Crawfish Pies

Marcella Bienvue's crawfish pie is the perfect example of how Louisiana cooks turn simple ingredients into something extraordinary. The careful balance of spices and vegetables creates this incredible sauce that showcases the sweet crawfish perfectly. Using individual pie shells not only looks impressive but also makes serving so much easier - it's the kind of recipe that makes you feel like a real Louisiana cook. 

 

INGREDIENTS: 

1 stick salted butter

1 C finely chopped onions

1 C finely chopped green bell peppers

1 t salt

1/2 t cayenne pepper

 1/2 t black pepper 

2 T tomato paste

1 t paprika

1/2 C water (combine with juice from crawfish package)

2 T cornstarch dissolved in 1 cup of water

1 lb peeled crawfish tails

1/2 C green onions (green part only)

2 T chopped fresh parsley

6 3-inch or 1 9-inch pie shell, pre-baked

DIRECTIONS:

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and bell peppers and cook stirring until soft and lightly golden. About 6 minutes.

Add salt, cayenne, black pepper, tomato paste, paprika and juices/water. Reduce to medium-low and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add cornstarch and water. Cook mixture, stirring until smooth and slightly thick. Add crawfish and cook for 10 minutes. Add green onions and parsley and adjust seasonings to taste. 

Remove mixture from heat and cool.  Spoon mixture into pre-baked pie shells. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until mixture is bubbly. 8 to 10 minutes for small pie shells and 15 to 18 for 9-inch pie shell. 

This recipe is best baked in individual pie shells and make a day ahead.