From "The Infinite Feast: How to Host the Ones You Love—Recipes from the Big Easy . . . and Beyond" by Brian Theis, 2020 Click here for more on my new cookbook!
Creole Crawfish 'n Cornbread Dressing
Makes 10 to 12 servings
This crawfish, andouille and cornbread dressing is great with a lot of mains besides turkey, all year long. I love it with a big broiled pork chop and buttery petits pois. The pickled vegetables add a tangy Sicilian touch. The slicing and dicing for this recipe is well worth it. It's enjoyable to put together. You can make the day before and cover tightly in fridge. It stays tasty and moist. Reheat, covered, at 325°F for 45 minutes.
7 cups Belle Reve Honey Cornbread (under Thanksgiving recipes on this site as well), 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes. Uses about 2/3 of the recipe, so you have some left to warm up and serve with the meal.
12 ounces andouille sausage, diced
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 small sweet onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 ribs celery, sliced thin
1 small green bell pepper, diced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound crawfish tails, thawed and patted dry
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning with salt (like Tony Chachere's)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup muffuletta salad or chopped mild giardiniera
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 cup sliced scallions, mostly white, some green parts
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups chicken broth (with salt)
Make Belle Reve Honey Cornbread, let sit for an hour then cube. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter. On a baking sheet, spread the cornbread cubes, toast in oven 15 minutes, set aside.
In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat sausage over medium to medium-high heat, about 4 minutes, push sausage to the side of the pot. Melt butter in pot. Add onion, celery, bell peppers, bay leaves, oregano and garlic powder. Cook vegetables till softened, about 8 minutes.
Add crawfish, Creole seasoning, pepper. Toss with vegetables till just heated, 4 minutes. Remove bay leaves and reduce heat to low.
In a very large bowl, whisk together muffuletta salad, parsley, scallions, egg, broth. Fold in the cornbread, and the andouille/crawfish mixture. Combine gently but thoroughly.
To prepared baking dish, add dressing mixture. Bake uncovered till bubbling, about 30 minutes.
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