GIANT MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH CRAWFISH AND TASSO CARDINAL

Prep Time: 1 Hour
Yields: 6 Servings

Comment:
These stuffed mushrooms are smothered in a rich sauce flavored with crawfish and tasso, the smoky, spiced meat of the Cajuns. This sauce may also be served over chicken, fish or pasta.

Ingredients:
24 large mushroom caps
1 pound crawfish tails
½ cup diced tasso
¼ cup butter
½ cup minced onions
¼ cup minced celery
¼ cup minced red bell pepper
¼ cup minced garlic
¼ cup diced tomatoes
5 tbsps flour
1 ounce sherry
¼ cup tomato sauce
2 cups shellfish stock (see recipe)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
¼ cup sliced green onions
salt and black pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste
Creole seasoning to taste
Louisiana hot sauce to taste

Method:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Wash any dirt or grit from mushroom caps and pat dry. Place 4 mushrooms in each of 6 au gratin-style baking dishes. Set aside. In a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add tasso, onions, celery, bell pepper and minced garlic and sauté 3–5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Stir in half of crawfish tails and all tomatoes, blending well, then sauté 2–3 minutes. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly to create a white roux (see roux recipes). Pour in sherry and tomato sauce then stir in stock and cream and cook until a creamy sauce is achieved. Add green onions and simmer 5–10 minutes, adding liquid as needed to retain consistency. Add remaining crawfish and season to taste with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, Creole seasoning and hot sauce. Cook 3 minutes then remove from heat and distribute sauce evenly over mushrooms. Bake 15–20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and mushrooms are al dente. Remove from oven and serve immediately.