Crawfish Topping For Fish Recipes

CRAWFISH CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat pan to medium heat and melt butter
• Add garlic, onion, and bell peppers. Saute until onions are translucent. This should be about 4-5 minutes.
• Pour the half and half in to the pan. Stir and allow to cook until the cream mixture thickens.
• Once the half and half thickens, add the lemon juice, crawfish tails, and stir until everything is combined.
• Cook for an additional 2 minutes and then remove from heat.
• Serve and enjoy!

ORIGINAL CRAWFISH OR SHRIMP MONICA

Steps:

• 1. Cook pasta in salt water according to the directions on the package. Drain, then rinse under cool water to stop the cooking. Drain again, thoroughly.
• 2. Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute onions and garlic for 3 minutes.
• 3. *If using raw shrimp, add them with the onions and garlic at the beginning.
• 4. Add the crawfish and half-and-half, sauté until bubbly.
• 5. Add Creole seasoning - 1 big pinch then taste. Add more as needed but tasting before adding the next pinch until you think it's right. Add salt if needed. If you've boiled your own crawfish add the crawfish fat to the mixture as well.
• 6. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes over medium heat until the sauce thickens.
• 7. Add the pasta to the pot and toss well. You may not need to use all of the pasta. (I double the recipe when using the whole pound of pasta.) Let it sit for about 10 minutes over very low heat, stirring often.
• 8. Serve immediately, with lots of French bread and a nice white wine. Buon Appetito!
• 9. *COOKS NOTE: Most of the time I use half Heavy Cream and half - Half and Half, or in other words 1 1/3 cups heavy cream and 2/3 cups milk. I generally buy Heavy Cream because it can be cut with milk to make Half and Half. The sauce seems to thicken better than straight Half and Half but using all Heavy Cream is too thick.
• 10. *Tip: The sauce is excellent over Redfish on da Half Shell or grilled filets - I call it Redfish Monica.
• 11. *Options: If you don't have crawfish, use bay scallops, shrimp, lump crabmeat (add last and fold in gently).

STEVE'S CRAWFISH TOPPING FOR REDFISH, SPECKLED TROUT, CATFISH OR ANY FISH

Steps:

• Sauté vegetables in margarine in heavy stainless sauté pan until they're just beginning to soften. Add three good shakes Worcestershire sauce and the juice of half a lemon. Sauté 10 minutes-season.
• Add the Cajun seasoning to taste (Tony's, Slap ya Mama, etc.) along with crawfish and sauté on low heat for another 15 minutes.
• Add cream and sauté until reduced by half, season again if needed (after tasting). Spoon over (cooked) fish and enjoy!

EASY CRAWFISH TAIL RECIPE

Steps:

• Add butter and olive oil to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
• Once hot, add minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
• Add crawfish tails and sauté for about 1 minute on one side or until just beginning to turn pink. Then flip. (If your crawfish is already pre-cooked, you'll only need about 1 minute to heat them through.)
• Add wine and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes or until the crawfish tails are cooked through. (Make sure not to over-cook your crawfish meat.)
• Remove from the heat immediately. Sprinkle with chopped basil or parsley. Serve over pasta or rice and enjoy!

FRIED CATFISH TOPPED WITH CRAWFISH AU GRATIN SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the onions, peppers and garlic until wilted. Add the flour and stir until a blond roux is achieved, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sugar, chicken base, crab base, granulated garlic, basil, black pepper, cayenne pepper and thyme. Add the milk and wine and cook over medium heat until the milk thickens, stirring constantly, about 6 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until the cheese melts and fully incorporates into the sauce. Add the crawfish tails and cook until heated through, about 4 minutes. Add the green onions just before serving.
• For the catfish: Sprinkle the catfish with Creole seasoning. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add the milk. Coat the catfish in flour and dip in the milk/egg mixture, then coat with cornmeal. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large skillet. Fry the catfish until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Serve the catfish with the crawfish au gratin sauce.

CRAWFISH TOPPING FOR FISH

Steps:

• In a heavy saute pan, cook vegetables in butter until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add three shakes Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
• Add Cajun spices to taste and saute about 1 minute. Add crawfish and continue to saute on low heat another 15 minutes; add heavy cream. Saute until reduced by half; adjust seasonings. Spoon over (cooked) fish.

CRAWFISH BEIGNETS WITH CAJUN DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the egg, crawfish, onions, butter, salt and cayenne. Stir in flour until blended., In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat 1 in. oil to 375°. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls, a few at a time, into hot oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels., In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish if desired, and pepper sauce. Serve with beignets.

TILAPIA WITH A CREAMY SHRIMP & CRAB WHITE WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Optional Rice -- If you decide to serve this dish over the rice you should start the rice first as the fish and sauce don't take much time to make. Just follow package directions for whatever type of rice you are using. When the rice is finished cooking, toss in the lemon zest, fresh scallions and season with salt and pepper.
• Sauce -- In a small sauce pan, add the flour and just a little white wine and whisk well to combine the two. Then add the remaining white wine and bring to medium heat. Then add in the salt, pepper and cream and bring to a medium boil, cook just a minute and then reduce to medium low and let it simmer. The cream will naturally thicken as it simmers on low heat. You will add the shrimp and crab later. You want the sauce to simmer at least 5-7 minutes. This is just enough time to cook the fish.
• Fish -- Make sure your fish is NOT icy cold; it doesn't have to be room temperature, but just not right out of the refrigerator. Season each side of the fish well with salt and pepper. In a medium saute pan, I prefer non stick for this, add the butter and oil and bring to medium high heat. Saute the fish on each side until golden brown. Try not to move the fish once you put it in the pan until the first side is golden brown. Cooking time will vary depending on the type of fish and thickness. Tilapia takes just 2-3 minutes on the first side and even quicker on the second side.
• Sauce -- When you start the fish is a good time to add the shrimp and crab to your sauce. Bring the sauce back up to medium heat and add the shrimp. Cook just 1-2 minutes and then stir in the crab. Don't stir too much, you don't want to break up the crab. Add the lemon juice, zest, parsley and dill and then turn off the heat -- the sauce is done.
• Serve -- For each plate, add 3/4-1 cup of the rice, top with one of the fish fillets and top with the sauce. Garnish with a fresh lemon slice. ENJOY!

CRAB-TOPPED FISH FILLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place fillets in a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, until fish flakes easily with a fork, 18-22 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the crab, cheese, mayonnaise and lemon juice., Drain cooking juices from baking dish; spoon crab mixture over fillets. Broil 4-5 in. from the heat until topping is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds and, if desired, paprika.

LOUISIANA CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE

Steps:

• Combine the rice and 6 cups water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender and water has been absorbed.
• While the rice is cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and saute until transparent. Stir in the garlic, and cook for a minute. Stir in the flour until well blended. Gradually stir in the tomato sauce and remaining 1 cup water, then add the crawfish tails and bring to a simmer. Add the green onions and season with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes over low heat, until the crawfish is cooked but not tough. Serve over hot cooked rice.