Crawfish Cakes with Crawfish Cream
Cheri Clotiaux Stringer (originally from Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking)
Yield: 4 first-course servings
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped onions
1 Tbsp chopped green bell pepper
1 Tbsp chopped red bell pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 lb (1 cup) peeled crawfish tails
3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp Emeril's Creole Seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
2 cups Crawfish Cream
4 Tbsp chopped green onions
Emeril's Creole Seasoning
Yield: 2/3 cup
2 Tablespoons paprika
2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 Tablespoon dried leaf thyme
Crawfish Cream
Yield: 2 cups
1/2 lb (1 cup) peeled crawfish tails
2 tsp Emeril's Creole Seasoning
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Emeril's Creole Seasoning: Combine all ingredients and store in airtight container.
Crawfish Cakes: Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, green and red peppers and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the crawfish tails, 2 tsp Creole seasoning, salt, Worcestershire and hot pepper sauce, and sauté for 1 1/2 minutes, occasionally shaking the skillet. Remove from the heat and pour the contents of the skillet into a bowl.
To the crawfish mixture add the Parmesan, 1 tsp Creole Seasoning, 1 egg and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs. Using your hands, divide the mixture into 4 equal parts, and shape into cakes approximately 3 inches across by 1/2 inch high.
In a small bowl combine the flour with 2 tsp Creole Seasoning. In another bowl whisk together the remaining egg with the milk. In a shallow bowl combine the remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs with the remaining 1 tsp Creole Seasoning.
Prepare the Crawfish Cream.
Heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large clean skillet over high heat. Dip each crawfish cake into the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then the bread crumbs. When the oil is hot, add the cakes and fry them until brown, for about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.
To serve, place 1 crawfish cake on each of 4 plates and top with 1/2 cup of the Crawfish Cream. Garnish with chopped green onions and Creole Seasoning.
Crawfish Cream: Sprinkle the crawfish with the Creole Seasoning, and use your hands to coat thoroughly.
In a medium skillet over high heat, combine the seasoned crawfish, green onions, Worcestershire, and hot pepper sauce and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the cream, bring to a boil, and cook for 4 minutes, still over high heat.
Add the butter and whisk gently until thoroughly incorporated, for about another minute. Remove from the heat.
Serve immediately or store, refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Reheat over low heat.
Yield: 4 first-course servings
One of the members of my Birthday Club fixed this at our 1998 Christmas party and after the first bite, I knew it had to go in our cookbook. Eating this is a spiritual experience! (Dec 1999)
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped onions
1 Tbsp chopped green bell pepper
1 Tbsp chopped red bell pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 lb (1 cup) peeled crawfish tails
3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp Emeril's Creole Seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
2 cups Crawfish Cream
4 Tbsp chopped green onions
Emeril's Creole Seasoning
Yield: 2/3 cup
2 Tablespoons paprika
2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 Tablespoon dried leaf thyme
Crawfish Cream
Yield: 2 cups
1/2 lb (1 cup) peeled crawfish tails
2 tsp Emeril's Creole Seasoning
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Emeril's Creole Seasoning: Combine all ingredients and store in airtight container.
Crawfish Cakes: Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, green and red peppers and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the crawfish tails, 2 tsp Creole seasoning, salt, Worcestershire and hot pepper sauce, and sauté for 1 1/2 minutes, occasionally shaking the skillet. Remove from the heat and pour the contents of the skillet into a bowl.
To the crawfish mixture add the Parmesan, 1 tsp Creole Seasoning, 1 egg and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs. Using your hands, divide the mixture into 4 equal parts, and shape into cakes approximately 3 inches across by 1/2 inch high.
In a small bowl combine the flour with 2 tsp Creole Seasoning. In another bowl whisk together the remaining egg with the milk. In a shallow bowl combine the remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs with the remaining 1 tsp Creole Seasoning.
Prepare the Crawfish Cream.
Heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large clean skillet over high heat. Dip each crawfish cake into the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then the bread crumbs. When the oil is hot, add the cakes and fry them until brown, for about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.
To serve, place 1 crawfish cake on each of 4 plates and top with 1/2 cup of the Crawfish Cream. Garnish with chopped green onions and Creole Seasoning.
Crawfish Cream: Sprinkle the crawfish with the Creole Seasoning, and use your hands to coat thoroughly.
In a medium skillet over high heat, combine the seasoned crawfish, green onions, Worcestershire, and hot pepper sauce and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the cream, bring to a boil, and cook for 4 minutes, still over high heat.
Add the butter and whisk gently until thoroughly incorporated, for about another minute. Remove from the heat.
Serve immediately or store, refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Reheat over low heat.