Dallas Dining

I'll be the first to admit I'm not the most adventurous person. I enjoy trying new things, but I'm a creature of habit and I like routine. I watch Man vs. Wild and feel weak every time Bear eats a grub or a snake and I've never been closer to vomiting at the dinner table than the first time I ate sushi. That being said, I ate the sushi and I love it now. When we went to Pappadeaux's in Dallas this weekend I about died when my brother and sister-in-law ordered frog legs for the appetizer. After a lot of convincing I took a bite and who knew that they weren't that bad. To top off the meal I ate crawfish and catfish too, not a big deal to a lot of you...big deal to me! Utah doesn't exactly have restaurants that carry the same sort of food as Pappadeaux's so I haven't ever had an opportunity to eat frog legs, crawfish, catfish, and etouffee with dirty rice, I'm glad that I had the chance. In honor of my new found foods I'm posting a copycat recipe from Pappadeaux's restaurant.

Title: Pappadeaux'S Sweet Potato Pecan Pie
Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients

1 1/4 c cooked, mashed sweet 'taters
- (about; 2 medium potatoes)
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 ts vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
3/4 ts ground cinnamon
3/4 ts allspice
3/4 ts nutmeg
3 tb softened butter
1 unbaked pastry for a single
-crust 9; -10 pie shell
1 pecan filling and bourbon
-sauce (in; gredients below)

------------------------PECAN PIE FILLING-----------------------------
1 1/4 c sugar
1 1/4 c dark corn syrup
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tb unsalted butter, softened
1/4 ts vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
3/4 ts ground cinnamon
1 1/4 c chopped pecans

--------------------------BOURBON SAUCE-------------------------------
1 1/2 c heavy (whipping) cream
1 c milk
1 package instant vanilla
-pudding mix; (4-serving siz
3 tb bourbon, brandy or rhum
1 ts vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325° F. Combine mashed sweet potatoes, sugars,
egg, cream, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and butter in
an electric mixing bowl and beat at medium-low speed until smooth, do
not overmix.
To assemble pie, spoon sweet potato filling into the pastry-lined
pie pan. Fill shell evenly to the top with with pecan filling. Bake 1
1/2 hours or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes
out clean. Store pie at room temperature for 24 hours. Serve pie
slices with Bourbon Sauce on top or to the side.

Prepare Pecan Pie Filling: Combine sugar, syrup, eggs, butter,
vanilla, salt and cinnamon in an electric mixing bowl and beat on low
speed until syrup is opaque, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in pecans, mix
well.

Prepare Bourbon Sauce: Combine cream and milk in a large mixing
bowl. Slowly whip in pudding mix. Add bourbon and continue whipping.
Add vanilla and whip until mixture is well blended to sauce
consistency (should not be as firm as pudding, but should not be
runny). Sauce should be made about one hour before use; it will
thicken as it sits.

SHRIMP OR CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE
From: Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen
Adapted from source: WTTW11, Chicago

1 1/2 lbs unsalted butter
1 1/2 quarts yellow onions, chopped fine
1/2 cup garlic, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups bell peppers, chopped fine
1 cup dark roux (gumbo roux)
1 cup blond roux
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp salt
6 cups shrimp stock
1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes, 74/40s

In a saucepan, melt butter until almost clarified, then add yellow onions and garlic, cook for 20-30 minutes until onions start to brown and caramelize. Stir.

Add celery and bell pepper, cook until limber (about 10 minutes).

Pre-heat roux in microwave.

Add black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper, paprika, salt and blond and dark roux to butter and vegetables in pan. Cook until roux dissolves (about 10 minutes).

Heat shrimp stock. Add shrimp stock to pan mixture and bring to simmer; let cook for 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes, blend and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and place in container. Cool. (If not serving, store in refrigerator)

Add shrimp or crayfish to the etouffee and warm before serving.

Yields 1 gallon