Mardi Gras in late February means Crawfish Season is here with the New Orleans Jazzfest just around the corner. It’s never too early to divulge into another one of New Orleans’ most decadent of delectables — Crawfish Bread! This recipe was sent to us by our good friend Nathalie Gonzalez, a fellow NOLA expat who now resides in Aliso Viejo, CA. Thanks, Nathalie — there’s no taste like home!
Preparing Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 50 min
Serves: Two, 15" loaves
Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter
½ cup onion (finely chopped)
½ cup celery (finely chopped)
½ cup red bell pepper (finely chopped)
1½ Tbsp garlic (minced)
½ tsp fresh thyme (chopped)
1½ tsp Bayou Bourré Creole Seasoning
1 lb cooked crawfish tails (with fat)
½ tsp salt
¼ cup green onion tops (chopped)
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Creole mustard (sub equal parts whole grain spicy mustard and horseradish)
4 ounces grated Provolone or mozzarella cheese
4 ounces grated white Cheddar cheese
¼ bottle of Bayou Gotham® BAYOU BOURRÉ Louisiana Boil Hot Sauce
Two 15-inch loaves of soft French bread
Preparation
Melt butter over medium heat. Add the Holy Trinity (onion, celery, and bell pepper). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have wilted, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon of the Essence and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the crawfish tails, salt, and remaining Essence and cook, stirring, until the crawfish have warmed through and released any liquid. Let the liquid evaporate, about 3 minutes. Stir in the green onions and set aside to cool.
When the crawfish have cooled, stir in the mayo, Creole mustard, and the cheeses until well-combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. (Can prepare this the night before)
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Cut the loaves of bread in half lengthwise and hollow out a hole in the middle so it’s like a boat. Divide the crawfish filling evenly among the bottom portion of the two loaves. Fold the top portion of bread back over the stuffing and then wrap each loaf tightly in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted, approximately 30 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 min. Slice into the desired size portions and serve hot.
NOTE: You can freeze a prepared loaf wrapped in aluminum foil for up to 2 months.
Kick it up a notch with RUBY REBELLE Bourbon Cayenne or JUJU GURU Tropic Jalapeño!
