mom’s auction dinner and crawfish ravioli

I know everyone that reads this knows my mom, but it really bears saying: she is AMAZING.  Also, her friends are amazing — check out what they did recently….

Last year, during Miracle Sunday at her church, my parents and their Monday night Bible study group donated a gourmet dinner for 10 to the silent auction.  A few weeks ago, the group that won the dinner came over to my parents house to enjoy it.

While the men donned aprons and graciously served the guests, the ladies cooked an incredible 7-course meal!

Just look at the menu!

Grilled Quail Breast Wrapped in Bacon
New Potatoes Stuffed with Shrimp
Artichoke Puff Pastry Bites
2008 Menage a Trois Chardonnay
2008 Folie a Deux Merlot

Chilled Avocado Soup
Spicy Crab Relish on Blue Corn Tortilla
2010 Sileni Sauvignon Blanc 

Crawfish Ravioli
Fire Roasted-Tomato Butter Sauce
2008 Menage a Trois Chardonnay

Hot and Hot Tomato Salad with Chive Vinaigrette
2010 Sileni Sauvignon Blanc

Blood Orange Sorbet

Roasted Beef Tenderloin
Polenta with Tallegio Cheese and Glazed Wild Mushrooms
Haricot Verts
2005 Sawyer Cellars Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

Plat de Fromage
2005 Sawyer Cellars Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

Creme Brulee Martini
Bread Pudding with Banana Sauce
Chocolate Torte
2005 Shafer Firebreak Dessert Wine

Over the next few weeks I am going to post some pictures from the dinner along with the recipes.  I imagine that this first recipe would be my favorite from the whole dinner.  It is the crawfish ravioli with fire-roasted tomato butter sauce.

Crawfish Ravioli with Fire-Roasted Tomato Butter Sauce
(recipe adapted from Ralph Brennan’s New Orleans Seafood Cookbook)

Crawfish filling

¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped onion
¾ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
¾ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
¾ cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
¾ cup finely sliced green onion, white and green parts
1 pound peeled crawfish tails, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup dry fine breadcrumbs

In a heavy 12-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.   Add the onions and sauté until they start becoming translucent, about three minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the sweet peppers, green onions, crawfish, Creole seasoning, and pep­per sauce, stirring well. Sauté until the peppers are crisp-tender, about four minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the filling from the heat and set it aside at room temperature until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir the eggs into the filling. Gradually add the breadcrumbs, mixing thoroughly. Refrigerate in a covered container at least 2 hours or overnight.

Won tons

Cornmeal
1 egg
96 to 100 won ton wrappers, 3 inches square

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then sprinkle the paper generously with cornmeal.

In a small, shallow bowl, beat the egg with a fork until smooth. Lay a won ton wrapper on a work surface. Using a pastry brush, moisten the top of the wrapper all over with some of the egg.

Mound 1 level tablespoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Line up another wrapper over the top and gently press down around the filling and working outwards to remove air pockets. Repeat to prepare the remaining won tons. (You will have enough filling to make about 50 won tons.)

Place the finished won tons on the prepared baking sheet as formed. Once all the won tons are formed, sprinkle the tops lightly with cornmeal.  Refrigerate the won tons for up to four hours. If made further ahead, lay them out on a sheet pan between parchment paper and freeze until firm, then gently transfer them to a self-closing freezer bag, being careful not to break the fragile edges of the won tons. The won tons may be kept frozen for up to one month.

Fire Roasted-Tomato Butter Sauce

1 – 28 ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons minced shallots
¼ cup good-quality sweet vermouth
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 pound cold unsalted butter, cut into about 16 pats, at room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

Puree the tomatoes and set aside.

In a large heavy, nonreactive saucepan, heat the olive oil over high heat until hot, about two minutes.  Add the shallots and cook until soft, about three minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the vermouth and vinegar and cook until the liquid in the mixture reduces by half, one to two minutes.  Add the cream, then the tomatoes and mix well.

Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the mixture reduces by about half and is fairly thick, eight to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.    Add the butter cubes one at a time, constantly whisking until all of the butter is incorporated into the sauce.  Each addition of butter should be almost completely melted in before adding more.  This will take about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in the kosher salt and pepper.

Serve immediately.  If not serving the sauce immediately, transfer it to the top of a double boiler, and serve within two hours, keeping the sauce warm, uncovered, over hot (not simmering) water.

Cooking and serving

Salted water, for cooking the won tons
1 recipe Fire Roasted Tomato Butter Sauce
3 tablespoons very finely sliced green onions, green parts only
1 ripe Creole tomato, peeled, diced, and seeded
Boiled crawfish tails, 4-5 per serving

Boil a large pot of salted water.   Ease small batches of the won tons (chilled or directly from the freezer) into the boiling salted water and cook gently, uncovered until the won tons begin to float (indicating they are done) for two to three minutes.

While the won tons are cooking, spoon about 2 tablespoons sauce in the bottom of each heated pasta bowl. As cooked, transfer four or five cooked won tons to each bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour more sauce over won tons and garnish with the green onion tops, diced tomatoes and boiled crawfish tails.  Serve immediately.

Note: This can also be made with fresh or frozen sheets of ravioli pasta.  Cooking time will be longer than when using won ton wrappers.