Mini Crawfish Pies

Mini Crawfish Pies

1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
1/3 cup minced yellow onion
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 pounds Louisiana crawfish tails, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon filé powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Seasoning
24 mini tart shells (2-inch diameter)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil; when hot, add flour and make a
dark roux, stirring constantly so it does not burn. When the roux is dark brown,
add the bell pepper and onion. Cook for about 3 minutes to just sweat the
vegetables. Add the cream and bring to a simmer.
In a separate pan, melt butter over medium heat; add the scallions, garlic, and
crawfish and then cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add all the seasonings and combine
the crawfish with the cream mixture; simmer another 20 to 25 minutes. Fill the
tart shells with about 2 tablespoons of the crawfish mixture. Bake for 15 minutes,
or until the shells are fully cooked. Serve warm.