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mon pirogue

(1 rating)
sclaalcs avatar
Recipe by
Chef Scott
@sclaalcs
New Orleans, LA

Mon Pirogue, roughly translated “My Boat or Canoe”, is a small flat bottom boat designed particularly for fishing shallow rivers, bayous and marshes. Early inhabitants of Louisiana used Pirogues for their livelihood. Pirogues were used for traveling and food gathering. Pirogue owners of LA would bring back catfish, crawfish, shrimp, crabs, oysters, and yes, alligators. In our garden, eggplants are plentiful, so we cut an inch thick slice of eggplant (cut long ways) into the shape of a Pirogue. We add carefully prepared crawfish etouffe, scampi, alligator and catfish to compliment the Pirogue.

(1 rating)
yield 6 serving(s)
prep time 30 Min
cook time 1 Hr 15 Min

Ingredients For mon pirogue

  • CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE
  • 1 lb
    crawfish tails
  • 1/4 c
    olive oil
  • 1 stick
    butter
  • 1 md
    onion
  • 2 clove
    garlic
  • 1 Tbsp
    green onions
  • 1/2 sm
    bell pepper
  • 1 tsp
    parsley
  • 1 tsp
    cornstarch
  • 1/4 c
    white wine
  • 1/2 c
    half and half
  • 1 lg
    bay leaf
  • 1 pinch
    white pepper
  • 1 pinch
    black pepper
  • 1 pinch
    cayenne pepper
  • 2 dash
    tony chachere's creole seasoning
  • SHRIMP SCAMPI
  • 1 lb
    shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 stick
    butter
  • 1 Tbsp
    olive oil
  • 2 clove
    garlic
  • 1 tsp
    parsley
  • 1/4 c
    fresh mushrooms
  • 1/2 Tbsp
    cornstarch
  • 1/4 c
    sherry
  • 1/2 tsp
    oregano, fresh
  • 1 pinch
    basil, dried
  • 1 pinch
    cayenne pepper
  • 1 pinch
    tony chachere's creole seasoning to taste
  • SMOTHERED ALLIGATOR IN CREAM SAUCE
  • 1 lb
    fresh alligator tail steak
  • 1/2 stick
    butter
  • 1/2 c
    vegetable oil
  • 1 Tbsp
    sugar
  • 2 clove
    garlic minched
  • 1/4 c
    green onion tops
  • 1/2 c
    onions
  • 1/4 c
    parsley
  • 1/2 c
    white wine
  • 2 Tbsp
    flour
  • 1/2 c
    half and half
  • 1 pinch
    white pepper
  • 1 pinch
    black pepper
  • 1 pinch
    cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp
    nutmeg
  • 1 pinch
    tony chachere's creole seasoning to taste
  • EGGPLANTS (THE PIROGUES)
  • 2 lg
    eggplants
  • 1 gal
    oil for deep frying
  • 1 c
    flour
  • 3 lg
    eggs
  • 1 pinch
    white pepper
  • 1 pinch
    black pepper
  • 1 pinch
    tony charchere's creole seasoning
  • 1 c
    bread crumbs, seasoned
  • GRILLED CATFISH
  • 6 md
    whole catfish
  • 1/2 stick
    butter
  • 1/4 c
    vegetable oil
  • 1/2 c
    italian dressing
  • 2 clove
    minced garlic
  • 1 pinch
    paprika
  • 1 pinch
    tony chachere's creole seasoning to taste

How To Make mon pirogue

  • 1
    Crawfish Etouffee In a skillet, sauté onions, bell pepper, green onions, bay leaf, garlic, and parsley in butter and olive oil for 5 minutes. Add cornstarch and thicken for about a minute. Add crawfish tails, white wine, 1 cup of water and stir. Add white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and Tony. Cook on low for about 15 minutes. Add half and half then cook on very low for 5 more minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
  • 2
    Shrimp Scampi Melt butter in a skillet. Add garlic and olive oil. Let sauté for a couple of minutes (do not brown garlic). Add shrimp and sauté lightly. Add chopped mushrooms, oregano, basil, parsley, Tony and cayenne pepper. Stir for one minute then pour in sherry, and sprinkle in cornstarch. Saute for 3 minutes.
  • 3
    Smothered Alligator in Cream Sauce In a skillet, heat vegetable oil until it begins to smoke slightly. Add sugar in center of hot oil until sugar turns dark brown (could be black in some spots). Immediately add alligator meat into hot sugar oil. All pieces should be coated with the sugar and oil. Stir slightly. Add flour, onions, parsley, onion tops, garlic, peppers, Tony, and nutmeg. Stir a few times until the bottom of skillet turns brown. This is the seasoning roux. Pour in white wine and a 1 1/2 cup of water. Cover and smother for 15 minutes on low, stiring occasionally. Gravy will become thick, add half and half, butter and simmer for 5 minutes on very low. Set aside.
  • 4
    Eggplants (The Pirogues) Heat oil in a deep fryer at 375 to 400 degrees. Mix flour, Tony, black pepper, and white pepper in a flat dish. Wash, then dry eggplants. Cut eggplants long ways from the middle about ½ inch thick. You should get about three slices from each eggplant. Dip each slice one at a time into the flour mixture, then the eggs, then flour, then eggs, then seasoned bread crumbs. Press the bread crumbs into each eggplant making sure all sides are well coated. Deep fry the eggplants (Pirogues) until golden brown about 3 minutes. Set aside.
  • 5
    Grilled Catfish Coat each catfish with Italian dressing. Rub with garlic, paprika and Tony. Oil a section of a hot grill for 6 catfish. Add butter then grill each catfish on both sides until brown. About 2 minutes each side.
  • 6
    How to Serve Place each fried eggplant in the middle of a serving plate. Put a grilled catfish on top of each fried eggplant. Top each grilled catfish with crawfish etouffee. Put shrimp scampi (about 4 to 6 shrimp) on one side of your Pirogue and smothered alligator on the other. Sprinke with fresh chopped parsley. Voila! Taste Wonderful. Only hot garlic toast and a glass of Riesling could make this better. Chef Scott
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