Cornmeal Crusted Crayfish Pies Recipes

MARY'S CRAYFISH PIES

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE CRUST: Lightly grease twenty-four 3-inch muffin cups with cooking spray (you may need to prepare the pies in two batches). In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the 1 cup butter, 2 cups flour, cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, and cayenne until the dough is the size of small peas. Add the eggs, egg yolks, and the 2 teaspoons ice water. Pulse until the dough begins to form a ball. (If you prefer, this can be done in a big bowl with your hands or a pastry cutter: work the butter, flour, cornmeal, salt, Cajun seasoning, and pepper together until they are the size of small peas. Add the eggs, egg yolks, and water and work until the dough forms a ball.) Pat the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while you make the crayfish filling.
• TO MAKE THE CRAYFISH FILLING: In a large, heavy skillet set over medium heat, melt the 1/2 cup butter until it bubbles. Slowly sprinkle on the 1/2 cup flour, stirring constantly until the mixture is combined. Add the yellow and green onions, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes. Stir in the crayfish, garlic, brandy, cream, parsley, Tabasco, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, and cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• To assemble the pies: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Pinch off enough cornmeal dough to make 1 1/2-inch balls. Press the dough balls into prepared muffin cups to cover the bottom and up the sides. Spoon the crayfish filling almost to the top of each pie shell. Bake until the filling is hot and the crust is crisp, about 30 minutes.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Freeze well-wrapped baked and cooled pies up to 3 weeks in advance. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to serve them. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F to warm before serving.
• These may seem large, especially if you're serving them at a utensil-free cocktail party. (For a first course at a dinner party, I present them on plates with knives and forks.) For cocktail parties, cut them in halves or quarters and set them out on serving dishes so they can be easily picked up and eaten in a bite or two.

TOMATO PIE WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Make the cornmeal crust: Combine the cornmeal, flour and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles small peas. Add the cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse just until the mixture comes together and forms a dough. Shape the dough into a disc, then wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, arrange the tomatoes in a single layer on paper towel-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand for 30 minutes to allow the water from the tomatoes to release, then pat the tomatoes dry with paper towels.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Roll out the dough out to an 11-inch circle and fit into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Fold the edges under and crimp the edges. Fill the pie crust with parchment paper and pie weights or dried beans. Bake on the bottom rack until the crust is browned and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully lift out the parchment and weights and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• Sprinkle the tomatoes with the House Seasoning. Layer a third of the tomatoes on the bottom of the crust and sprinkle with a third of the herbs. Top with half of the onion, half of the ham and 1/3 cup Pimiento Cheese. Repeat the layers once. Top with the remaining tomatoes, herbs and remaining 1/3 cup Pimiento Cheese. Bake on the bottom rack until the pie is golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before slicing. Garnish with more fresh herbs, if desired.
• Stir together the garlic and onion powders, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
• Add the Cheddars, cream cheese, pimientos and mayo to a bowl and mix together. Add the chives, garlic powder, cayenne, smoked paprika and salt and pepper and mix until thoroughly combined.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED CRAYFISH PIES

Steps:

• Place the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the butter in small pieces and pulse into the dry mix just until coarse pebbles form. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. By hand, gradually work in the sour cream and 1/4 cup ice water. The dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky. Adjust as necessary with flour or water. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes (or up to a day in advance).
• To prepare the pies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each part into a very thin (1/8-inch) round and drape it into a 4-ounce tart pan or individual gratin dish. Cover each shell with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place the pie shells on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove the beans and parchment and bake 1-2 minutes longer. Don't let them color too much, because they will be baked again with the filling. Let them cool to room temperature.
• Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and fennel, if using, and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, scallions, and parsley and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and stir. Whisk in the stock, lemon zest and juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the crayfish and simmer for a few more minutes, until the crayfish is warm. Adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Cool to room temperature or refrigerate until ready to make pies.
• Fill each cooled shell with 3 ounces (about 6 tablespoons) of crayfish filling. Set them on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• I cook only with Louisiana crayfish-accept no substitutes! Frozen varieties are available from China, but they have no texture or flavor. That's because the fat that normally coats fresh crayfish does not freeze well (it tends to go rancid before the tail meat does), so it's rinsed off before freezing. But crayfish needs that fat to retain its sweet flavor. Your best bet is to choose a Louisiana source (see Sources, p. 384) whose crayfish are frozen close to the end of the January-to-June season. Better yet, buy a few pounds of fresh crayfish and freeze them yourself, but use them up within four weeks.
• Put your fear of pastry aside-this cornmeal pie dough is not sticky and is absolutely wonderful to work with. If you don't want to bother blind-baking pie shells you can simply prepare these as little turnovers. Roll each portion of dough into a 6-inch round, place a few tablespoons of filling on one half, fold the other side over the top, and crimp the edges together with a fork or your fingers. Brush them with egg wash, if you like, and bake at 350°F until golden, about 25-30 minutes, or deep-fry them-which is more traditional.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED CATFISH

Steps:

• Stir together the milk and 1 heaping tablespoon of the House Seasoning. Pour the milk mixture into a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the filets. Spread the filets in an even layer in the dish, turning to coat each side. Let marinate for about 1 hour in a cool place or the refrigerator.
• Pour enough oil into a large Dutch oven to come 2 inches up the side. Clip a deep-fry thermometer to the pot and heat over medium-high heat until the thermometer reaches 370 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, stir together the cornmeal, flour and remaining 1 heaping tablespoon House Seasoning in a paper bag. Working with a few filets at a time, remove them from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Place them in the paper bag and gently turn the bag over several times until the filets are evenly coated with the cornmeal mixture. Remove the filets and place them on a baking sheet while you repeat the process with the remaining filets.
• Working in batches, fry the filets until golden brown and crisp on the outside and moist and flaky inside, adjusting the heat to maintain temperature, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a clean wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to drain. Serve the filets with lemon wedges.
• Stir together the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Whisk cornmeal with 1 1/2 cups cold water.
• In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups water, salt, and pepper to a boil.
• Gradually stir in cornmeal mixture. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring often, until very thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat; stir in butter until melted.

CORNMEAL PIE CRUST

Steps:

• 1. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
• 2. Cut butter and shortening into flour mixture with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas. Push mixture to 1 side of bowl.
• 3. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. apple cider along edge of mixture in bowl. Using a fork, gently toss a small amount of flour mixture into cider just until dry ingredients are moistened; move mixture to other side of bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining cider and flour mixture.
• 4. Gently press dough into two flat disks. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 1 to 24 hours.
• 5. TIPS when ready to fill and bake: Place 1 Cornmeal Crust Dough disk on a lightly floured piece of wax paper; sprinkle dough lightly with flour. Top with another sheet of wax paper. Roll dough to about 1/8-inch thickness (about 11 inches wide).
• 6. Remove and discard top sheet of wax paper. Starting at 1 edge of dough, wrap dough around rolling pin, separating dough from bottom sheet of wax paper as you roll. Discard bottom sheet of wax paper. Place rolling pin over a 9-inch glass pie plate, and unroll dough over pie plate. Gently press dough into pie plate.
• 7. Roll remaining Cornmeal Crust Dough disk as directed in Step 5, rolling dough to about 1/8-inch thickness (13 inches wide). Remove and discard wax paper, and place dough over filling; fold edges under, sealing to bottom crust, and crimp.

MIXED-GREENS PIE WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10-inch straight-sided skillet or baking pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. In a deep-sided sauté pan at least 12 inches wide, heat 1/3 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have softened but not colored, about 10 minutes. Add as many of the greens as can fit in the pot, along with 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and cover until the greens have wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining greens, stir, and cover until they have wilted, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the scallions, dill and parsley. Transfer the mixture to a colander set over a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the kefalograviera, ricotta and manouri. Squeeze excess liquid from the cooled greens and add them to the cheeses. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Whisk in the cornmeal and 1 teaspoon salt. Continue stirring as the mixture thickens into an almost unstirrable paste. Remove from the heat. With lightly floured fingers, press half of the mixture into a thin layer across the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with the greens and cheese filling, spreading each evenly to the edges. Stir about 1/2 cup water into the remaining cornmeal to make a milkshake-thick batter (there will be a few lumps). Pour the thinned batter across the filling (some greens will poke through). Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil across the top of the pie. Bake until firm and golden brown around the edges, about 1 hour.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, with Greek yogurt on the side.

CORNMEAL PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine cornmeal, flour and 1 tsp salt in a bowl.
• Cut in shortening.
• In a separate bowl, beat together egg and 1/4 cup water.
• Add to cornmeal mixture.
• Press into 9 inch pie plate to form crust.
• Use in place of regular pie crust.