Crawfish Etouffée Arancini

Name: Crawfish Etouffée Arancini
Ingredients: 2 tbsp canola oil; 1 medium onion, (chopped); 1 bell pepper, (chopped); 3 tbsp minced garlic; 1 bunch green onions, tops only, (chopped); 2 tsp chopped parsley; 2 lb crawfish tails; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 2 tsp cayenne; 1 8 oz. can tomato paste; 8 cups water; 4 cups Cajun Country Long Grain Rice; 12 eggs, (beaten); Panko bread crumbs; 2 quarts frying oil

This recipe was shared with us by Jay Ducote, food and beverage writer, blogger and radio host. It was featured at a pop-up dinner at Tin Roof Brewing Company in Baton Rouge.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cajun

Ingredients

2 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 tbsp minced garlic
1 bunch green onions, tops only, chopped
2 tsp chopped parsley
2 lb crawfish tails
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp cayenne
1 8 oz. can tomato paste
8 cups water
4 cups Cajun Country Long Grain Rice
12 eggs, beaten
Panko bread crumbs
2 quarts frying oil

Instructions

In a large stockpot, heat canola oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté until the onion becomes translucent. Add the garlic, green onions and parsley and stir. Toss in the crawfish tails and sauté, seasoning with salt, pepper and cayenne. Add the tomato paste and stir, mixing everything together evenly. Add the water and bring up to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, add the rice and stir, then cover the pot and allow everything to simmer until the rice is fully cooked and has absorbed all the water, about 20 minutes. You are basically making a crawfish jambalaya. Turn heat off and transfer the entire mixture to a large sheet pan or mixing bowl that you can fit in a refrigerator. Refrigerate the rice and crawfish mixture until it is completely cooled.
In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the frying oil to 350F. Ball up the rice and crawfish mixture into Ping-Pong sized balls. One at a time, dip the balls into the egg bath, then coat with panko breadcrumbs, followed immediately by dropping it into the hot oil. Repeat with several more balls. Fry each ball for about 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside. Once removed, season additionally with kosher salt. Hold the arancini in a warming drawer or pan in the oven on warm. Continue to fry in batches until you’ve used all the mixture.
Check out the video from the pop-up dinner at Tin Roof Brewing Company where this recipe was featured: http://youtu.be/aDoea5-1TsI