Crawfish, if you please, and hold the politics

Louisiana loves politics, and Louisiana loves crawfish. When the two are thrown together, the result isn’t always appetizing.
Crawfish have turned up in political crusades recently as often as on menus.
Federal rules governing visas robbed some crawfish producers of their workers, resulting in high prices early in the season.
Fights over the labeling of imported seafood, crawfish as well as shrimp, have broken out.
But prices have come down this season. And this is still Louisiana, and this is still Good Friday, and there’s a tradition to uphold.
Here are some crawfish recipes to get you through the rest of the season and beyond, with an emphasis on dishes you may not have seen before.
STUFFED
CRAWFISH BAKED POTATOES
6 baking potatoes
1 stick butter
4 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup light cream
½ cup chopped green onions
1 lb. crawfish tails, cooked
½ cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
Bake potatoes at 400 degrees one hour.
Make sauce of butter, cheese, garlic and cream.
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out.
Mix scooped out potatoes with sauce.
Add green onions and crawfish.
Put mixture back in potato shells.
Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees until brown.
STUFFED
CRAWFISH HEADS
1 stick butter
2 onions, finely chopped
½ cup celery, finely chopped
¼ cup bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. peeled crawfish tails, finely chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ cup parsley, chopped
½ cup milk
Salt
Pepper
Hot sauce
30 to 40 cleaned crawfish heads
Sauté onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic and parsley in butter until transparent.
Add crawfish tails and simmer a few minutes. Remove from heat.
Add seasonings, milk, eggs and bread crumbs.
If stuffing is too thin, add a little bread crumbs; if too thick, add a little milk. Add more seasoning, if needed.
Stuff heads and roll them in flour.
Place heads in shallow pan and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
CRAWFISH
BEIGNETS
1½ cup flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 oz. pimiento
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. cooked crawfish tails
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. hot sauce
Oil for frying
To make beignets, mix all ingredients, except oil.
Cover bowl with damp towel. Set aside 45 minutes; then mix again.
Drop large spoonful of mixture into hot oil and fry until light brown.
Remoulade Sauce:
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup oil
1 tsp. water
1 Tbsp. green onions, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. celery, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. dill pickle, finely chopped
½ hard-boiled egg, chopped fine
1 Tbsp. Creole mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. steak sauce
Blend dry mustard, egg, salt and lemon juice in blender.
Add oil into blender on high.
Add water, green onions, celery, pickle, boiled egg, Creole mustard, Worcestershire sauce and steak sauce.
CUBAN
CRAWFISH
“CHILAU”
12 crawfish (cut tails 3 or 4 times, leave in shell)
1 lb. bacon, fried
1 large onion, chopped
1 whole foot of garlic
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp. oregano
2 cans tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
Salt and pepper
Fry bacon. In drippings, sauté onion, garlic and pepper.
Add oregano, tomato sauce, cumin, salt and pepper. Simmer one hour.
SAFFRON
CRAWFISH RISOTTO
½ cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup uncooked rice
Pinch of saffron
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1½ cup green peas
1¼ cup cooked crawfish tails
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. hot sauce
Cook onion in butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until soft.
Add rice and saffron; stir two to three minutes.
Add wine and stir until absorbed.
Stir in one cup broth. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed.
Continue stirring and add remaining one cup broth and three cups water.
Allow each cup to be absorbed before adding another, until rice is tender and mixture has creamy consistency. It will take 25 to 30 minutes.
Stir in remaining ingredients and cook until thoroughly heated, about 2 minutes.
CRAWFISH
PENNE PASTA
Pasta
1 lb. peeled crawfish tails
1 stick butter
2 oz. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 green onions, optional
Minced garlic to taste
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 can evaporated milk
Romano cheese
Salt, black pepper and red pepper
Melt butter. Add olive oil and sauté onion until wilted.
Add crawfish tails. Add onion, green onions and Celery, and stir until blended.
On medium heat, stir in Romano cheese.
Add salt, black pepper and red pepper, to taste.
Keep stirring and pour in whipping cream.
Add more Romano. Stir and watch thickness of sauce.
Reduce heat and stir, making sure mixture does not scorch.
Cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more milk or cheese to desired consistency
Remove from heat and garnish with green onions.
Pour over pasta and serve.
CHUNKY CRAWFISH SPREAD
1 lb. crawfish tails
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ to 1 tsp. Creole seasoning
½ tsp. salt
6 to 12 drops hot sauce
Assorted crackers
Chop crawfish; pat dry.
In small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese.
Add peppers, onion, garlic, Creole seasoning, salt and hot sauce. Stir in crawfish.
Cover and refrigerate at least two hours.
Serve with crackers.

MINI CRAWFISH PIES
1 lb. crawfish tails
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 bunch shallots, chopped
½ onion, chopped
1 stick butter
1 dash cayenne pepper
1 dash parsley flakes
1 pkg. mini pie shells
Melt butter in large skillet. Add shallots and onion.
Add crawfish and both soups. Cook, stirring frequently.
Prepare shells according to package.
Fill shells with mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees until pie shells are done. Makes eight crawfish pies.

GRILLED CRAWFISH PASTA
1 lb. crawfish tails
¾ cup olive oil, divided
Salt and fresh black pepper
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
20 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 lb. penne pasta
Set large pot of salted water to boil for pasta.
Start the grill.
Brush crawfish with one-quarter cup olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In large bowl, mix together one-half cup olive oil, two tablespoons of the vinegar, shallot and mustard.
Season with salt and pepper. Taste to add more vinegar, if needed.
Add tomatoes and basil leaves to marinade and let sit.
Grill crawfish over high heat until cooked, two to three minutes per side.
Meanwhile, cook pasta. Drain.
Toss with marinated tomatoes and then top with grilled crawfish.

CRAWFISH COCKTAIL
24 boiled crawfish tails
Shredded lettuce
Cocktail sauce:
½ cup chili sauce
½ cup ketchup
½ cup horseradish
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
½ cup parsley, chopped fine
Combine all ingredients to make sauce.
On larger serving platter, make a layer of shredded lettuce. Place crawfish tails in circular pattern around platter.
Place dipping bowl in center of platter and fill with cocktail sauce.

CRAWFISH GOUDA
1 pkg. puff pastry sheets
2 Tbsp. butter
½ cup green onions, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
¼ cup white wine
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 lbs. peeled crawfish tails
1 (6 oz.) round Gouda cheese (not smoked Gouda) OR a 6- to 8-oz. wedge, cut into ¼-inch slices
1½ Tbsp. butter, melted, for brushing over pastry
Defrost puff pastry according to directions. When defrosted, place on large cookie sheet.
Sauté onions, parsley and garlic in butter about five minutes.
Add cream, wine, salt, black pepper and cayenne. Simmer over medium heat three to four minutes.
Add Parmesan cheese and crawfish tails. Stir and cook only until crawfish are heated. Do not overcook.
Unroll puff pastry sheets and lightly roll out with rolling pin on large cookie sheet.
Lightly pinch edges up to form a well so sauce won’t run out until ready to seal.
Spoon half the crawfish mixture down center of sheet of puff pastry.
Top with half of the Gouda cheese slices.
Bring long edges of puff pastry together, pinching securely to seal. Roll and pinch ends together and seal.
Don’t worry if a little of the sauce runs out.
Repeat for second sheet of pastry. Brush with melted butter.
Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.

GRILLED CRAWFISH STUFFED CHILES RELLENOS WITH SALSA AND SOUR CREAM
½ lb. crawfish tails
1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning
1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. olive oil
1/3 cup green onions, chopped
2 tsp. garlic, minced
12 large fresh Poblano chilies
2 large ears corn
½ tsp. salt
6 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled, room temperature
6 oz. mild Cheddar cheese, grated
Colby cheese
Salsa, optional
Sour cream, optional
Preheat gas or charcoal grill.
Season crawfish tails with Cajun seasoning.
In medium, heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Add green onions and garlic; sauté one minute.
Add crawfish tails; sauté two minutes. Remove from heat.
Char chilies over the grill until blackened on all sides.
Meanwhile, rub one teaspoon olive oil on each ear of corn and sprinkle with salt.
Grill corn until cooked through, eight to 12 minutes. Remove corn from grill and let cool.
Seal chilies in plastic bag and let stand 10 minutes.
Peel and seed chilies, leaving stem end intact, and set aside.
Cut corn from cob and place kernels in mixing bowl. Add crawfish tails, goat cheese and Colby cheese. Mix well.
Form mixture into 12 equal portions, about three tablespoons each, and stuff into seeded chilies, pressing to close.
Place stuffed chilies on hot grill and cook, turning, until cheese is just melted, about three minutes.
Serve immediately with salsa and sour cream for dipping, as desired.

CRAWFISH AND MIRLITON SOUP
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
½ cup green bell peppers, finely chopped
½ cup celery, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
6 cups shrimp stock
1 bay leaf
1½ tsp. Cajun seasoning
1½ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. liquid crab boil
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 cups peeled, seeded and ½-inch diced mirlitons
2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
2 tsp. fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1 lb. crawfish tails
1 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley leaves, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
Heat four-quart stockpot over medium-high heat.
Add olive oil to pan and, once hot, add onions, bell peppers and celery. Cook, stirring often, until lightly caramelized, three to four minutes.
Add garlic and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant and tomato paste is well incorporated, about one minute.
Pour stock into pot and season with bay leaf, Cajun seasoning, salt, crab boil and cayenne.
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Allow soup to simmer 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, add mirlitons and cook 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes, oregano and crawfish. Cook five minutes.
Add basil, parsley and butter. Stir to combine. Taste and add more seasoning, if necessary.
Serve immediately.