Different ways to prepare crawfish

I just returned from a trip to New Orleans to march in a St. Patrick’s parade. As much fun as that was, it was almost overshadowed by the great food that I ate. Hitting most of the usual spots along with a new one, the food was spectacular.

The only way I ate crawfish this trip was boiled. There are, however, so many different ways to prepare crawfish. With crawfish season in full swing, I thought I would share with you a couple of new dishes using the crustacean. The first one is a down home dish, Crawfish & Rice Stuffed Peppers. The second is a restaurant quality dish, Crawfish & Andouille Pasta. Grab your crawfish tails, and Let’s head to the kitchen!

Crawfish & Rice Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers are not only used to season dishes. Due to their shape, they make great vessels to hold stuffings. Here’s a crawfish and rice stuffing mixture that makes a great comfort meal.

3 medium assorted peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded.

1/4 pound center-cut bacon

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped plum tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups cooked long-grain rice

3/4 pound crawfish tails, drained and rinsed

4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350℉. Place bell pepper halves in a 13x9-inch baking pan.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon, and let drain on paper towels, pour drippings in a small bowl.

Return 1 tablespoon drippings to skillet. Add celery; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in bacon, rice, crawfish, thyme, and Creole seasoning. Divide rice mixture among bell pepper halves ( about 1 cup each); drizzle with 1 tablespoon bacon drippings. Pour 1/2 cup water in bottom of pan. Cover with foil.

Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until peppers are tender and stuffing is heated through, 8 to 10 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Crawfish & Andouille Pasta

Seafood is a perfect companion to pasta. Whether you have a cream sauce, tomato sauce or butter sauce, adding seafood makes for a delicious dish. If you’re not a fan of crawfish, you can substitute shrimp in its place.

1/4 cup butter

1/2 pound andouille, cut crosswise 1/8-inch thick

1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion

1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine ( or seafood stock)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 pound crawfish tails, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup heavy cream

16 ounces penne pasta, cooked, 1 cup cooking water reserved

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add andouille, and cook until edges are slightly crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.  Remove andouille using a slotted spoon, and let drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet.

Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and Creole seasoning to drippings; cook until vegetables are browned and tender, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add wine or stock and lemon juice. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, 10 to 15 minutes. Add crawfish and cream; cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, and stir in pasta and cheese. If sauce is too thick at this point, add reserved pasta liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Stir in parsley just before serving.

I always try to use the freshest products possible. Frozen crawfish tails are a great substitute. Just make sure that you are using domestic seafood. There are no regulations on imported seafood. Beware!

Next time, I will share some recipes from someone who’s restaurants you have probably eaten at.