Marys Crayfish Pies Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Using your hands work in the lard until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Work the dough until you have a smooth ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half and roll each ball into a circle about 14 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick. Gently fold the circle of dough in half and then in half again so that you can lift it without tearing the dough, and unfold into a 9-inch pie pan. Reserve the other circles for the top of the pie.
• In a large saute pan, heat the butter. When the butter is melted, add the onions, peppers, celery, shallots, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Saute for 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are golden and wilted. Add the tomatoes and cook for 6 minutes. Add the crawfish tails and parsley. Stirring occasionally, cook for about 4 minutes. Dissolve the flour in the water and add to the pan. Stir for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
• Pour the cooled filling into the piecrust. Top the filling with the remaining crust and crimp the edges. Place the pie in the center of a cookie sheet and brush with an egg wash. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the edges of the piecrust are golden. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Place a slice of the pie in the center of a plate. Garnish with chives, red peppers, and cheese.

Steps:

• Add bell pepper, onion and celery to butter and saute until tender. Add crawfish fat and simmer covered 10 minutes. Add crawfish tails, green onions and remainder of seasonings. Thicken if necessary with a little cornstarch and let cook long enough to thicken gravy.
• Using your favorite pie crust recipe, make enough pie dough for a double crust pie. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie pan. Gently press the dough to the bottom and sides. Cut excess dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill the pie shell with the cooled filling. With a pastry brush, dip in cold water and moisten the outside edge of the pastry shell. Place top crust over the filling, cutting off the overhang even with the overhang on the bottom crust. Crimp the top and bottom crusts together, trim. Cut 2 or 3 one-inch parallel slits in the top of the pie. Place pie in a preheated 450 degree oven and bake for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 375 degrees and cook for 35 minutes longer or until crust is a golden brown. Serve hot as a main course.
• Individual pies:
• Using the same procedure, individual pie pans or a muffin pan with large cups can be used instead of a large pie pan. Roll the dough, fit into the cups, place the filling in the cups. Moisten the edges with cold water. Place a circle of dough on top. Crimp edges together. Cut a 1-inch slit in the center. Bake as above.

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE CRUST: Lightly grease twenty-four 3-inch muffin cups with cooking spray (you may need to prepare the pies in two batches). In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the 1 cup butter, 2 cups flour, cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, and cayenne until the dough is the size of small peas. Add the eggs, egg yolks, and the 2 teaspoons ice water. Pulse until the dough begins to form a ball. (If you prefer, this can be done in a big bowl with your hands or a pastry cutter: work the butter, flour, cornmeal, salt, Cajun seasoning, and pepper together until they are the size of small peas. Add the eggs, egg yolks, and water and work until the dough forms a ball.) Pat the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while you make the crayfish filling.
• TO MAKE THE CRAYFISH FILLING: In a large, heavy skillet set over medium heat, melt the 1/2 cup butter until it bubbles. Slowly sprinkle on the 1/2 cup flour, stirring constantly until the mixture is combined. Add the yellow and green onions, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes. Stir in the crayfish, garlic, brandy, cream, parsley, Tabasco, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, and cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• To assemble the pies: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Pinch off enough cornmeal dough to make 1 1/2-inch balls. Press the dough balls into prepared muffin cups to cover the bottom and up the sides. Spoon the crayfish filling almost to the top of each pie shell. Bake until the filling is hot and the crust is crisp, about 30 minutes.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Freeze well-wrapped baked and cooled pies up to 3 weeks in advance. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to serve them. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F to warm before serving.
• These may seem large, especially if you're serving them at a utensil-free cocktail party. (For a first course at a dinner party, I present them on plates with knives and forks.) For cocktail parties, cut them in halves or quarters and set them out on serving dishes so they can be easily picked up and eaten in a bite or two.