Crawfish Andouille Macaroni Salad

This week’s interesting crawfish recipe (that we have yet to try) comes from a surprisingly local source with a mix of Italian flavor. Not uncommon in many Cajun recipes, as it relates to seasoning and sausage...but Macaroni? That's a new one to us too. Chef Bryan Dooley of Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue shared this recipe recently with the Arizona Republic. If y’all try it out, let us know what you think! How Bryan ever came with this recipe we have yet to be learned, but it sure looks good "mais yeah!?" 

If you have not yet treated yourself to Bryan’s Barbecue, you owe it to yourself to do so next time you find yourself in Cave Creek, Az. Aside from being great food, Bryan is also an ideal local business owner who is heavily involved in the community. He supports local Bull Rider and friend of Arizona Crawfish Company, Wacey Barta and also locally owned Wickenburg radio station Real Country 96.3 KSWQ...which just happens to be the first music station preset in Arizona Crawfish Company's Ford Trucks. P.S. Make sure you check his website for hours; as owner operator he does shut down and take a well earned vacation in the summer.

...think we can fit any more shameless, unsponsored shout-outs in this blog post??? What can we say, we love supporting the locals...here's the recipe:

Crawfish & Andouille Macaroni Salad

with Whole-Grain Mustard Vinaigrette

Serving Size: 8

For Macaroni: 

Ingredients:

3 quarts water

6 bottles of beer (12 ounces each)

1 tablespoon salt

1 box (16 ounces) elbow macaroni

1 tablespoon or so of olive oil

Directions:

Bring water, beer  and salt to a boil. Add pasts and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked. Let cool. Once cooled, coat with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.

For Vinaigrette:

Ingredients:

½ cup cider vinegar

5 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

4 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon clack pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups canola oil

Directions:

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and both peppers in a medium bowl. While still whisking slowly drizzle in oil.

For Salad:

Ingredients:

12 ounces crawfish meat

12 ounces andouille sausage, grilled and sliced

4 ounces red onion, diced

1 ounce chopped Italian parsley

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine crawfish meat, sausage, onions and parsley. Add cooled drained pasts with vinaigrette. Toss well and let chill before serving.

Source:. Publication: Wednesday July 3^rd addition of Arizona Republic, Food & Drink section. Chef: Bryan Dooley of Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue.

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Tomatoes Stuffed with Crabmeat

Tomatoes Stuffed with Crabmeat

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

4 tomatoes

2 cups crabmeat

6 tablespoons mayonnaise

4 teaspoons chopped parsley

4 teaspoons snipped chives

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cayenne pepper

Directions:

Cut off the tops of the tomatoes, and using a small spoon, scoop out the pulp and seeds. Lightly salt the tomatoes and turn them upside-down on paper towels to drain for 30 minutes.

Combine the crabmeat, mayonnaise, parsley, chives and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt, black pepper and cayenne. Stuff the tomatoes with crabmeat, mounding the tops.

Source:. Louisiana Life Magazine, May/June 2013 addition.

And oh yeah…like always…crawfish tails will work just fine in place of the crabmeat!!!!

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Cooking with a Legend: Crawfish Celery Dip - a fast and easy crawsfish appetizer.

Cooking with family and friends has always been a part of Cajun culture and tradition. It's not uncommon to spend and entire day slow cooking a cochon de lait or stirring the roux for a big pot of gumbo just in time for the farmers as they come off the fields at sun down. No matter the hard times they may be going through be it drought, poor crops, slow economy, more mouths the feed than slices of andouille sausage in the jambalaya, oil spills, or anything in between, when the Cajun's get together there will be bon food and bon temps!

This is no exception in our families and around the kitchen of Baby Kay the stories are endless, the drinks are full, memories are created and the meals are legendary. In spite the entire families effort to write down or recreate her recipes, all attempts have failed. Not because Baby Kay (or Mama Kay as her family calls her) is concealing her recipes or cooking secrets, in fact she goes out of her way to help teach the curious minds and watchful eyes lined around her butcher block island. The reason efforts have fallen short is because Mama Kay doesn't follow recipes and never cooks the same thing exactly as she did the last time. But without fail, all her creations are nothing short of perfection.

So, what better way to prepare three frozen pounds of crawfish tales remaining from July 4th's trapping adventure than bringing them over to Mama Kay's to fix up? I couldn't think of one either... Following is one of her favorite "fast & easy" dishes perfect for unexpected guests that happen by or when you need a little filler while waiting on the gumbo to cook down.

Crawfish Celery Dip:

With at least one pound of crawfish tales in a mixing bowl include the following ingredients chopped to preferred size and mixed to taste. After chilling, serve with your choice of assorted crackers...don't expect leftovers.

• Celery stalks
• Parsley
• Green Onions
• Mayo
• Tony Chachere's Seasoning
• Tabasco

This dish also goes great over salad and prefect for hot summer afternoons.

Hope y'all enjoy this Lagniappe creation of Mama Kay's. If you fix it up in your own kitchen drop us line and let us know how it turned out. Bon Appetite!

Y'all come back now ya' hear!?

The Arizona Crawfish Company Family
www.ArizonaCrawfishCompany.com