Try this Cajun twist on classic pot pie
With crawfish season already upon us, it’s time to start hosting friends and family for backyard boils, games of cornhole and a few cold drinks. However, one of the best parts of a crawfish boil happens after everyone has come and gone, when a few precious pounds of leftovers can be snatched up and saved for dishes at a later date. Some failsafe options include crawfish fettucine, etouffee, gumbo or bisque, but Aimee Broussard found a way to bake some tails into a tantalizing pot pie, the recipe for which appears in our cuisine-themed March issue.
Still, frozen tails and store-bought puff pastry do the trick for this cast-iron-cooked meal ideal for Sunday dinner—if you don’t devour it before then.
Ingredients:
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 lb. frozen cooked Louisiana crawfish tail meat, thawed
1 ½ cups mixed vegetables, thawed (carrots, green beans, corn, peas)
2 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning
½ (17.3-oz.) package puff pastry, thawed (1 sheet)
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add bell pepper, celery and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add flour, stirring to remove any lumps. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetable mixture begins to thicken and flour turns light brown.
Add chicken broth, crawfish and vegetable medley, stirring well to combine. Add Cajun seasoning; mix well. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry until smooth. Cut pastry into a circle, and place pastry on top of crawfish mixture.
Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Makes 4 servings.
Find more of Aimee’s original recipes on her website here, and read about her new cookbook in this story from the February 2022 issue of inRegister.
