when something cures and tastes better the next day (kinda like cold pizza) then it deserves a second post....both these dishes "as advertised".... Natchitoches Meat Pies Lasyone's Meat Pie Kitchen - Natchitoches, LA snort's note: like cold pizza, this stuff is good the next day cold! 6 ounces ground beef 6 ounces ground pork 1/4 cup chopped scallions 2 3/4 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 4 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening 1 large egg, beaten lightly 1 cup milk Vegetable oil for deep-frying In a large heavy skillet combine beef, pork, scallions, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and spices and cook over moderate heat, stirring and breaking up lumps, until meat is just cooked through (do not overcook). Sift 2 1/2 tablespoons flour over meat mixture and stir well. Remove skillet from heat and cool filling to room temperature. Drain off any fat. Into a bowl sift together remaining 4 cups flour, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and baking powder. With a pastry blender or your fingertips blend in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and milk and toss until incorporated. Form dough into a ball. On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll one third of dough into a 14-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. With a 5 1/2-inch round cutter cut out 4 rounds and stack between sheets of wax paper. (My friend Mrs. Cloutier says she uses the top of an old coffee pot as a cutter.) Roll and cut out 8 more rounds in same manner with remaining dough, stacking rounds between sheets of wax paper. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling slightly off-center on each pastry round. With fingertips dipped in water dampen edge of pastries and fold over to form a half circle, enclosing filling. With a fork dipped in water crimp edges of pastries and prick tops of pies once or twice. In a deep heavy kettle (10 inches in diameter) heat 1 1/2 inches oil to 350 degrees F. on a deep-fat thermometer and fry pies, 3 at a time, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer pies as fried with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Makes 12 pies (cocktail-size meat pies can be made by cutting smaller rounds and using less filling per pie). Fleur-de-Lis Seafood Pastalaya PREP TIME: 45 Minutes SERVES: 6 snort's note: makes a brown gravy that gets soaked up in the pasta and cures even better overnite....unbelievable....a keeper! COMMENT: Jambalaya is one of the oldest rice dishes in Louisiana. The dish traces its roots back to paella, that great Mediterranean rice dish. With the heavy Italian influence in South Louisiana, it is quite easy to understand how the ingredients of seafood jambalaya made their way onto the pasta platter. INGREDIENTS: 2 dozen (21-25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 pound cooked crawfish tails 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat 12 ounces uncooked Penne pasta 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup diced onions 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper 1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper 1/4 cup garlic, minced 3/4 cup julienned andouille sausage 1/2 cup diced Creole tomatoes 2 tbsps flour 1 quart shellfish stock 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme 2 tbsps chopped fresh basil 1/4 cup chopped green onions Salt and black pepper to taste Creole seasoning to taste 12 whole mussels 6 (21-25 count) shrimp, head-on METHOD: In a large cast iron dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, garlic and andouille sausage. Saute 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add tomatoes and blend well into the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle in flour and, using a wire whisk, stir constantly until white roux is achieved. Add shellfish stock, 1 ladle at a time, until all has been incorporated. Add thyme, basil and season to taste using salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Bring mixture to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cook 5 minutes. Add peeled shrimp, crawfish and lump crabmeat. Gently blend seafoods into the simmering liquid. Add green onions then fold in pasta. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook pastalaya 20-25 minutes or until pasta is al dente and liquid has been absorbed. Prior to serving, line mussels and head-on shrimp across the top of the pasta, cover pot and cook until mussels open and shrimp are pink and curled, approximately 7-10 minutes. When ready to serve, transfer pasta to a decorative platter and arrange mussels and head-on shrimp across the top as garnishes.
