Crawfish Time
CRAWFISH-CHIVE CORNMEAL CAKES
MAKES 18 TO 20
These cornmeal cakes have plenty of chopped crawfish tails for some Bayou State flavor.
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup self-rising yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ cup whole buttermilk, room temperature
⅓ cup water, room temperature
¼ cup vegetable oil, plus more for frying
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup chopped crawfish tails, drained and rinsed
¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives
¾ cup sour cream
¼ cup Creole mustard
Garnish: ground black pepper, chopped fresh chives, cooked crawfish tails
1. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, garlic powder, and black pepper. Make a well in center of flour mixture; add buttermilk, ⅓ cup water, oil, and eggs, whisking until well combined. Stir in crawfish and chives.
3. In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, add enough oil to just coat bottom of skillet; heat over medium heat.
4. Drop batter by 2 tablespoonfuls into hot oil, spreading into a 3-inch circle; cook until golden brown and crisp, about 1 minute per side. Remove using a slotted spatula, and let drain on prepared pan. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to skillet as needed.
In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and mustard until well combined. Serve immediately with cornmeal cakes.
