Fresh (via Fedex) from the south: linguine with crawfish tails and andouille

My husband’s family is from the south, which means that occasionally I get requests for food I’m only barely familiar with. Creole/Cajun food is serious business. Take gumbo, for example. My husband, sister-in-law and in-laws will have long, important debates about which restaurant has the best gumbo, whether a blond or brown roux is best, which gumbo has properly de-slimed okra (or not), what the right thickness and seasoning of the soup is. I have taken a particular liking to crawfish, and whenever we go to Texas to visit we stop in for crawfish at the Rajun’ Cajun, a Louisiana chain. Everyone gets a bucketful of crawfish, red potatoes and corn on the cob, seasoned with an intense mix of spices (or washed off, if you prefer). It’s a lot of work to get through the tough shells to the tail meat, but it’s worth the effort.

You can’t get crawfish in New York. Believe me, I’ve tried. So I was very excited to discover a mail order resource for live crawfish (and all the accompaniments). With a minimum order of 15 pounds, Cajun grocer will overnight live crawfish in a Styrofoam cooler complete with a package of spices (which, of course, I supplemented). While slightly horrified when I lifted off the cover and confirmed the crawfish were in fact alive and well, I nevertheless managed to get them in a huge pot of boiling water seasoned with spices, lemon and onion, and boiled the along with the requisite potatoes and corn. We served them the traditional way, dumping them out on a table lined with newspapers and cracking them one by one. We had them with gumbo, chowder, andouille sausage and boudin (the first time I’ve had boudin). It was an enormous feast but there was surprisingly little left over. What was left, I made into a pasta the next day: whole wheat linguine with crawfish tails, andouille and peas in an olive oil and garlic sauce. The andouille lent an amazing spiciness to the dish, the peas a beautiful color, and the crawfish – well, a decadence that only lobster could beat!

You might not come by crawfish anytime soon, but swap in lobster meat or shrimp as you prefer.

On a completely different topic, I won the vote for the April, 2008 Inspiring Food Photography award run by Margot at Coffee and Vanilla. Thanks so much Margot (and voters) for nominating me and voting me in - I'm displaying my badge proudly and I'm thrilled for the honor! The May nominees are up so hop on over and have a look.

Spicy whole wheat linguine with andouille sausage and crawfish tails

1 pound whole wheat linguine
1 pound crawfish tails or shrimp, shelled and de-veined or lobster meat
½ pound andouille sausage, grilled, halved and cut into ½ inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup peas – steamed, room temperature
¼ cup white wine (approx)
Italian flat leaf parsley (3-4 Tbs, chopped roughly)
Salt and pepper

Boil a large pot of salted water for the pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat oil in a large sauté pan, add garlic, and sauté for a couple minutes until golden (do not burn). Add crawfish tails, andouille, and white wine. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sauté for a few minutes longer. Add peas, sauté for a minute or just enough to warm. Remove from heat, stir in parsley.

Drain pasta and add to sauté pan. Toss to combine with the sauce. Pour into a large bowl. Adjust seasonings. Add additional olive oil if necessary, and serve.