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Tuesday, June 12, 2018

New Recipe Week 23

This is the recipe that I intended to go with the Friday Jazz post, but Mom had other ideas for my time. Instead I am posting it today and calling it the new to me recipe for the week.

When I think of jazz music I almost immediately think of New Orleans and when I think of New Orleans one of the foods I think of is crayfish. TheHub and I have been  eating some pretty basic meals lately and I wanted something a little different with some nice and spicy heat. (optional, of course)

Crayfish Toast

1 loaf french bread split in half longways
2 tablespoons butter
1 sweet onion (Vidalia's are perfect) chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 5 ounce pack frozen crayfish tail meat, thawed
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons cajun spices
4 ounces shredded monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
red pepper flakes to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
sliced green onions (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Split the french loaf in half, place on a baking sheet and set aside.
In a medium sauté pan melt the butter and add the onions and peppers. Cook until they are soft then add the garlic and cook for about a minute just to wilt it. Stir in the crayfish tail meat and the cream cheese and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melty and combined. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl combine the mayo and the cajun seasonings. (If you don't like heat reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon) Using about 2 tablespoons of the mayo mixture spread it on the cut sides of the french bread. Add the cheese, red pepper flakes  and chopped parsley to the remaining mayo. Stir to mix then add the crayfish mixture.  Blend well. Spread on each of the bread halves and pop it into the oven. Cook for about 12 minutes, turn on the broiler and let it broil for a couple of minutes (I did not do that) then sprinkle with the green onion slices (I did not do that either because I had no green onions)

Cut each long half into 2 servings. This will serve 4 for dinner. Add a green salad and call it a meal. This was insanely delicious. I am not sure if frozen crayfish tail meat is available everywhere, but in the south no self respecting store would be without it. You could easily substitute crab, lobster or shrimp for the crayfish or you could get live crayfish, cook, and shuck them if you like to spend hours getting a cup of tail meat. Call me lazy.

And since we are doing a little New Orleans Jazz meal enjoy Professor Longhair's Big Chief




18 comments:

  1. That looks like a truly luxurious meal. Professor Longhair is new to my ignorant self. Thank you.

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    1. The meal would be delicious with just a ton of veggies and no seafood also.

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  2. I see you switched between crayfish and crawfish during this recipe. When I lived in New Orleans, crawfish was the word of choice, different than the name crawdads that I grew up with. Do you call them crayfish regularly.

    It's been a while since I thought about Professor Longhair. Thanks for the reminder.

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  3. I didn't even realize I alternated. When I buy the frozen packs it is labeled crayfish which is probably why I used it. Honestly I call them crawfish even when I see the word crayfish. Now I am going to have to go back and edit!

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  4. The first and only time I've had crawfish (that's what it was called) was when I was a student in Wisconsin. There was a farm near the campus and I had made friends with the farmer (he worked on campus as well as on his farm) and his wife and one day, they invited me to a crawfish boil! I remember thinking it tasted a lot like shrimp!

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    1. They do share a similar flavor. I have been to a couple of crawfish boils and love the flavor but it is a lot of work for a tiny bite!

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  5. Oh, delicious! Our older son would devour this instantly and so would I. He loves, loves crayfish! Thanks for the recipe!

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  6. Looks so good - you can't get crayfish in Canada, at least not that I've ever seen unless some of the Eastern Provinces, maybe Quebec

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    1. It is very available here both fresh and frozen, but you could use lobster or shrimp easily instead of the crayfish.

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  7. While I am not a fan of crawfish, my husband LOVES it! I remember our trip to New Orleans and having to watch him eat a bucket of crawfish at a local bar/pub while I nibbled on a grilled cheese! LOL He would really like this recipe.....hmmmm, maybe father's day if I can find crawfish up here in CT. =)

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    1. That would be a great Father's Day gift for him. Leave the crayfish out of yours and use shrimp or lobster instead

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  8. What a fun recipe! I love crawfish, and this is such a creative way to serve them. Thanks!

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  9. I am going to hunt for some crawfish around here but it won't be easy. Is there anything I could substitute? This recipe looks amazing - I think you've outdone yourself!

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    1. Lobster, crab or shrimp should be easily interchangeable. It was really really tasty!

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  10. I call them crawfish,too. I had crawfish when I was about four. Daddy did offer them to me quite often.

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    1. i like them, especially when someone else shells them for me!

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