Crawfish and Grits with Poached Eggs
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 2 hr 5 min
- Active: 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound Louisiana crawfish
1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup chicken broth or stock
2 dried bay leaves
Cajun Select Seasoning, recipe follows, to taste
Hot sauce, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Easy Oven Grits, recipe follows
4 Poached Eggs, recipe follows
3 tablespoons sliced green onions, for garnish
Cajun Select Seasoning:
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon ground celery seed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Easy Oven Grits:
6 cups chicken stock or broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup stone-ground grits
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
2 tablespoons salted butter
4 ounces goat cheese, sliced or crumbled
Poached Eggs:
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Pinch of kosher salt
Directions
- Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onions and bell peppers and saute until the vegetables are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stir until combined.
- Add the crawfish and saute for 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir into the crawfish to make a thick mixture. Pour in the chicken stock and stir to deglaze the pan. Add the bay leaves. Season with Cajun Select Seasoning and hot sauce to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened, the flavors have developed and the crawfish are tender to the bite (though still firm), about 10 minutes.
- Serve the crawfish over grits with a poached egg. Garnish with green onions.
Cajun Select Seasoning:
- Blend together the granulated garlic, paprika, salt, cayenne, onion powder, black pepper, sugar, basil, celery seed and oregano in a bowl until combined. Store in an airtight jar for up to 6 months.
Easy Oven Grits:
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add the chicken stock, grits, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to a 3-quart baking dish and stir to combine. Bake, stirring after 30 minutes, until the grits have thickened and absorbed the stock, about 1 hour.
- Remove the grits from the oven and whisk in the heavy cream, butter and goat cheese to finish and loosen the grits. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Poached Eggs:
- Fill a large high-sided skillet halfway with water. Heat over medium heat to a very light simmer and stir in the vinegar and salt.
- Crack an egg into a ramekin. Use a spoon to stir the water to create a whirlpool then drop the egg right into the center of the skillet. Cook until the whites have set and the yolks are still runny, 4 to 5 minutes, then remove using a slotted spoon, letting the water drain off. Repeat with remaining eggs.