Crawfish Pot Pie Recipe

Recipe courtesy of The Front Porch, San Francisco, CA

Recipe Overview

• Level: Intermediate
• Yield: Serves 4 to 6
• Nutritional Info (per serving): Calories 680, Total Fat 39 g, Saturated Fat 22 g, Carbohydrates 57 g, Dietary Fiber 9 g, Sugar 15 g, Protein 29 g, Cholesterol 154 mg, Sodium 1426 mg
• Total Time: 1 hr 45 min
• Active Time: 55 min

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (preferably all-butter), thawed and trimmed to fit your baking dish
• 1 pound crawfish tail meat, well drained and squeezed to remove excess liquid (see Cook's Note)
• Salt, pepper, and Creole or Cajun seasoning to taste
• 1 quart Yukon gold potatoes, skin on, cut into medium dice
• 1 quart baby turnips, skin on, diced medium (large turnips may be used if peeled and cut smaller)
• 3 ounces unsalted butter (add more if needed)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (more as needed)
• 2 2/3 cups seafood stock (fish, vegetable, or chicken stock works too)
• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon porcini powder
• A few dashes of your preferred hot sauce
• 12 ounces frozen peas and carrots
• 6 ounces frozen pearl onions
• Fresh parsley or dill for garnish
• Lemon wedges and hot pepper-infused vinegar for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375F.
2. Bake the puff pastry on a baking sheet until puffed and golden, about 10 minutes. Set aside and raise oven temperature to 400F.
3. Drain the crawfish tails thoroughly, squeezing out excess moisture to keep the sauce thick and flavorful.
4. Cook potatoes in salted water until tender but firm; drain and set aside.
5. Boil baby turnips in salted water until softened; drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
6. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes to remove raw flour taste, avoiding browning.
7. Slowly whisk in stock and cream over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Season with Worcestershire, porcini powder, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and Creole or Cajun seasoning. Simmer until bubbling, stir in crawfish, and boil. Thicken further with flour-butter roux if needed, in small increments.
8. Gently fold in peas and carrots, pearl onions, potatoes, and turnips.
9. Transfer filling to baking dish, top with baked puff pastry, and bake until bubbly and golden.
10. Garnish with fresh parsley or dill. Serve with lemon wedges and hot pepper vinegar for a zesty kick.

Cook's Notes

Domestic crawfish is sweeter and more delicate than importedboth work wonderfully. Find imported at seafood or Asian markets; domestic via online vendors. Dive into this comforting pot pie and let the rich, savory flavors transport you straight to a Southern feast!

Note: This recipe from a professional chef or restaurant has not been home-tested.