crawfish enchiladas recipe

Crawfish Enchiladas con Queso

This recipe works equally well substituting 3 pounds of peeled medium-size shrimp for the crawfish. The sauce is also great over spaghetti or rice.

½ lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, in all
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup canned green chilies, drained and chopped
¾ cup finely chopped green bell peppers.
2 ¾ tsp salt, in all
2 ¾ tsp white pepper, in all
1 ½ teaspoons, in all, ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
¾ tsp dried oregano leaves, in all
½ tsp minced garlic
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup dairy sour cream
8 cups, in all, grated Monterey Jack cheese or other white (nonprocessed) cheese, 2 pounds
2 lbs peeled crawfish tails
1 cup very finely chopped green onions
½ cup vegetable oil
20 (6-inch) corn tortillas

1. In a large skillet melt 1 stick of the butter. Add the onions, green chilies, bell peppers, 1¼ teaspoons of the salt, ¾ teaspoon of the white pepper, ½ teaspoon of the red pepper, ¼ teaspoon of the oregano and the garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the heavy cream and bring mixture to a rapid boil; then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the sour cream; with a metal whisk, beat continuously until the sour cream is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add 3 cups of the cheese and stir until melted. Set the sauce aside.

2. In a 4-quart saucepan melt the remaining 1 stick butter. Add the crawfish, green onions and the remaining 1½ teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons white pepper, 1 teaspoon red pepper and ½ teaspoon oregano. Sauté over medium heat for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cheese sauce to the crawfish mixture and stir well. Simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

3. In a small skillet heat the oil to about 325°. Holding tortillas one at a time with metal tongs, dip each into the hot oil just long enough to soften, about 1 second on each side; drain on paper towels. Spoon about ? cup crawfish sauce on each tortilla and roll up tortilla.

4. For the prettiest presentation, broil the enchiladas: Put them all, seam side down, in a flameproof baking dish; or place two on each individual (flameproof) serving plate. Cover each enchilada from end to end with a generous amount of additional sauce, then sprinkle each with ¼ cup cheese. Place the baking dish (or two or three individual plates at a time) under a broiler near the flame until the cheese melts and begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Or, bake the enchiladas in a 350° oven until the cheese melts, about 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately. Note: If you choose to finish the enchiladas in one large baking dish, serve them on heated plates.

Yield: Makes 10 servings
Source: Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen

I haven't made it, but in my view, PP is the man that popularized this dish. My impression is that this recipe is the standard by which others are judged.