Recipe(tried): Cajun Appetizers (5)

SHRIMP MOLD
Recipe By: BECKY
Servings: 20

1 can tomato soup
8 ounces cream cheese -- softened
1 envelope unflavored
1/4 cup water
1 bunch green onions -- chopped
3 pounds shrimp -- boiled in crab boil
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon horseradish
1/2 cup celery -- chopped fine
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning -- (according to taste0
hot sauce -- to taste

Heat in sauce pan-- soup and cream cheese.
Fold in remaining ingredients.
Pour into lightly greased mold.
Chill until firm- over night.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with crackers.

BAKED CRAB, BRIE, AND ARTICHOKE DIP

1 medium leek
1 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/2 cup drained canned artichoke hearts
1/2 cup thawed frozen chopped spinach
1 pound Brie
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup Riesling or other medium-dry white wine
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 pound fresh jumbo lump crab meat
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco, or to taste

Accompaniment: toasted thin baquette slices

Preheat oven to 425 F. and lightly oil an 11-inch gratin or other shallow baking dish (about 6-cup).

Trim and finely chop leek. In a large bowl of water wash leek well and lift from water into large sieve to drain. Finely chop onion. Rinse and finely chop artichoke hearts. Squeeze dry and finely chop spinach. Discard rind from Brie and cut into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a heavy skillet cook leek, onion, and garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring until pale golden and stir in artichoke hearts and spinach. Add wine and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add cream and simmer, stirring, 1 minute. Add Brie, stirring until it just begins to melt. Remove skillet from heat and stir herbs into mixture.

Pick over crab meat. In a large bowl stir together crab meat, mustard, Tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste and stir in cheese mixture. Spread mixture evenly in baking dish and bake in middle of oven 15-20 minutes, or until golden.

Serve dip hot with toasts.
Serves 6-8 as an hors d'oeurve or a first course.

Pralines
Recipe By: Burgundy

1 cup whipping cream
1 lb. Light brown sugar
2 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons margarine, room temperature

Mix cream and brown sugar together in a 4-quart glass mixing bowl.

Microwave on high, 100 percent, 13 minutes (stirring not necessary).

Candy thermometer reading should be 227 degrees, soft ball stage.

Quickly add pecans and margarine, stirring to mix.

Drop candy by teaspoons unto a sheet of foil.

Yield: 40 pralines.

SPICY CRAB STUFFED MUSHROOMS
Recipe By: EMERIL
Recipe adapted from Every Is A Party Cookbook, by Emeril Lagasse,with Marcelle

12 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and stems emoved
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped pickled jalapenos
1/4 pound pepper Jack cheese grated
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place mushroom caps on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. In alarge bowl, mix together crabmeat, garlic, jalapenos, pepper Jack, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, mayonnaise and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Place a heaping tablespoon of the crab mixture into the cap of each mushroom. Bake the mushroom caps for 30 minutes.
Yield: 8 appetizer servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Crawfish Etouffee in Puff Pastry

For the Puff Pastry:
2 packages frozen puff pastry
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk

For the Etouffee:
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 pounds crawfish/shrimp(any fat reserved)
2 cups fish or shrimp stock
1 cup peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes
Hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped parsley
For the Puff Pastry: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll the puff pastry out to 1/8-inch thick. With a 4-inch round cutter, cut out 16 circles. Using a 2 1/2-inch cutter, cut the centers out of 8 of the circles. Place the whole circles on a parchment lined baking sheet.

In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk to make an egg wash. Brush the whole circles with the egg wash. Lay the circles with the center cut out on top of the whole circles. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool.

In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter. Add onions, celery, garlic, bay leaves and thyme and cook until vegetables are soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and crushed red pepper. Add crawfish tails. Add stock, tomatoes, salt, red pepper, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil.

Make a slurry with the flour and water. Add the slurry and bring to a boil. Add lemon juice, green onions, and parsley and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining butter and stir to combine well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve in the puff pastry.

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes