Crawfish Pies Recipe

Prep ingredients

If using frozen crawfish, thaw and pat dry. Finely dice onion, bell pepper and celery (the classic 'holy trinity'). Mince garlic, chop parsley and slice green onions.

In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter until foamy.

Add the diced onion, bell pepper and celery to the skillet. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and translucent, about 4–5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds, until fragrant, taking care not to brown.

Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cook the roux for 1–2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste, stirring constantly so it doesn’t darken.

Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup chicken or seafood stock, scraping up any browned bits. Then whisk in 1/4 cup whole milk until a smooth, slightly thickened sauce forms, about 1–2 minutes.

Stir in the crawfish tails and cook gently just until they are heated through, about 1–2 minutes. Do not overcook or they will become tough.

Season the filling with 1/2 tsp Creole/Cajun seasoning, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp hot sauce and 1/2 tsp lemon juice. Stir in 1 tbsp chopped parsley and 1 tbsp sliced green onion. Taste and adjust salt or heat as desired.

Remove the skillet from heat and let the filling cool slightly while you prepare pastry (filling should be warm, not piping hot, for easier assembly).

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

If using a full sheet of refrigerated dough or puff pastry, lightly flour a work surface and roll out gently to smooth seams. Cut three rounds (about 4–4.5 inches / 10–11.5 cm diameter) for bottoms and three slightly larger rounds for tops, or cut six equal rounds and use three as bottoms and three as tops. Alternatively, use small tartlet pans or a muffin tin and press dough to form shells.

Place three bottom rounds on the prepared baking sheet (or fit into tartlet pans). Spoon about 1/3 cup of the crawfish filling into each bottom shell, leaving a small border to seal.

Brush the edges of the bottom rounds lightly with beaten egg wash (1 egg + 1 tsp water beaten together). Place the top round over each filled bottom and press edges to seal. Crimp edges with a fork or your fingers to ensure a good seal and vent any excess steam by cutting a small slit in each top.

Brush the pies with remaining egg wash and, if desired, brush a little melted butter on top and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.

Bake in the preheated oven until pastry is golden and puffed, 16–22 minutes depending on thickness and oven. Rotate the sheet halfway through for even browning.

Remove from oven and let pies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set the filling. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.