Seafood Recipes for Gulfscapes

Ingredients:

Puff Pastry sheets to cut 8 shells (see note below)

½ cup oil or butter
½ cup flour
2 cups onion, diced fine
1 cup red bell pepper, diced fine
¾ cup celery, diced fine
1 cup white portions of green onions, diced no larger than 1/4"

4 cups heavy cream
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 tsp. McCormick Gourmet Collection celery salt
1 Tbl. McCormick Gourmet Collection paprika
1 1/2 tsp. McCormick Gourmet Collection white pepper
1 1/2 tsp. McCormick Gourmet Collection black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. McCormick Gourmet Collection onion powder
1 tsp. McCormick Gourmet Collection dry mustard
2 tsp. gumbo file powder
1 tsp. thyme
3 tsp. basil
2 tsp. rosemary
3 Tbls. McCormick Gourmet Collection minced garlic
2 cups chopped green onion tops, diced no larger than 1/4"
2 pounds or more of crawfish tail meat, with fat
1 tsp. butter

Serves eight

Technique:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut Puff Pastry sheets into 4 inch squares. Bake according to package directions. When baked, remove from oven and allow to cool. When cooled, slice off top to make a lid. Hollow out remainder of pastry and set aside.

In a 12 inch skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and add flour. Stir constantly to make a roux. When the roux becomes reddish brown, add vegetables to stop cooking of roux, remove from heat.

In separate 8 quart pot or heavy bottom sauce pan bring cream to a low simmer. Gradually add the roux mixture, whisking well with each addition and letting the mixture come to a simmer again before adding more roux. Add butter and seasonings, allow to simmer 5 minutes. Add green onion tops, allow to simmer two more minutes. Reserving 1/4 pound of crawfish add the remainder (1 3/4 pounds or more) to the cream mixture, turn off heat and cover, let sit 5 minutes.

In a six inch sauté pan, heat reserved crawfish tails in 1 teaspoon of butter, under just hot.
Return cream mixture to heat and bring to a very low simmer, stirring constantly.

To serve, place crust in a pasta bowl. Ladle in mixture. Ladle more mixture around the crust. Place lid askew on crust, garnish with additional crawfish tails and green onions and serve immediately.

Serves eight.

NOTE: If puff pastry sheets are 3/8 of an inch or thicker, one layer will do. If thinner, stack squares on top of each other to reach 3/8 of an inch.