Search This Blog

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Crawfish Monica

If you've ever been to Jazzfest in New Orleans, then you've definitely had Crawfish Monica. And if you've ever had Crawfish Monica, well then you know what heaven is gonna be like. I'm talkin cream, pasta, garlic, butter....yep, like I said, heaven.

You can change this up as much as you like. If you don't have fettucini, use whatever pasta you have around. They usually serve it with rotini at Jazzfest, so if you want to be traditional, go that route. Also, you can always substitute shrimp for crawfish, which is what I did. Believe me, if I could find crawfish, I would have used it. I love New York and all, but they really don't know what they are missing out on by not having crawfish up here.




Ingredients:
1 pound fettuccine
3 tbsp butter
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup minced onion
Creole/Cajun Seasoning to taste
1 cup peeled, seeded plum tomatoes
1 pound crawfish tails
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 cups heavy cream
2 ounces grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions, (green part only)


So like I said, I went with shrimp instead of crawfish. I ended up buying frozen because I didn't like the look of the fresh. Plus, I mean, hello? If someone wants to devein shrimp for me, I am NOT going to stop them. A quick way to thaw shrimp? Run cold water over them in a colander, and you have unfrozen shrimp in about 6 minutes.




While the water is running, get your ingredients chopped. Shown below is garlic, chopped roma tomatoes, and onion.



By the time you are done chopping, the shrimp should be thawed. However, you want to dry these little boogers or else they will hold water and be gross. So I just lay them out on paper towel.



And then put another piece on top, patting them dry.



Now boil some water with some salt, and then add your pasta. Cook according to the instructions on the pasta package. I know, real exciting stuff here.



In a large saute pan, melt 1 T. of butter



Then add the onion and sprinkle with cajun seasoning. I used Tony's...and I have a very heavy pour. Come have a drink with me; I'll prove it.


Saute for 1 minute.



Add the tomatoes and more Tony's. Saute for 2 minutes.


Now sprinkle even more Tony's on the shrimp.


Add the shrimp to the pan and saute 1 minute.


Then add the garlic and season with another healthy shake of Tony's.


Add the cream and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Stir in the cheese. Mix well.




In the meantime, drain the pasta. Toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper.



Ok, I admit it. This is when my friend showed up, and I totally forgot to continue to take pictures. I blame that heavy pour I referenced earlier. =) But I promise, you don't need pics of the next steps. Turn the sauce into a large mixing bowl. Add the pasta and green onions (I didn't have these at home so skipped). Mix well. Mound the pasta in the center of each plate and serve.

Here is a shot of what it should look like. Thank you, Google. This is much prettier than anything I would have taken.



No comments:

Post a Comment