Emeril's Crawfish Burgers
Chef Emeril Lagasse, Emeril's Homebase, New Orleans, LA

Perhaps you saw Chef Emeril Lagasse prepare this dish on his TV show, Emeril Live, and you wanted to try it at home. Well, now you have the official recipe. Just imagine the reaction you will get with this inventive, pan-fried crawfish burger with Creole tartar sauce. “Kicked up a notch” would be an understatement. Try this recipe the next time you have leftover tailmeat from a crawfish boil.

Makes 6 servings.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup very finely diced onion
2 tablespoons very finely diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons very finely diced yellow bell pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt, in all
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, in all
1 1/2 teaspoons Emeril’s Original Essence, in all
2 pounds peeled Louisiana crawfish tails, in all
2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 large eggs, in all
3/4 cup breadcrumbs, in all
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 onion rolls, halved and toasted
Creole tartar sauce, for serving (recipe follows)
1/4 cup sliced hamburger pickles
1 small tomato, cored and thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

In a sauté pan, over medium heat, heat the olive oil and butter. When the oil is hot, add the onions and both bell peppers. Season the vegetables with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of Emeril’s Original Essence. Sauté until the vegetables are softened and lightly caramelized, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 pound of the crawfish tails and continue to sauté for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the green onions, parsley and garlic to the pan. Stir to combine, then transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.

In a food processor, purée the remaining pound of crawfish tails until a smooth paste is formed. Add the crawfish purée to the sautéed vegetable and crawfish tail mixture, along with 1 of the eggs, 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs, the cheese, and the remaining salt, cayenne and Essence. Mix well and set aside.

In 3 small shallow bowls, place the flour in the first bowl, the egg and heavy cream in the second bowl, and the bread crumbs in the third bowl. Use a whisk or fork to beat the eggs and combine with heavy cream. Form the crawfish mixture into 6 individual patties, each about 1-inch thick. Dredge the crawfish patties in the flour, then dip them in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Then, dredge the patties in the bread crumbs, coating completely.

Set a large 12-inch sauté pan, over medium heat, and add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, pan-fry the crawfish patties until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove and drain briefly on paper towels before serving. Spread the halves of each roll with the tartar sauce. Place crawfish burgers between each roll. Top the burgers with the pickles, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. Serve with your favorite chips.

Creole Tartar Sauce:
1 egg
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Creole or whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon salt

Put the egg, garlic, lemon juice, parsley and green onions in a food processor and purée for 15 seconds. With the processor running, slowly pour in the oil in a slow, steady stream, until completely incorporated and mixture is smooth and thick. Add the cayenne, mustard 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.

Pair with:
What matches Emeril’s Crawfish Burgers better than Piper Sonoma Blanc de Noir?