Pappardelle with crayfish

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 cup White Retsina wine*
2 cups Heavy cream
⅔ cup Coarsely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons Fresh thyme leaves
1½ tablespoon Tomato paste
1 teaspoon Grated orange zest
2 Red bell peppers
Salt
3 tablespoons Chopped fresh basil leaves
Lemon slices
1½ pounds Extra-wide egg noodles**
1 pounds Steamed and shelled crayfish tails*** (5 to 6 lbs. unshelled)
6 tablespoons Unsalted butter (2/3 stick) softened or cut into chunks
Freshly ground black pepper
½ pounds Whole boiled crayfish

Directions

GARNISHES

*Dry vermouth can be used instead of Retsina.

**Preferably Italian pappardelle.

***If you cannot find crayfish where you live, substitute medium shrimp.

In an enamel pot, reduce Retsina over medium heat to about ⅓ cup.

Add the cream, shallots, cayenne, thyme, tomato paste and orange zest; combine, then reduce again by one-third. Set aside.

Seed and vein the peppers. Cut lengthwise into ½" slices and steam until barely tender, about 3 or 4 minutes. Set aside.

In a very large pot, bring 6 to 8 quarts of salted water to a boil.

Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 9 to 12 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, heat the sauce over low heat and stir in the crayfish tails. Cook until the crayfish is warmed through. When the pasta is done, drain it and transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in the butter, the crayfish sauce, and a generous grinding of black pepper. Garnish with basil leaves, lemon slices, and whole crayfish.

From Franklin Adams/New Orleans, LA in "Cooking with Herbs" by Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1989. Pg.

76. Posted by Cathy Harned.

Submitted By CATHY HARNED On 10-04-94

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