Crawfish Meghna

This is the Brooklyn, quick version of Crawfish Monica, which is required eating at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest each year.

CourseMain Course

CuisineCajun, Creole, New Orleans

KeywordCajun, Crawfish Monica, Creole, Jazzfest

Servings6

1 good-sized bunch green onions, chopped, plus more chopped for garnish, if desired (tops, too)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups grated Gouda (Gouda is our new fav here though we have used Parmesan in the past. Aged orange cheddar might also work.)
1/2 lb cooked fresh pasta (Rotelli is preferred, and whole wheat isn’t good with this)
3 tbsp salted butter
1-2 tsp Penzey’s Cajun Seasoning (or jerk spice I think I used this time?)
2 tsp Penzey’s smoked paprika
1 lb cooked crawfish tails (or 1 bag frozen langoustine from Trader Joe’s works in a pinch)
1 can evaporated milk (12oz)

Chop green onions, dice garlic and grate the gouda.
Cook pasta in PRESSURE cooker to retain the starch as a thickener. Use 2 cups water for every 1/2 lb of pasta. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes and use the quick release.
Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté onions for a few minutes until they soften. Then add garlic and sauté 2 minutes more.
Add spices and stir.
Add the seafood and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the evaporated milk, and additional spice as desired
When it starts to boil, lower heat and cook for a few minutes more, which allows crawfish to take on some of the flavor.
Add seafood mixture into pasta and stir well. Heat over low heat to thicken a bit.
Serve immediately. Garnish with chopped green onions, if desired.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!