CRAWFISH CHEESECAKE II, beurre blanc

Crawfish Cheesecake II

Ingredients

• ½ (13.7-ounce) box Ritz crackers
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• ½ pound andouille sausage, sliced
• ½ pound crawfish tail meat
• ¼ cup chopped fresh jalapeño pepper
• 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup Crawfish Beurre Blanc, recipe follows

Instructions

• 1
  Preheat oven to 325°.
• 2
  In the bowl of a food processor, add crackers, and process until finely chopped. In a medium bowl, combine cracker crumbs and butter. Press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
  Bake 10 minutes; set aside.
• 3
  In a medium skillet over medium high heat, add sausage, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add crawfish and jalapeño, and cook until jalapeño softens, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside, and let cool.
• 4
  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream with a mixer at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add crawfish mixture, thyme, salt, and pepper, and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition.
• 5
  Pour cream cheese mixture over prepared crust. Set springform pan in a roasting pan, and fill with water half-way up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until set and cheesecake jiggles lightly in the center, about
  1 hour. Remove from oven, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 3 days before serving. Serve with Crawfish Beurre Blanc, if desired.

Crawfish Beurre Blanc Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• ¼ pound crawfish tail meat
• ¼ cup chopped shallot
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed

Instructions

• 1
  In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add oil. Stir in crawfish, shallot, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until shallot is tender, about 3 minutes. Set aside, and let cool.
• 2
  In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine wine, vinegar, hot sauce, thyme, peppercorns, and garlic, and cook until reduced by one-third, about
  15 minutes. Strain liquid through
  a fine mesh strainer; return
  liquid to pan.
• 3
  Add cream, and cook until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about
• 4
  10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in butter, one cube at a time, until butter is melted and the sauce is smooth; stir in remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Stir in crawfish mixture. Serve immediately.

CRAWFISH CHEESECAKE

Crawfish Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS FOR CRUST:

• 3 tbsps melted butter

• 1 egg white

• 1 cups crushed butter crackers (like Ritz)

METHOD FOR CRUST:

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, egg white and crackers.

Press mixture into the bottom of two 4 1/2-inch springform pans (or you could use 7oz ceramic ramekins).

Bake for 8 minutes to crisp. Remove from oven and cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F.

INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING:

• 1/2 pound crawfish tails, chopped

• 1 1/2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 1 1/2 tbsps cornstarch

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp Zatarain's Creole seasoning

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 1/2 tbsps minced onions

• 2 1/2 tbsps minced red bell pepper

• 1/4 cup sliced chives

• 1 large eggs

METHOD FOR FILLING:

In a mixing bowl, blend cream cheese, sour cream, cornstarch, salt, Creole seasoning, cayenne, onions, bell pepper and chives. Blend well, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add egg and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl again. Fold in the chopped 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 on a rack for at least 4 hours. Carefully unmold. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve with crackers or alone.

This dish was so easy to make and oh so delicious. The savory twist on this famous dessert is very satisfying. The assembly was a breeze and it would be great to make this the day before you need it in order to let it set over night for the right consistency. The flavor was amazing and the crust was addictive!

OYSTER DRESSING

Voivedich Family Oyster Dressing recipe

Serves about 10 to 12

1 loaf New Orleans-style French bread, stale, cut into cubes

2 pints large Louisiana oysters plus reserved liquor

1 cup small diced celery

1/2 cup green onion, sliced and chopped fine

1/4 cup finely minced parsley

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

2 eggs, beaten

8-12 ounces chicken stock, low sodium, as needed

Salt, if needed

White pepper, to taste

Sprinkle bread crumbs on top, if desired

Place stale bread cubes in a food processor and pulse lightly once or twice to break up bread, but retain bite-size pieces. Place bread in large mixing bowl.

Pour whole oysters and liquid into large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until oysters are just slightly curled. Immediately spoon oysters in bowl with bread and lightly toss. Reserve liquid.

Return skillet to heat and melt butter. Saute celery until just translucent. Add green onions and parsley and cook for another minute. Add seasoning to bread and oysters.

Gently add beaten eggs and stir until just mixed.

Check for moistness and add oyster liquid as needed. Then, add stock to moisten as needed. The amount of stock will vary depending on how much oyster liquid is available. Breading should be soaked through and wet with no dry spots.

Place dressing in buttered casserole dish.  And cover lightly with foil. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top, if desired.

Bake in a 350-degree oven until light and bubbling, about 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1-1/2 hours. Check at 1 hour to ensure it does not over-bake. For final 5 or 10 minutes, remove foil and brown top of dressing.

***

JAZZ FEST STUFFED CRAWFISH BREAD

Jazz Fest Stuffed Crawfish Bread

Serves 12

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup butter, plus more (melted) for brushing

• 2 cups onion, finely chopped

• 1 cup bell pepper, finely chopped

• 1 pound peeled Louisiana crawfish tails with fat

• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1 tablespoon hot sauce

• 2 loaves frozen bread dough, such as Bridgeford, defrosted

• 1½ cups mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

• 1½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Method: 

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sauté 5 to 10 minutes or until translucent. Reduce heat to medium. Add bell pepper and garlic, sauté 5 to 8 minutes. Add crawfish, green onion, hot sauce, and salt and pepper; sauté 5 minutes to marry flavors. Cover and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Roll each defrosted loaf of bread dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 20x5-inch rectangle. Cut each rectangle in half width-wise. Spoon half the crawfish mixture into center of each piece; top with half of each type of cheese. Fold dough over and pinch edges to seal, fully enclosing filling. Cut 2-inch slits on top of filled dough for venting. Repeat with remaining dough and crawfish mixture. Place loaves on a greased baking sheet and brush tops with melted butter. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden.

Cool 10 minutes. Slice and serve warm.

Note: Stuffed loaves may be cooked halfway, cooled, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and frozen. To finish, bring to room temperature, unwrap, and complete baking to serve.

GRITS CAKES

FRIED GRITS PATTIES

READY IN: 24 hrs 3 mins

SERVES: 8

YIELDS: 8 patties

INGREDIENTS

1 1⁄2 cups grits

5  cups water

3  tablespoons butter

 salt (to taste)

1⁄2 cup andouille sausage, finely diced

4  tablespoons cheddar cheese, shredded

1  tablespoon black pepper

1⁄4 cup  oil

1  cup flour

1  cup  Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Egg wash

1  egg

3⁄4 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

1 In one quart sauce pot bring water to rolling boil. Add butter and salt. Fold in grits and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until grits are tender stirring occasionally. (Can also use quick cooking grits but change water accordingly).

2 When cooked remove from heat and stir in sausage, cheese, and pepper. Pour hot grits into sheet pan with 1 inch lip. Smooth out to 3/4" thickness. Cool overnight in refrigerator.

3 The next morning use a 3" round cookie cutter to cut circles (about 8 patties).

4 Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.

5 Prepare egg wash: Beat egg and milk together.

6 Dip patties into egg wash then flour then egg wash then bread crumbs.

7 Pan fry until golden.

8 Serve as side dish or under poached eggs.

MOONSHINE CAKE

MOONSHINE CAKE

i love whskey i love shine but i damn sure love my grandma’s old fashioned home made southern moonshine cakes

MOONSHINE CAKE recipe 1

Day 1 (The day you get your starter):*

Pour starter into a gallon glass container.

Add to starter:

1 (16-oz) can of sliced peaches and the juice from the peaches

1 1/2 cups sugar

(Keep covered lightly and at room temperature.) Stir daily for 9 days.

Day 10:

Add:

2 cups sugar

1 (16-oz) can chunk pineapple and juice

Stir daily for 9 days.

Day 20:

Add:

2 cups sugar

1 (16-oz) can fruit cocktail and its juice

1 (10 oz) jar maraschino cherries and its juice

Stir daily for 9 days.

Day 30:

Strain fruit; divide into 3 equal parts (each part will make 3 cakes).

Divide starter liquid into 5 parts, give to 4 friends, keeping one part for yourself to start a new batch.

FOR EACH CAKE:

2/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1 box (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

1 box vanilla instant pudding

1/3 of the strained fruit mixture

1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a (10-inch) Bundt pan, or 2 (9x5x2-inch) loaf pans.

In large bowl, mix together the oil and the eggs with electric mixer, on high speed. Add the (dry) cake mix and the (dry) pudding mix. Beat well. Fold in 1/3 of the strained fruit, and the nuts. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cakes may be frozen for up to 1 year.

*If you don't have a friend to give you the starter, you can use this recipe, beginning with the ingredients used on the first day, and add 1 (6 oz) can apricot nectar, and 1/4 cup of any good liquor.

southern MOONSHINE CAKE recipe 2

This cake starter and cake recipe takes 44 days from start to finish.

MOONSHINE CAKE STARTER:

3/4 cup drained canned peaches

3/4 cup drained canned pineapple chunks

6 marachino cherries, cut up

1 pkg. dry yeast

Put all ingredients in a glass jar and leave at room temperature for 2 weeks. Store mixture in a covered plastic container (NOT METAL) at room temperature. Fruit may bubble and lid may pop off. Do NOT refrigerate the mixture. Use only a wooden spoon when mixing.

AFTER 2 WEEKS ADD:

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 (16 oz.) can sliced peaches with juice

STIR THE MIXTURE EVERY DAY

10 DAYS LATER ADD:

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 (20 oz.) can chunk pineapple with juice

STIR THE MIXTURE EVERY DAY

10 DAYS LATER ADD:

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 (16-oz) can fruit cocktail with juice

1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries with juice

STIR THE MIXTURE EVERY DAY

10 DAYS LATER:

Drain the liquid from the fruit. (DO NOT discard). Let the fruit stand overnight and drain again in the morning.

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT:

Divide the fruit into thirds for 3 cakes. You will get about 2 cups of fruit per cake.

Divide the remaining juice (starter) and place in glass jars with tight fitting lids. You should have 6 starters (1 1/2 cups each). Give to friends with a copy of the recipe ASAP.

TO MAKE THE CAKE:

1 pkg (2 layer size) yellow cake mix* (NOT the pudding kind)

1/2 cup oil

4 eggs

approximately 2 cups moonshine starter

1 (4 serving size) box instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cup chopped nuts (your choice)

Mix all the ingredients and bake in a greased Bundt or tube pan at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes and then remove cake from pan and cool completely.

*Other cake flavors may be used.

NOTE: Cakes freeze well, but wrap them carefully so they don't dry out.

southern MOONSHINE CAKE recipe 3(30 DAY CAKE)

1. Never refrigerate mixture.

2. Use a gallon or larger container.

3. Mixture will foam and bubble.

4. Cakes may be frozen after baking.

Day 1 - to container Add:

Starter

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 (29 oz.) can peaches, chopped with juices

Stir.

Days 2-9:

Stir mixture daily.

Day 10 Add:

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 (20 oz.) can chopped pineapple with juices

Stir.

Days 11-19:

Stir mixture daily.

Day 20 Add:

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 (16 oz) can fruit cocktail with juices

1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries with juices

Stir.

Days 21-29:

Stir mixture daily.

Day 30:

Drain fruit and save liquid. Divide juice into 6 equal parts for future cakes. Let fruit stand overnight.

Day 31:

Divide fruit into thirds (about 2 cups per cake) and bake.

CAKE RECIPE:

1 pkg. (2 layer size) yellow cake mix (without pudding in the mix)

2/3 cup oil

4 eggs

2 cups fruit mixture

1 (4-serving size) box vanilla instant pudding

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients together.

Bake in a greased Bundt or tube pan at 350 degrees F for approximately 1 hour

HOT PEPPER VINEGAR

Getting these bad boys and vinegar to make old fashioned pepper vinegar.  These are ghost papers that register 855,000 on the Scoville Units scale. By comparison cayenne peppers are about 50’000 units.

Hot Pepper Vinegar

   Once on everybody’s dinner table. Used in particular on braised greens. Cayenne peppers were the most common, but any will work.

Wash hot red or green peppers; prick with a large needle (to allow the vinegar to get inside). Pack into sterilized bottles; cover with boiling hot vinegar. Cork at once. Keeps virtually forever at room temperature.