New Orleans BBQ Shrimp and Crawfish

Chef Margot celebrates Mardi Gras with her New Orleans BBQ Shrimp and Crawfish, a spicy soulful dish perfect with any southern side! Laissez le bon temps roulez!

Ingredients:
1.5 lb peeled and deveined medium shrimp (reserve shells for stock if possible)
1 lb whole cooked crawfish (these are usually available salted or spiced–we like the spiced)
4 Tbsp. butter
1 medium yellow onion, peeled, minced
1 rib celery, minced
½ medium-sized green bell pepper, seeded and minced
2 Tbsp. brandy
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. Cajun seafood seasoning (Cajun Magic, Paul Prudhommes’ brand, is great)
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ cup heavy cream
Hot sauce to taste* (Southerners would use Crystal pepper sauce Louisiana Red pepper sauce, Tabasco or Frank’s Red hot sauce.)

Directions
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the Trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper) with the butter until soft. Add the brandy and carefully flame off. Sprinkle with the flour and cook just until flour starts to bubble. You are not making a brown roux so watch the color!

Add the shrimp, worchestershire sauce and Cajun seafood seasoning. Cook, stirring gently, just until the shrimp turn pink. Add the crawfish and the cream; reduce heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes, allowing the crawfish to heat through and sauce to thicken.

Pull out the crawfish with tongs and set aside, tended with foil to keep warm. Taste sauce and add hot sauce or pepper as desired.

To serve, place a bed of cooked white rice on a dinner plate or shallow bowl; top with shrimp mixture. Add 1 or two whole crawfish to the top of each serving. Serve other Southern sides in dishes to pass around the table. Be sure to have plenty of napkins, Dixie beer and hot sauce on hand!

For a real Mardi Gras dinner, serve with all or any of the following:

• White rice
• Hush puppies or cornbread
• Braised collard greens
• Black-eyed peas
• Fried or stewed okra