Cajun Seafood Au Gratin
photo by Brenda B.
- Ready In:
- 35mins
- Ingredients:
- 14
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground red pepper
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 cup chopped green onion
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1⁄2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1⁄2 lb crayfish tail
- 1⁄2 lb lump crabmeat (we use blue crab) or 1/2 lb white crab meat (we use blue crab)
- 1 1⁄2 cups grated cheese (Jack, Swiss, and American work well)
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
directions
- Pour the cream into a large heavy skillet or saucepan and place over medium-high heat.
- The cream will rise before it begins to boil; just stir it to keep it from overflowing.
- Once it begins to simmer, add the herbs, salt, peppers, green onions, and parsley, and continue to let simmer until it becomes thick, 7-8 minutes.
- Stir in the shrimp and let cook 3-4 minutes, then add the crawfish.
- Mix well and let cook 2-3 minutes.
- Gently fold in the crab meat (you paid a premium price for it, so don’t destroy those precious lumps).
- Let cook 2-3 minutes more, then add the 1-1/2 cups cheese and stir gently until it has melted.
- Preheat the broiler.
- Pour the hot seafood mixture into a large ovenproof dish or individual ramekins.
- Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese and glaze under the broiler.
- Serve immediately.
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*******Additional Notes:
- This dish should really be prepared fresh.
- It doesn’t take long to make, and your guests or family will enjoy watching you prepare it.
- You don’t have to use all three kinds of seafood, either.
- Try it with just one or two of them, increasing the amounts, or substitute other kinds of seafood that are readily available.
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Reviews
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This recipe IS wonderful, just like Khandi said! It is extremely easy to prepare and very quick. I did cut back on the pepper, I used 1 t. black, 1/2 t. red and 1/2 t. white. Even at those amounts is was a little too hot for my husband, so if you don\'t like hot foods, go easy on the pepper. You can always add more. At the reduced amounts it was just right for me. Thanks Khandi for this great recipe! Susan
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I made this the other night, and found the seasonings to be way too strong for my palate... so I had to adjust by adding a good bit of regular milk to it to dilute the harshness of the seasonings. This resulted in a much thinner creamsauce, I'm sure. However, the dish was very tasty. I served it as a side dish for steak /mushrooms and roasted asparagus. Will make again, DH raved over it.
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I've made this several times and it's been brilliant every time. I start out by roasting some vegetables with a little olive oil and black pepper in a casserole dish, and then, when the seafood mix is ready, I pour it over the vegetables and add the parmesan cheese to finish it off. I've also made it with whitefish instead of crayfish tails, which gave it a little more body. Either way, it's tasty and easy.
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Tweaks
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I've made this several times and it's been brilliant every time. I start out by roasting some vegetables with a little olive oil and black pepper in a casserole dish, and then, when the seafood mix is ready, I pour it over the vegetables and add the parmesan cheese to finish it off. I've also made it with whitefish instead of crayfish tails, which gave it a little more body. Either way, it's tasty and easy.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I am a teacher that likes to cook - sometimes. Right now I teach 8th grade English. I have three children: Kyndal 17, Spenser 15, and Sophie who will be 4 in October. We live in Waco, TX and like it. It is just the right size for us - not too big, but big enough to have lots of things to do.
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<br>I like to cook when I am 'in the mood'and don't have a lot of other things to do. Before Sophie was born I did a lot of cooking ahead. Something that I am way behind on now.