Crawfish stuffed manicotti

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

4 tb Butter 1 pk Manicotti
2 bn Green onions - finely STUFFING: -chopped (use about 1 inch 1 Stick butter -of 1 1/2 c Onions - finely chopped The fresh green part) 1 bn Green onions - finely
4 tb Parsley - minced -chopped
3 Clove garlic - finely minced 1 c Celery - finely chopped
1/4 c Brandy 1 c Green pepper - finely
8 tb Butter -chopped
6 tb Flour 3 Clove garlic - minced
2 c Light cream 4 tb Parsley - finely chopped
2 c Milk 1 Lemon - juiced
1/2 c White wine - dry 2 Bay leaves
1/2 c Tomato ketchup 1 ts Thyme leaves
4 tb Tomato paste 4 c Crawfish tails - boiled
1 Lemon - juiced -finely chopped
1 tb Worcestershire sauce 2 c Bread crumbs - fine
4 c Crawfish tails - whole

Instructions:

Salt pepper and Tabasco to -boiled -taste Salt pepper and Tabasco to 1 Egg -taste CRAWFISH STUFFED MANICOTTI: Melt the 4 tablespoons butter. Fry the green onions parsley and garlic until onions are wilted. Add the crawfish tails and let all of this fry until sizzling hot. Heat a small pot and pour in the brandy. Remove the crawfish from fire ignite the brandy and pour into the crawfish mixture. Toss until flames die down. Set aside. In another pot melt 8 tablespoons butter. Add the flour and let this cook on a low fire until flour is cooked about 2 minutes stirring often. Add the cream milk ketchup and tomato paste stirring constantly until sauce comes to a boil and starts to thicken. Add the wine lemon juice Worcestershire sauce salt pepper and Tabasco. Combine both pans and simmer for a few minutes. If sauce is too thick thin it out with a little more milk. Cook manicotti according to package directions. Note: Do not use crawfish cooked with crab boil. STUFFING: Melt the stick of butter. Fry onions green onions celery green pepper garlic and parsley until wilted. Add crawfish meat lemon juice bay leaves and thyme. Let all of this cook for about 10 or 15 minutes or until vegetables are cooked. Add bread crumbs salt pepper and Tabasco. Cook for about 10 minutes stirring often. If stuffing is too moist add a little more bread crumbs. Add the egg and mix well. Stuff the manicotti carefully and lay them in a lightly greased baking dish in a single layer. Pour most of the sauce over the manicotti and bake covered in a 350 F preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes or until manicotti are fully cooked. Spoon reserved sauce over manicotti when served. Serves 5 to 7. Note: Do not use crawfish cooked with crab boil. Recipe from Marguerite Sigur Times-Picayune Cooking Contest 1985.