Taste of Joy’s Fresh Family Recipes

The recipes in this installment of Fresh Family Recipes from the Taste of Joy issue come from The Fitzgerald, Tre Mogli, and It’s About Thyme. Bon appetit!

Crawfish Mac

This dish from The Fitzgerald (see page 18) is one of the most popular on the new seafood restaurant’s menu. A luxurious blend of three cheeses and blackening seasonings lift this macaroni and cheese above the everyday dinner to something extraordinary.

[Please note, this recipe includes clarifications from our editor to make it easier for home cooks.]

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ cups heavy cream
3 ounces shredded Parmesan
3 ounces shredded Gruyeré
3 ounces shredded Manchego
2 tablespoons blackening seasoning, more or less [Editor’s Note: I prefer Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning)
3 cups elbow or cavatappi pasta, cooked to just barely al dente
6 ounces crawfish tails

 Directions

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook for about 4 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste. Slowly add in the milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook for about 5 minutes to ensure the sauce is thickened.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the shredded cheeses. Continue stirring until the cheeses have melted. Stir in the blackening seasoning and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Bring sauce up to temperature over low heat.

Add the cooked pasta and crawfish tails and stir to incorporate. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta and crawfish are warmed through. Serve with a crisp green salad with a tart vinaigrette and good, crusty bread.

Photo courtesy of Tre Mogli

Cacio e Pepe Fritters

These delicious fritters from Tre Mogli Cucina Italiana (see page 18) are a riff on the classic Roman pasta. Served with a simple tomato sauce, these make the perfect starter for a fancy dinner.

Ingredients

½ cup butter
½ cup water
½ cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
4 large eggs
32 ounces canola oil

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, bring the butter, water, milk, and salt to a simmer. Add in the flour and beat hard with wooden spoon until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Set the pan to the side for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Add 1 egg at a time, beating vigorously with wooden spoon until each is fully incorporated. Mix in the cheese and pepper, cover, and let sit at room temperature.

In a deep fryer or a large pot over medium high heat, bring canola up to 350°. Using a small scoop or a soup spoon, add half-dollar-sized scoops to oil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until fritters float and are golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Slow Cooker Apple Crumble

This recipe from It’s About Thyme is great for those days between Christmas and New Year before kids go back to school and the world goes back to normal. It’s beautifully easy, and it will fill your house with the most delicious smells. Plus, because it’s mostly apples, it’s healthy, right?

Ingredients

For the Crumble:

¾ cup flour (I actually use white whole wheat flour for this – you know, healthy)
½ cup old-fashioned oats (don’t use quick or instant oats, they will disintegrate into a gloopy mess)
½ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick COLD butter

For the Apples:

10 to 12 apples (I use a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and chunked
½ cup white sugar
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of salt

Directions

For the Crumble:

In a bowl, mix the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut the COLD butter into small chunks and mix into the flour and oat mixture. (Did I mention the butter needs to be COLD?) Rub the butter with your fingers, incorporating them into the flour and oat mixture until the butter chunks are no larger than a small pea or lentil.

For the Apples:

Combine the apples, lemon juice and zest, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in the slow cooker and toss to combine well.

Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or on high for 2 ½ hours. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples and cook on low with the cover on for another hour. Then remove the cover and cook on high for another 30 minutes to remove the excess moisture. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or, if you dare, a scoop of ice cream. (Nothing like getting the kiddos ramped up on sugar before the grandparents arrive!) Serves 6 and makes great leftovers.