Alane's Crawfish Monica

I had a very lazy Sunday and decided (well, owed--I'll tell you why later) to make some Crawfish Monica.  For those who don't know, that's basically a pasta with a crawfish and cream sauce.  My "new daddy", Steve, brought us a queen mattress on Wednesday that they were going to throw out.  In lieu of pay, I cooked for him.  The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach, after all!

This is the recipe that I've based my cooking on:
http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2010/03/crawfish-monica-copycat.html

This is my version of it...  I made a double batch for Steve and for E's family.

Can't have CM without the pasta.  I like to use the bowties because I think they're cute.  Most people use rotini.  I say use what you have.

For the double batch, I cooked about a pound and a half.  That was the perfect amount.  When I'm cooking just enough for E and I, I cook one pound and it's WAY too much.  If I had to guess I'd say use a half pound.


I chopped onions, green onions, mushrooms, garlic, and parsley.  I use A LOT.  Use to your liking.

 You don't see the garlic because I cheated and used the store bought minced garlic...

I melted some butter...

 ...and added the onions, green onions, and mushrooms and let them saute for about five minutes.

I added the garlic...

 ...and the parsley...

...and now have what some people call a mirepoix, but with mushrooms.

  By this time, the kitchen is REALLY smelling good!







Next, I add the half and half.  I used about a quart and a half.

 

I added a little bit of sour cream and cream cheese.  You have to be careful not to add too much sour cream because then the texture of the monica sauce becomes curdled-looking.  I used about three tablespoons of sour cream and four ounces of cream cheese.  You can choose to omit this step, if you wish.  I think it thickens the sauce and makes it a little richer-tasting.

I attempted to make a video as to how the texture should look.  The background noise is E playing Far Cry 3.  I hope this helps a little bit...

From here, I turn the fire low and let the sauce blend together for about ten to fifteen minutes.  Next I add Tony Chachere's.  I used to use the powdered crawfish boil, believe it or not.  It gave it a nice spicy kick.  But each time the sauce would come out too salty and honestly would be ruined.  From trial and error, I learned that the Tony's is the best bet.  USE A LITTLE AT A TIME!  REMEMBER, ONCE IT'S TOO SALTY, IT WON'T COME OUT RIGHT!  Use caution as well with the seasoning because keep in mind, the crawfish you're using will have some spice, salt, and other natural flavors.

Let it cook together for another five minutes and then add the crawfish, the true gem of the recipe.  ALWAYS USE CRAWFISH FROM A BOIL.  The stuff you buy in the store WILL NOT CUT IT!  It will not have the natural flavors and goodness that the crawfish from the boil has.  Again, use to your liking.  I probably have about five pounds in this batch.

 

Make sure your fire is still low and let it go for another five to ten minutes.  THEN IT'S DONE!

Take your pasta and GRADUALLY add it to the sauce mix.  Blend well and E-N-J-O-Y!

I apologize for the messy stove.  I am a bit ornery about having a clean stove before I cook.  I promise you, I cleaned it before I cooked.  I am a messy stirer and a messy cook. 

And there you have it!  I usually don't compliment myself, but I think this was probably the best one I've cooked to date.  :)

Comment if you have any questions.  I'll be more than happy to answer them.  I'm also open to suggestions as well.  Looking forward to hearing from you!


Alane