Mudbugs with a flair

COOKING WITH ACCENTS

Sautéed Asparagus and Tasso

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1/2 pound chopped Tasso Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1-½ pound asparagus, trimmed

DIRECTIONS Heat a 12-inch fry pan over mediumhigh heat for 2 minutes. Add olive oil and garlic, sauté for 1 minute, then add Tasso. Cook for approximately 4 to 6 minutes until well browned, add lemon juice and pepper, and stir for 1 minute. Add trimmed asparagus, and coat with sausage mixture. Cover, reduce heat to med-low, and simmer for 6 minutes until tender. Serve warm.

Creole Crawfish
Fettuccini
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons butter
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 pound peeled crawfish tails
4 ounces pepper jack cheese
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons Cajun/Creole seasoning
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 pound dry fettuccine pasta
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper and garlic in butter until onions are tender. Stir in flour, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in crawfish. Cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in the pepper jack cheese, cream, Cajun seasonings and cayenne pepper. Cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 9 to 11 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Stir noodles into crawfish mixture; pour into prepared dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve with the shaved Parmesan cheese on top

Chef John’s Famous
Crawfish Cheese Cake
Serves 12
INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST:
6 tbsps melted butter
1 egg white
2 cups crushed cheese crackers
(I use Tabasco Cheese-its.)

INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING:
1 pound crawfish tails
½ pound Andouille sausage, finely diced
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
4 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon creole seasoning
1 teaspoon of dry crawfish boil
3 Tablespoons Louisiana Hot Sauce
2 Tablespoons minced onions
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
¼ cup minced jarred red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced chives
3 large eggs

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE CRUST: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, egg white and crackers. Press mixture into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8 minutes until crisp and slightly browned. Remove from oven and cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

Sautée onions, garlic and diced Andouille sausage until evenly browned over medium heat (approximately 8 min.) drain excess fat and liquid and set aside. In a mixing bowl, blend cream cheese, sour cream, cornstarch, salt, Creole seasoning, blend 2 minutes. Add the browned onions, garlic then the jarred bell pepper and chives. Blend well, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl again. Fold in the crawfish tails. Pour the batter over the cooled crust. Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven for another hour without opening the door. Cool to room temperature. Carefully unmold. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Fresh Fruit Tart
Servces 8
INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter,
softened and sliced
FOR THE FILLING:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 pound each: sliced strawberry, kiwi,
peach and blueberry
1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate,
thawed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Whipped cream, for garnish

DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 350° F.

For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides.

Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Arrange the sliced strawberry around the edge of the crust. For the next circle, use kiwi slices. Add another circle of peaches, filling in any spaces with blueberries.

For the glaze: Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice and sugar in a small saucepan, and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all of the glaze.

Keep the tart in the refrigerator.

Remove about 15 minutes before serving. Slice into 8 wedges, and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

SHOPPING LIST

Butter
Eggs
Cheese crackers (Tabasco Cheese-its)
2 pound crawfish tails
½ pound Andouille sausage
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
Sour cream
Cornstarch
Creole seasoning
Dry crawfish boil
Louisiana hot sauce
Onions
Garlic
Jarred roasted red bell pepper
Chives
1 red bell pepper
All-purpose flour
Pepper jack cheese
Heavy cream
Cayenne pepper
1 pound dry fettuccine pasta
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
1/2 pound Tasso
Lemon
Black pepper
1-½ pound asparagus
Confectioners’ sugar
Granulated sugar
Vanilla extract
1/2 pound each; sliced strawberry, kiwi, peach
and blueberry
1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate,
thawed
Lime juice

Chef John Strand of Accents – Personal Chef Services specializes in elegant inhome dinners and weekly meal services, “making your home your favorite place to eat.” He can be reached via e-mail from his Web site at www.accentspcs.com.