Born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, crawfish was a “staple” in my house. My Mom would pick up those delectable tails each time she went to the grocery store in order to be fully prepared for an impromptu feast. Served with a side salad or fresh buttery green beans, this family recipe will be sure to delight.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 cup hot shellfish broth or water
• ½ small green bell pepper, cored and finely diced
• ½ rib celery, finely diced
• 1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce (optional)
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 lb crawfish tails, fresh or thawed
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• salt and black pepper to taste (or any authentic Cajun seasoning)
• 2 refrigerated or homemade 9-inch pie crusts

Directions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until roux mixture turns light brown. Carefully add half the onion. Cook until onion becomes translucent. Slowly add hot broth or water. Stir until roux dissolves and mixture is thickened.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining onion, plus green pepper, celery, and tomato. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring often. Add Tabasco, cayenne, and crawfish tails. Cook 10 minutes longer. Stir in cream and spices to taste. Remove from heat and let stand until just warm. Mixture should be very thick.
3. Press one pie crust into a buttered 9-inch pie plate. Pour crawfish mixture into the crust. Flatten remaining crust on a cutting board and cut into a large circle, star, or diamond shape. Place the shaped crust on top of the filling. The top crust should rest on top of the filling at the center of the pie. Bake at 350˚F for 40 to 45 minutes or until crust is browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

If you are gluten-free, you can substitute the all-purpose flour with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour. There is no need for measurement adjustment. I use the Wholly Wholesome gluten-free pie crusts that can be found in the frozen section of your local Wholefoods.