Crawfish Topping For Fish Recipes

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).

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.

FRESH PACIFIC COD FISH WITH CRAWFISH BAYOU SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or grill pan and spray with cooking spray. Season fish with salt and pepper and place fish on grill; cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until flakey.
• Meanwhile, make sauce: melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in green onions, garlic, and Creole seasoning. Add cream and lower heat to medium. Stir until mixture is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add crawfish and stir for about 30 seconds or until just heated through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To serve, plate fish and spoon Crawfish Bayou Sauce over center of fish. Garnish with parsley.

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.

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!

CAROLYN'S SENSUAL SEA BASS FILLETS WITH CRAWFISH AND CRAB SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Season the sea bass with salt and pepper; arrange in a baking dish and set aside.
• Melt the butter with the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the shallots, garlic, and parsley in the melted butter and olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir continually until completely incorporated into the mixture and the liquid is smooth. Pour the half-and-half into the mixture while stirring; cook and stir until thickened. Season with the white pepper. Gently fold the crawfish tails and crabmeat into the mixture, taking care to not break the crabmeat too much; cook another 1 minute. Spoon the mixture over the sea bass fillets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

CRAWFISH CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Saute shallots and garlic for 30 seconds. Add crawfish and creole seasoning. Saute an additional 1 to 2 mintues. Add cream, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Simmer the cream until it thickens and reduces by half, about 5 mintues. Add butter, salt, pepper to taste. Fold in green onions and serve over already cooked fillets.