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Crawfish Beignets with Spicy Tartar Sauce

Source of Recipe

Gourmet archives


Recipe Introduction

"Acadians love to have a good time, and their good times usually include food, lots of it. This legacy runs very deep...and I hope there is no end in sight." — Emeril Lagasse, in Louisiana, Real and Rustic."

List of Ingredients

â—¦  1 cup all-purpose flour
â—¦  1 teaspoon baking soda
â—¦  1 cup water
â—¦  1 clove garlic, minced
â—¦  â…“ cup minced red bell pepper
â—¦  ½ cup finely chopped scallions
â—¦  Tabasco, to taste
â—¦  ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
â—¦  Salt, to taste
â—¦  ½ pound cooked, shelled and chopped crawfish tails, or shrimp may be substituted

Spicy Tartar Sauce:
â—¦  ¾ cup mayonnaise
â—¦  2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
â—¦  2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
â—¦  2 tablespoons minced parsley
â—¦  3 tablespoons minced cilantro
â—¦  2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapeño
â—¦  2 tablespoons minced red onion
â—¦  Salt
â—¦  Cayenne pepper or Tabasco, to taste
â—¦  Lemon wedges

â—¦  Vegetable oil for frying


Recipe

In a bowl combine flour and baking soda. Whisk in 1 cup water. Stir in garlic, bell pepper, scallions, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and the crawfish (or shrimp), stirring until well combined. Cover bowl and let batter stand for one hour.

In a bowl stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, jalapeño, and red onion. Season with salt, cayenne, and/or Tabasco. Chill for service.

In a deep, heavy pan or deep fryer, heat 3 inches of oil to 325° F. Drop spoonfuls of batter into oil and fry the beignets, turning them once, until golden. Transfer the beignets to a paper towel-lined sheet pan to drain. Season with salt. Continue frying remaining batter in same manner.

Serve the beignets warm with the tartar sauce and lemon wedges.