Yes, folks, it's me, Christina from Feisty Repartee. I am still here!
Now I know Michele has posted recipes before, so I am going on a short limb here and posting my recipe for Crawfish Fettucine; however, I'm adding a twist, a little story to go with it.
I have a dear friend who is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana who has introduced me to a more intimate side of tastes and sights of the Crescent City that most tourists miss. Being a natural to instruction, this friend has taught me things about other cities as well.
Returning to Alexandria from Lafayette one afternoon, She had us turn off the interstate in Washington Louisiana to dine at Steamboat Warehouse. She assured me the food was divine and the chef innovative.
After reading the menu, I decided to have fried oysters; however, my friend advised this was a poor choice because the month we were in (May or June) did not have an “r" in it.
Undaunted, I then decided to order the stuffed flounder.
Upon hearing my selection, she reported the “Specials” were unique concoctions of this wonderful chef and if one did not partake when available, one may never have another opportunity to do so.
Alas, I ordered the Special.
Our entrees arrived: huge plates of pasta and crawfish sauce topped with a fried soft-shell crab.
I asked dear friend if she liked soft shell crab. She responded affirmatively and I deposited Mr. Crab on her plate. (I love crab, but not soft-shell. It is something about the texture.)
Surprised she said: "If you don’t like the crab, why did you order the Special, didn't you read what it was?"
Rather than answer, I began devouring the meal, which, by the way, was excellent.
Fifteen minutes after exiting the restaurant, we were back on the interstate when I developed hives and began clawing at my skin. Apparently the now-infamous Special contained some sort of aged cheese to which I am allergic.
This story has nothing to do with this recipe and is absolutely no reflection on Steamboat Warehouse, I just thought it was amusing and I wanted to poke fun at my dear friend.
Crawfish Fettuccine
1 TBS butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
½ cup chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
1 (10-oz) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 cup cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-lb. cooked and peeled crawfish or shrimp
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground red pepper
¼ tsp ground black pepper
4 cups hot cooked fettuccine
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in flour; cook 2 minutes. Stir in milk and tomatoes; cook 7 minutes or until thick. Stir in pasta and remaining ingredients. Spoon fettuccine mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
This week's Carnival of the Recipes is being hosted by Jordana of Curmudgeonry.
