Ingredients
- 1/2 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 pound Louisiana crawfish tails
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced onion
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons brandy
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Salt
- Freshly ground white pepper
- Dash of Crystal Hot Sauce
- 10 to 12 zucchini flowers
- 1 cup flour
- Emeril's Creole seasoning (Essence), recipe follows
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup dried fine bread crumbs
- 2 cups Lemon Butter Sauce, warm, recipe follows
- Oil for frying
Directions
In a food processor, add the cream cheese and puree until smooth. Add the crawfish and process until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the garlic, onion, parsley, butter, brandy and lemon juice. Process until the mixture is smooth again, another minute. Season with salt, white pepper and hot sauce. Spoon the mixture into the pastry bag. Pipe the filling into the center of each flower, pressing the flower firmly into the filling and sealing completely. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and season with Creole seasoning. Place the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Season with Creole seasoning and mix well. Place the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl and season with Creole seasoning. Carefully dredge each zucchini flower in the flour. Dip each flower in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the flowers in the bread crumbs, coating completely. Fry the flowers in batches until golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with Creole seasoning. To serve, spoon the sauce in the center of each plate. Place the flowers in the center of the sauce. Garnish with parsley. Yield: 8 servings
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.
Yields: about 2/3 cup
Recipe from New New Orleans Cooking by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, Published by William and Morrow, 1993.
- LEMON BUTTER SAUCE
- Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 lemons, peeled and quartered
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced shallots
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 turns freshly ground black pepper
- 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
- 1 dash hot pepper sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut up, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Heat a large nonreactive skillet over high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the wine, lemons, garlic, and shallots. Cook for 3 minutes, breaking up and mashing the lemons with a wire whisk. Stir in the salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and hot sauce and cook until the mixture is somewhat syrupy, for about 3 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook for 1 minute. Over low heat, whisk in the butter a few pats at a time. When all of the butter has been added, remove from the heat, but continue whisking until all of the butter is incorporated into the sauce. Strain the sauce, pressing all of the liquid into a bowl. Stir in the parsley. Serve immediately, or keep warm for a few minutes until ready to use.
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