Crawfish Imperial

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• Salt
• Cayenne
• 1 pound peeled Louisiana crawfish tails
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions, green part only
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Creole or whole-grain mustard
• Hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 cup fine dried bread crumbs
• Creole seasoning (Essence), recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, peppers, and celery. Season with salt and cayenne. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until wilted. Add the crawfish tails and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let cool for about 30 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine the crawfish mixture with the garlic, parsley, green onions, and 3/4 cup mayonnaise, mustard, and hot sauce. Mix well. Spoon the mixture into 4 individual gratin dishes or scallop shells. Mix together the bread crumbs, the remaining mayonnaise, and Creole seasoning. Spread the top of the crawfish mixture with this mixture. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until bubbly and brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

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