Crawfish Pie

Ingredients

• 1 lb cooked crawfish tail meat
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup seafood or chicken stock
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 unbaked 9-inch pie crusts
• 1 egg, beaten

Before you cook

• Chop 1 cup onion, 1/2 cup celery, and 1/2 cup bell pepper into small, even pieces.
• Mince 3 cloves garlic and chop 1/2 cup green onion and 2 tablespoons parsley.
• Measure 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne into a small bowl.
• Pat the crawfish tail meat dry and pick over it for any shell fragments.
• Beat 1 egg in a small bowl for the egg wash.

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
3. Whisk in 1/4 cup flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the roux turns the color of dark peanut butter, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper to the roux and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes.
5. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
6. Pour in 1 cup stock, whisking to smooth out the roux, and bring to a simmer.
7. Simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens into a thick gravy.
8. Fold in the crawfish tail meat, green onion, parsley, and measured spices, and season with salt and black pepper.
9. Simmer for 3 more minutes, then remove the filling from the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes.
10. Fit one pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish.
11. Spoon the cooled crawfish filling into the crust and spread it evenly.
12. Cover with the second crust, trim the overhang, and crimp the edges to seal.
13. Cut a few small slits in the top crust and brush the top with the beaten egg.
14. Bake for 35 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown.
15. Let the pie rest for 10 minutes before slicing.