CRAWFISH PIE

Prep Time: 1 Hour
Yields: 6 Servings

Comment:
Crawfish étouffée is a simple dish and one that may be served in a variety of ways. Often it is placed on pasta instead of rice, in crêpes or in patty shells. A simple but elegant presentation is in a pie shell. With the availability of frozen pie shells, you don't even need to make the crust.

Ingredients:
1 pound crawfish tails
1 cup oil
1 cup diced onions
½ cup diced celery
½ cup diced bell peppers
¼ cup minced garlic
¼ cup diced tasso ham
½ cup flour
¼ cup tomato sauce
1½ quarts shellfish stock
salt and cracked pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste
Louisiana Gold Pepper Sauce to taste
1 egg
½ cup milk
½ cup water
3 (9-inch) pie shells

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 375°F. In a 10-inch sauté pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, bell peppers, minced garlic and tasso ham. Sauté 3–5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add crawfish and sauté an additional 5 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and, using a wire whisk, stir constantly until white roux is achieved. Add tomato sauce and slowly add stock, one ladle at a time, until a sauce consistency is achieved. NOTE: You may not use all of the stock. Bring mixture to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cook 30 minutes. Season to taste using salt, pepper, granulated garlic and Louisiana Gold. Remove from heat and allow to cool, preferably overnight. In a small mixing bowl, combine egg, milk and water. Using a wire whisk, stir until all ingredients are well blended. Cut pie shells in half and place a generous serving of the crawfish sauce in the center of each half. Brush the edges of pastry with eggwash and fold over in a triangle shape. Crimp the edges closed with a fork and pierce the top of the pie to create vents for steam to escape during cooking. Brush eggwash over pies and bake until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.