhhhhhh, now you're with me!

We had one of these moments when I made these sinfully savory beignets this weekend. While waiting for the eggplant to soften in the skillet I read through the online reviews of this recipe. There was only one and they commented how great these treats were with a good cold beer. With this adult beverage recommendation fresh in our minds, Forrest and I had our first bite of these beignets and we said one word in unison, "Andygator"!

Abita Brewing Company, is a Louisiana Brewery and one of their "big beers" is the Andygator. They are called big beers because they are only sold in 1 liter bottles. On one of our trips back home, Forrest's Dad slipped a liter of this Helles Dopplebock into our ice chest as we packed up to head home. We found our ice chest lagniappe while unpacking and thoroughly enjoyed the liter together one night back in DC and haven't had it since. At the moment we tasted these eggplant and crawfish fritters we couldn't help but have one of those longing moments for something that was impossible to obtain at that instant. I have absolutely no doubt that next time we travel home by car we will be toting home several liters of this awesome local Louisiana brew so we never have to long for it again.

Crawfish and Eggplant Beignets
Adapted from Coastal Living March 2003

Yield

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1 pound peeled crawfish tails, coarsely chopped
• Vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• Remoulade Sauce
  

Preparation

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and next 4 ingredients (through black pepper); cook 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add crawfish; cook 3 minutes.

Remove from heat, and cool.

Pour oil to depth of 3 inches in a Dutch oven; heat to 360°.

Whisk together eggs and next 4 ingredients;

whisk in flour 1 cup at a time

just until moistened.

Fold in eggplant/crawfish mixture;

until incorporated.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into hot oil.

Fry beignets, a few at a time, 3 minutes or until golden, turning once.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately with Remoulade Sauce.