Crawfish Pot Pie Recipe

Make the dough

If using store-bought dough, skip to chilling. For homemade: In a large bowl combine 2.5 cups flour and 1 tsp salt. Add the cold butter cubes and toss to coat. Using a pastry cutter or fingers quickly cut the butter into the flour until mixture resembles coarse peas with some pea-sized butter bits remaining.

Sprinkle ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, over the flour-butter mixture and gently mix with a fork until dough just comes together and holds when pinched. You may not need all the water. Do not overwork. Gather dough into a disk, divide in half (top and bottom crust), wrap tightly in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C) while filling is finishing. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk into a 12-inch circle for bottom crust and place in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Roll second disk to about 10-inch for top or shape as lattice/cover. Trim edges leaving a 1/2-inch overhang; chill while you prepare filling.

Beat the egg with 1 tsp milk to make egg wash and keep refrigerated until ready to brush crust.

Prepare vegetables and roux

In a large heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tbs butter. Add diced onion, celery, and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and softened, about 6–8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Sprinkle 1.25 cups flour over the softened vegetables and stir to coat. Cook the flour-veg mixture 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly to remove the raw flour taste but do not let it brown excessively (you are making a blond roux).

Add liquids and seasonings

Gradually whisk in 2 cups milk and 1 cup chicken stock, a little at a time, whisking to smooth lumps. Add bay leaf, 1 tsp Creole/Cajun seasoning, 1 tsp Dijon, 1 tsp Worcestershire, 1/2 tsp hot sauce (if using), and 1 tsp chopped thyme. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, until it thickens to a glossy gravy that coats the back of a spoon, about 6–8 minutes.

Remove and discard bay leaf. Stir in 2 tbs chopped parsley, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Fold in crawfish and peas

Reduce heat to low and stir in the cooked crawfish tails and frozen peas (if using). Warm through gently for 2–3 minutes—do not overcook crawfish to avoid toughness. The filling should be thick; if too thin, simmer 1–2 minutes more to reduce. Remove from heat and let cool slightly while you assemble the pie.

Preheat oven (if not already) to 400°F (205°C). Fill the chilled bottom crust-lined pie plate with the cooled crawfish filling, mound slightly in the center.

Brush the edge of the bottom crust with water, place top crust over filling. Trim excess dough, fold the top and bottom edges under and crimp to seal. Cut a few small vents in the top crust to allow steam to escape; optionally create decorative slits or use a lattice.

Brush the top crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle a light pinch of Creole seasoning or coarse salt if desired.

Place pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes at 400°F, then reduce heat to 375°F (190°C) and bake an additional 25–30 minutes until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Total bake time about 45–50 minutes.

If the crust browns too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil for the remainder of baking.

Remove pie from oven and let rest on a cooling rack 10–15 minutes before slicing to allow filling to set.

Slice and serve warm, garnished with extra chopped parsley and lemon wedges on the side. Offer additional hot sauce or Creole seasoning at the table.