Crawfish Zerpa Recipes

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).

Steps:

• Place tails and bread in food processor.
• Pulsate until coarsely ground.
• Set aside.
• Melt butter and add flour, stirring constantly. Add half and half gradually and let mixture simmer until reduced to 1 cup.
• Add reserved crawfish mixture and seasonings to half and half.
• Boil macaroni in salted water until al dente.
• Stir gently while cooking to keep shells apart. Drain.
• Cool enough to handle.
• Stuff each shell with a heaping tablespoon of crawfish mixture, closing shell over filling.
• To make sauce: Boil cream, stock, and butter in a medium saucepan until reduced by one-half. Add basil and salt and pepper to taste.
• Place small amount on bottom of casserole dish or individual ramekins coated with nonstick spray.
• Place stuffed shells in dish, pouring remaining sauce over the top.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan and paprika.
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 5 minutes.
• *To make crawfish stock: Boil crawfish peelings with a little dry sherry (or water), garlic, onion juice, celery seed and a dab of butter.
• Strain.
• May be frozen for future use.

Steps:

• *To make crawfish stock: Boil crawfish peelings with a little dry sherry (or water), garlic, onion juice, celery seed and a dab of butter. Strain. May be frozen for future use.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Place tails and bread in food processor. Pulsate until coarsely ground. Set aside. Melt butter and add flour, stirring constantly. Add half and half gradually and let mixture simmer until reduced to 1 cup. Add reserved crawfish mixture and seasonings to half and half.
• Boil macaroni in salted water until al dente. Stir gently while cooking to keep shells apart. Drain. Cool enough to handle. Stuff each shell with a heaping tablespoon of crawfish mixture, closing shell over filling.
• To make sauce: Boil cream, stock, and butter in a medium saucepan until reduced by one-half. Add basil and salt and pepper to taste. Place small amount on bottom of casserole dish or individual ramekins coated with nonstick spray. Place stuffed shells in dish, pouring remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan and paprika. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Steps:

• CAKE: Beat butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
• In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt together; add to butter mixture and mix well.
• Add milk gradually.
• In another bowl, beat egg whites with remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and fold gently into mixture; add grated chocolate and vanilla.
• Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
• Pour cake batter evenly between the pans and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes. Let cake cool.
• ICING: Mix yolks, sugar, butter and vanilla until fluffy.
• Spread icing on one cake layer; place second layer on top and spread icing over top and sides.
• Melt chocolate and drizzle over icing. Use the tines of a fork to make squiggly lines, giving the impression of ski marks in snow.
• Makes 14 servings.

Steps:

• If serving immediately, heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make Tomato Sauce: Soak mushrooms in the warm warm until softened, 30 minutes. Drain and reserve liquid. Finely chop mushrooms.
• Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium-low heat; add onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until soft, 10 minutes. Add wine and cook until almost evaporated. Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms and the reserved soaking liquid, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat 10 minutes. Chop parsley with basil; add to sauce and simmer 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, 10-12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Mix remaining ingredients except Parmesan in medium bowl, then stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan until blended.
• Using soup spoon, stuff pasta shells with cheese mixture.
• Place half the tomato sauce in casserole large enough to hold shells in single layer, or divide sauce among 2 or 3 smaller casseorles. Place shells over tomato sauce, then spoon remaining sauce over shells.
• Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over shells. Cover and bake until heated through, 12-15 minutes. Serve with additional Parmesan.
• Or, let unbaked sauced shells cool to room temperature, cover tightly, and freeze up to 2 months. To serve, thaw covered in refrigerator, then bake as directed and serve with addtiional grated Parmesan cheese.