CRAWFISH-STUFFED PASTA SHELLS WITH SAUCE ACADIAN
Prep Time: 1½ Hours
Yields: 6 Servings
Comment:
Here is a great example of the innovative Creoles using a seafood stuffing to create an interesting entrée. Normally this was done in either chicken or in turbans of trout. In this recipe, the crawfish is stuffed into Italian pasta shells and baked and topped with a delicious Sauce Acadian.
Ingredients for Crawfish Shells:
2 pounds crawfish tails, chopped
1 box jumbo pasta shells
¼ pound butter
1 cup minced onions
½ cup minced green bell peppers
½ cup minced red bell peppers
3 tbsps minced garlic
4 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsps Louisiana hot sauce
salt to taste
Creole seasoning to taste
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
Method for Crawfish Shells:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Boil pasta shells according to package directions until al dente and set aside. Be careful not to overcook, or pasta shells will fall apart. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and bell peppers. Sauté 1–2 minutes or until wilted. Stir in garlic and crawfish tails and heat thoroughly. Blend in Worcestershire, hot sauce, salt and Creole seasoning. Remove from heat and allow to cool. While stuffing is cooling, prepare Sauce Acadian in a 2-gallon stockpot. Add eggs to cooled crawfish mixture. Fold in Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Stuff each pasta shell with an equal amount of crawfish stuffing. Place shells in a 9" x 13" baking pan. Cover with Sauce Acadian and bake 15–20 minutes or until stuffing is completely heated.
Ingredients for Sauce Acadian:
2 pounds crawfish shells, heads included or other shellfish
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
6 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
15 whole peppercorns
1 gallon cold water
2 cups dry white wine
½ cup tomato sauce
½ cup white butter roux
1 pint heavy whipping cream
½ ounce brandy
salt and white pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste
Method for Sauce Acadian:
In a 2-gallon stockpot over medium-high heat, combine crawfish shells and heads, onions, celery, carrots, garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, water and wine. Bring mixture to a low boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook 30 minutes. During cooking process, skim off all impurities that rise to surface and discard. Remove from heat and strain stock through cheesecloth or a fine sieve. Discard shells and vegetables. Return hot stock to pot, bring to a low boil and reduce to approximately 2 quarts. Add tomato sauce and white roux, whisking constantly until roux is well blended and sauce is slightly thickened. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 15 minutes. Add heavy whipping cream and brandy. Season to taste using salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Strain sauce for a second time, adjust seasonings if necessary and allow to cool.
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