Crawfish Beignet and Bread Pudding with Bourbon Street on the Beach

We’re making dinner and dessert in the DelmarvaLife kitchen.

Chef Barry Reichart from Bourbon Street on the Beach made with us, so we’re showing the segment again today! We’re making crawfish beignet and dessert – bread pudding and homemade ice cream.

Crawfish Beignet

• 2 quarts vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces peeled crawfish tails
• 1 tablespoon plus 1-teaspoon Emeril’s Original Essence, plus more for sprinkling
• ¼ cup finely chopped green bell peppers
• ¼ cup finely chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1-teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups sifted flour plus extra for rolling
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup milk
• Creole Tarter Sauce

In a deep fryer, heat the oil over medium-high heat to 365 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy.
Sprinkle the crawfish tails with 1 tablespoon of Essence and add to eggs.
Stir in the bell peppers, green onions, garlic, salt, flour, baking powder and milk.
The mixture should be like a thick pancake batter.
Using a large metal tablespoon, drop the beignet mixture into oil and fry about 3 minutes
or until crispy and golden brown.
Do this in 2 batches.
Using a slotted spoon remove the beignets and drain on paper towels.
Sprinkle remaining 1 teaspoon Essence over beignets.
To serve, spoon the tartar sauce onto 4 dinner plates and place 5 to 6 beignets on top of
each.
Sprinkle the rims of the plates with extra Essence.

Creole Tarter Sauce

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Creole or whole-grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 cup olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon salt

Put the egg, lemon juice, green onions, garlic, Creole mustard, and parsley in a food
processor and puree for 15 seconds.
With the processor running, pour the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream.
Add the cayenne and salt and pulse once or twice to blend.
Cover and let sit for 1 hour in the refrigerator before using.
Best if used within 24 hours.

Homemade Ice Cream

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 ½ cups half and half cream
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the sugar and half and half.
• When the mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat, and whisk half of the mixture into the eggs.
• Whisk quickly so that the eggs do not scramble.
• Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and stir in the heavy cream.
• Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.
• Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla and cinnamon.
• Set aside to cool.
• Pour cooled mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions

Bread Pudding

• 8 large eggs
• 3 ½ cups whole milk
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1-pound loaf cinnamon challah or cinnamon-swirl bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup golden raisins
• Spiced Rum Sauce
• Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
• Whisk eggs in large bowl to blend.
• Add milk, sugar, cream, and vanilla; whisk to blend well.
• Stir in bread and raisins.
• Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
• Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Bake pudding uncovered until puffed and golden, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Cool slightly (pudding will fall).
• Serve warm with spiced rum sauce.
• Spiced Rum Sauce
• 1 Cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• ½ Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• ½ Cup whipping cream
• 2 Tablespoons spiced rum or dark rum
• ¾ Teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Stir brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until melted
  and smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Add cream, rum, and cinnamon and bring to simmer.
• Simmer until sauce thickens and is reduced to 1-½ cups, about 5 minutes.
• Serve warm.
  (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.)