Creole Crawdad Fett Recipe
Crawdads with onion, roasted garlic, tomato & peppers over pasta.
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Ingredients
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Crawdad Creole Sauce
Pasta
Garnish (optional)
Method
Pasta
Cook pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbsp salt. Add fettuccine and cook until just shy of al dente according to package instructions (usually 9–11 minutes). Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside, tossing with a small drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
Crawdad Creole Sauce
Prepare aromatics
Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter. When the butter foams, add the diced onion and bell peppers. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in the mashed roasted garlic and cook 30 seconds to bloom the flavor.
Build the base
Add 2 tbs tomato paste to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, 1–2 minutes until it darkens slightly. Add the diced tomatoes and cook 3–4 minutes until they begin to break down.
Deglaze and simmer
Pour in 1 cup white wine (or seafood stock) to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Allow the liquid to reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup chicken or seafood stock, 1.5 tsp Creole seasoning, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp hot sauce, and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 6–8 minutes to meld flavors and slightly thicken.
Cook crawdads
Add the crawdad tails to the simmering sauce and cook just until they turn opaque and are heated through, 3–4 minutes. Do not overcook to avoid rubbery texture.
Finish sauce
Remove the pan from heat. Stir in 1 tbs lemon juice and 1/4 cup heavy cream if using to round and enrich the sauce. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper; taste and adjust seasoning. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in 2 tbs chopped parsley and 2 tbs chopped green onions.
Combine with pasta
Add the drained fettuccine to the pan with the sauce. Toss gently to coat, adding reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time as needed to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the pasta (use up to the reserved 1/2 cup). Heat together over low for 1–2 minutes until fully combined and saucy.