Mini Crawfish Pies

These bite-sized pies are the kind of thing every Louisiana cook keeps in the freezer for surprise guests, holiday appetizer trays, and crawfish boil leftovers. Eight golden shells filled with a creamy mixture shot through with sweet crawfish tails and just enough cayenne to wake your tongue up.

The cream of celery and cream of mushroom soup combo is shortcut alchemy that works because the crawfish flavor is so distinct it doesn’t need a from-scratch bechamel to shine. Butter, shallots, and onion build a savory base, and a little parsley keeps things looking pretty against the pale filling.

Pro Tips

• Don’t overfill the tart shells or the filling will bubble over and burn on the baking sheet. Stop at the rim.
• Crawfish tails release water as they heat. If your filling looks loose, let the skillet bubble an extra minute or two to tighten it up before piping it into the shells.
• Use Louisiana crawfish if you can find them, not the imported stuff. The flavor and texture difference is real.
• These freeze beautifully unbaked. Bake straight from frozen, adding about 10 minutes to the cook time.

Variations

• Swap the crawfish for shrimp or lump crab if crawfish tails are hard to find.
• Add a teaspoon of Creole seasoning or a splash of dry sherry to the filling for more depth.
• Top each pie with a pinch of grated parmesan before baking for a golden crust.