Test Kitchen: Moroccan Crawfish Hand Pies

There’s an added allure to buttery, flaky crawfish pies when you simmer the tails in smoky-spicy harissa and an intoxicating blend of North African spices.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbl Harissa Oil
• ½ cup chopped green onions, green & white parts
• ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
• ¼ cup chopped celery
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Ras El Hanout Blend
• 1 tsp all-purpose flour
• 1 lb crawfish peeled tails
• 1 tsp Worcestershire
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 eggs beaten, separated.
• 2 Tbl panko

Method

1. Heat a saute pan to medium heat. Add in the Harissa Oil, green onions, bell pepper and celery. Sauté until softened and the celery is beginning to become translucent. Add in the garlic, Moroccan Blend and flour. If the mixture is dry, drizzle in more of the Harissa Oil to achieve a paste-like consistency. The mixture should smell nutty. Add in the crawfish tails, Worcestershire and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and quickly whisk in one of the beaten eggs. Remove from heat and add in the panko. 
2. Using a store-bought or homemade pie crust, roll the dough into a round 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Cut dough into circles using a biscuit cutter. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling on one side of a pastry round. Dampen edge of pastry with fingertips moistened with water. Fold pastry over meat and crimp with fork tines dipped in water, pressing to seal. The pies can be frozen at this point.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use the second beaten egg combined with a tablespoon of water to create an egg wash. Brush the pies with the egg wash prior to baking. Bake for 12–18 minutes or until golden brown.

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