Tres Cajun Crawfish Maque Choux Mock Shoe Recipes

TRE'S CAJUN CRAWFISH MAQUE CHOUX (MOCK SHOE)

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a frying pan until crisp.
• Drain on paper towels, crumble and set aside.
• Melt butter in the bacon fat over medium heat.
• Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic, saute for 5 minutes or until onion has softened.
• Stir in corn, tomatoes, crawfish, cayenne and Cajun seasoning, cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add chick broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook partially covered for 45 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in crumbled bacon and serve.

MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• Working with 1 corn cob at a time, set the ear of corn upright in a medium bowl. Shave the corn from the cob by slicing down the sides using the tip of a sharp chef's knife, holding the knife almost vertical. (This gives you neat tablets of corn that land squarely in the bowl and keeps the kernels from scattering all over the counter.) Using the back of the knife, scrape each cob to release all the nibs and the "milk" of the kernels into the bowl. Repeat with remaining ears of corn, then snap the cobs in half, and add them to the bowl.
• In a large, deep sauté pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and celery, and season with 1 or 2 pinches of kosher salt. Stir constantly until softened and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add 2 tablespoons butter and the bell pepper, poblano and serrano, and stir constantly, adding another pinch of kosher salt, letting the butter melt and the peppers soften and become translucent, about 2 or 3 minutes. You will smell the peppers' sweetness and their mild capsaicin releasing.
• Add the final 3 tablespoons butter and the corn mixture from the bowl, cobs included, and another pinch of kosher salt. Stir constantly to coat with the butter and combine thoroughly.
• When everything starts to hiss and sound hot, but isn't cooking so hard as to take color, add 1/2 cup water and a healthy few grinds of black pepper, and cover the pan for a couple of minutes to steam/shallow braise the mixture.
• Remove the lid, and stir well, noticing the corn releasing its liquid and the kernels softening, and the cobs turning somewhat translucent, if however vague. You will notice a general softening and melding together. Return the lid, and let cook a few more minutes, noticing the water evaporating and the remaining liquid reducing and gaining some "body" and gloss. Discard the corn cobs, but do suck them before tossing - those buttery juices make a nice cook's treat.
• Taste for salt, and serve. It should be sweet, spicy, a bit wet and surprisingly complex, given the few ingredients and their ordinariness. If you want a smoky taste, add a good pinch of smoked paprika.

CAJUN CORN MAQUE CHOUX (MOCK SHOE)

Steps:

• With sharp knife, cut kernels off corn cobs, if using fresh corn.
• In medium skillet heat 1 tablespoon butter with the oil.
• Add corn, onion, sugar and Tabasco sauce.
• Cook until corn is almost tender and starts to form a crust on bottom of pan.
• Gradually stir in broth, scraping up bits on bottom of pan.
• Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the cream.
• Cook for 5 minutes longer or until almost all liquid evaporates; stir frequently.
• Remove skillet from heat.
• Add beaten egg; stir one minute or until egg is cooked.
• Serve with additional Tabasco sauce.