Crawfish Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1-1/2 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
• 1-1/2 tsp Emeril's Original Essence
• 1 lb cooked Louisiana crawfish tails (with any fat)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup green onion tops, chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Creole mustard, or other whole grain spicy mustard
• 4 oz Provolone or Mozzarella cheese, grated
• 4 oz white Cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 15'' loaves of soft French bread

Preparation:

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. When hot, add the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have wilted, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, thyme, 1 tsp of the Essence, and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
3. Add the crawfish tails, salt, and remaining Essence, and cook, stirring, until the crawfish have warmed through and released any liquid and the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the green onions and set aside to cool.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
6. When the crawfish have cooled, stir in the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, and the cheeses until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
7. Cut the two loaves of bread nearly in half lengthwise and divide the crawfish, filling evenly among the bottom portion of the two loaves. Fold the top portion of bread back over the stuffing and then wrap each loaf tightly in aluminum foil.
8. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted, 25-30 minutes. Slice into the desired size portions and serve hot.

Recipe provided by Emeril Lagasse.
Image provided by Charlotte Martory.