Kajun Kettle is a food company based
in New Orleans who make a wide variety of products, from seafood gumbo to crawfish bisque,
to sauces and more, but they're most famous (and justifiably so) for their marvelous dish,
"Crawfish Monica"®.
It's one of the most popular dishes served at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival; the
line at the Crawfish Monica® booth is always one of longest on the Fairgrounds. You'll see why if
you stand in it and buy some when you go to Jazzfest, or if you order some
from Kajun Kettle to have at home.
Joe Cahn, formerly of the New Orleans School of Cooking, came up with his take on this delectable
dish and taught it to his students at the school; I offer you his version below. If you can't get
the real thing (and you really should sometime, either in person at Jazzfest or through mail-order),
this version might be worth a try.
This is a very simple and elegant dish, and will impress your guests in
a big way. If you don't have crawfish available in your area, it works well with
shrimp, oysters or crabmeat.
- 1 lb. crawfish tails, boiled and peeled; OR
- 1 lb. shrimp, peeled; OR
- 1 lb. lump crabmeat; OR
- 1 lb. oysters, drained and quartered.
- 1 stick of butter (Do not use margarine.)
- 1 pint of half-and-half
- 1 good-sized bunch green onions, chopped (tops, too)
- 3 - 10 cloves garlic, chopped (to your taste)
- Creole seasoning to taste (or 1 - 2 tbsp.)
- 1 lb. cooked fresh pasta (Dry pasta is all right if fresh is
not available. Rotini is preferred, but use your favorite shape.)
Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain,
then rinse under cool water. Drain again, thoroughly.
Melt the butter in a large pot and saute onions and garlic for
3 minutes. Add the seafood and saute for 2 minutes. Add the
half-and-half, then add several big pinches of Creole seasoning,
tasting before the next pinch until you think it's right. If you've
boiled your own crawfish, save the fat and add it in as well.
Cook for 5 - 10 minutes over medium heat until the sauce thickens.
Add the pasta and toss well. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so over very
low heat, stirring often. Serve immediately, with lots of French bread
and a nice dry white wine.
Special thanks to Monica Davidson (the namesake of Crawfish Monica®) of
Kajun Kettle for her kind permission
to use the trademark "Crawfish Monica"® in the description of this dish.
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Chuck Taggart
(e-mail chuck)