Crawfish with Fried Green Tomatoes

This is a vegetable-heavy sauce with Louisiana crawfish and fried green tomato slices.

Total: 1 hr 30 min | Yield: 4 servings; 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
• 2 ounces tasso, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/4 cup mixed green, red and yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup half moon leek slices
• 8 ounces Louisiana crawfish tails
• 2 teaspoons brandy
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon butter, chilled
• 1 to 2 teaspoon creole seasoning
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 large green tomatoes
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 4 boiled crawfish (optional)
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/4 cup granulated garlic
• 1/4 cup granulated onion
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. For the Creole seasoning, combine the salt, granulated garlic, granulated onion, paprika, cayenne pepper and black pepper in a small bowl and mix well. Spoon into an airtight storage container.
2. For the crawfish, cook the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced by half.
3. Sauté the garlic and tasso in 1 teaspoon butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until the tasso begins to brown. Add the bell peppers, leeks and Creole seasoning. Sauté until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
4. Add the crawfish tails and brandy. Ignite the brandy and allow the flames to subside. Stir in the reduced cream, thyme and green onions. Reduce the heat and add the chilled butter, whisking constantly until thickened. Keep warm over low heat.
5. For the tomatoes, mix the flour with the Creole seasoning in a bowl. Whisk the egg and milk in a bowl. Pour the bread crumbs into a bowl. Cut each tomato into 1/2 inch thick slices, discarding the end pieces. Coat the slices with the seasoned flour. Dip in the egg wash and press into the bread crumbs to coat evenly.
6. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and add the tomato slices. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
7. To serve, place a slice of green tomato in the center of each of 4 serving plates.
8. Spoon the crawfish sauce over the slices and top with the remaining slices.
9. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme and a boiled crawfish.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: Louisiana Seafood
Courtesy of Dickie Brennan with Leslie Brennan and Gus Martin, Dickie Brennan’s Palace Café: The Flavor of New Orleans.