Breaux Bridge Crawfish Pie

My version of Crawfish Pie utilizes an Étouffée (pronounced: [ay-TOO-fay) in French, as the base that is stuffed into a pie shell and then baked. The crawfish tails are smothered down in a mixture of onions, stock and Cajun Seasoning and typically served over steamed rice but can also be used to create a pie that is not your common sweet variety.

Growing up in Crowley, Louisiana, which is surrounded by rice fields, which are converted to crawfish ponds after the rice is harvested, there was no shortage of the tasty crustaceans. I prefer to use only Louisiana Crawfish tails to the less flavorful Chinese or other imported varieties. It is a great way to support domestically grown seafood, check the label and make sure you are purchasing authentic Louisiana crawfish tails!

Ingredients:

¼ lb. butter
1 cup minced onions
½ cup minced green bell pepper
½ cup minced celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoon flour
¾ cup chicken broth
2 t Cajun Seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon hot sauce
1 lb. crawfish tails
¼ cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2-9 inch Store bought deep dish Pie Shells

Directions:
1. Heat butter over a medium heat in a medium saucepot. Sauté onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic until onions begin to turn clear.
2. Add thyme and flour and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to brown flour.
3. Add chicken broth, Cajun Seasoning, paprika and hot sauce. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
4. Stir in crawfish tails. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in green onions and parsley. Allow to cool slightly and pour into a Pie Shell then take other and remove from aluminum pan and place on top of other pie shell. Tuck edges of pie dough under each other pressing together to seal dough the cut slits in top of dough in order to allow steam to escape.
6. Place in pre-heated 350-degree oven and bake for 50 minutes. Allow pie to cool slightly for 10 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 4-6 servings.

Recipe provided by Chef Pat Mould