Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen (30 page)

1 can (10.75 ounces) cream of mushroom soup

Pinch each of salt and black pepper

Duck Commander Cajun Seasoning (mild or zesty)

1 pound crawfish tail meat, fresh or thawed frozen

2 (9-inch) piecrusts,
homemade
or store-bought, unbaked

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.

2. In the skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Add the flour and stir until the vegetables are coated well. Stir in the soup, salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, and crawfish tails.

4. Fit one piece of dough into the pie pan, pressing it into the sides to prevent it from slipping down. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove it from the oven.

5. Spoon the crawfish filling into the crust and top with the remaining dough. Pinch the edges together. With a knife, make several slashes in the top for steam vents.

6. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

A Note from Miss Kay

The great news about this recipe is that you don’t have to wait until peak crawfish season, which is in the spring, to cook it. You can use frozen crawfish tails, and it’s just as good. Everyone in our family looks forward to crawfish pie at Christmas. It’s a fun and different way to celebrate the season.

Fried Crawfish Patties

Makes 32 patties • Large skillet • Large deep cast-iron skillet

1 stick (
¹
/
₄
pound) butter

2 white onions, diced

¹
/
₄
cup sliced green onions or scallions

1 bell pepper, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

8 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¹
/
₄
cup dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 or 3 dashes Louisiana hot sauce

Salt and black pepper

1 pound lump crabmeat, cleaned

1 pound cooked crawfish tail meat, thawed if frozen

2 large eggs

About 1
¹
/
₂
cups Italian-style bread crumbs

²
/
₃
cup all-purpose flour

Peanut oil, for frying

1. In the large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the white onions, green onions, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the garlic, parsley, thyme, basil, and hot sauce. Transfer to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the crabmeat, crawfish tails, and eggs and mix well. Stir in enough bread crumbs to hold the mixture together. Make 32 small patties (
¹
/
₄
cup each) and roll them in the flour.

3. Fill the deep skillet about halfway with oil. Heat the oil to 350°F over medium heat. (Drop a pinch of flour in the oil to check the temperature. The flour will sizzle when it’s ready.)

4. Working in batches if necessary, carefully add the patties to the oil and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

A Note from Miss Kay

Phil is the best at cooking these delicious treats. He usually cooks them as an appetizer, but we could all eat them for our meal!

Shrimp au Gratin

Makes 12 servings • Large skillet • 12 (6-ounce) custard cups or a regular 12-cup muffin tin

1
¹
/
₂
sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, melted

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

¹
/
₃
cup all-purpose flour

1 quart heavy whipping cream, plus more if needed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for the top (optional)

Dash of hot sauce

Salt and black pepper

1
¹
/
₂
pounds peeled and deveined cooked shrimp (you can also use crabmeat or crawfish for this recipe)

2 cups Italian-style bread crumbs

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.

2. In the skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.

3. Add the flour and mix well. Cook on low heat, stirring often, for 2 minutes (do not scorch or brown).

4. Add the cream and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened. If it gets too thick, add more cream; it should look like thick gravy.

5. Add the cheese and stir until it melts. Add the hot sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the shrimp.

6. Pour into the custard cups. Sprinkle the bread crumbs (and a little cheese, if you like) over the top. Bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes.

A Note from Miss Kay

We love shrimp done any way, but au gratin is so delicious! “Au gratin,” in English, just means “with cheese,” so this is shrimp with cheese. Your family will thank you for making this dish!

Willie’s Crazy Bread

Makes 1 loaf • Cookie sheet

1 loaf French bread (12 inches long and about 9 ounces)

1 stick (
¹
/
₄
pound) butter, melted

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon garlic salt

4 slices bacon, cut in thirds crosswise

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.

2. Slice the bread about 1 inch thick without cutting all the way through. Place the bread on the cookie sheet.

3. Pour butter between the slices, then stuff cheese between the slices. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Top the bread with the bacon slices without overlapping them.

4. Bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.

5. Turn the oven to broil and cook the bacon to your taste.

A Note from Willie

This recipe doesn’t help me keep my girlish figure, but it sure is good. I always like to “experiment” in the kitchen. When I make this, it never makes it to the table. Everyone is waiting by the oven for it to come out.

Do-Ahead Piecrusts

Makes enough for 4 (9-inch) pies • Rolling pin • Pastry blender (Just Google “pastry blender” and see what they look like, then buy one at any store.)

5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 teaspoon salt

2
¹
/
₄
cups butter-flavored vegetable shortening (Crisco is the best)