In the Kitchen With Kay Harris

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These recipes were contributed by Kay Harris, a North Ellis County resident, and originally appeared in the North Ellis County July 2016 issue.

Grilled Tilapia With Crab Cream Sauce

Tilapia:

  • 2 tilapia loins
  • Drizzle olive oil
  • 1 pkg. Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
  • 1 lemon, halved (divided use)

Crab Cream Sauce:

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup white wine (divided use)
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste 
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 6-oz. can crab meat
  1. For tilapia: Place each tilapia in the center of nonstick foil. Drizzle with oil; season with creole seasoning.
  2. Take one of the lemon halves and cut it into two quarter-size pieces; squeeze one quarter-size piece onto each tilapia. Slice the other lemon half into four slices; place two slices on each tilapia. Fold edges of foil to firmly seal (use more foil if needed to ensure no steam releases.)
  3. Place foil packets on grill; close grill cover for 15 minutes (20-25 minutes if frozen.) Make sure fish is opaque before serving.
  4. For sauce: In a saucepan, add flour and half of white wine; whisk well to combine. Add remaining wine and cook on medium heat. 
  5. Add salt, pepper and cream; bring to medium boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat and let simmer until cream thickens. Drain crab meat; add to sauce. Simmer another 5-7 minutes. 

 

Cheddar Crawfish Crisp

Crawfish:

  • 3/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp. canned tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water, or to taste
  • 1 lb. crawfish tails
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, or to taste
  • Salt, to taste 
  • Pepper, to taste

Crisp:

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 2 tsp. vinegar
  1. For crawfish: In a large skillet, add butter and onion; sauté until onion is transparent. Mix in garlic and flour; let cook for a minute. 
  2. Gradually stir in tomato sauce and water; add crawfish tails and simmer. Add seasonings; simmer 5-10 minutes, until crawfish is cooked.
  3. For crisp: In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients. Crumble butter; stir in cheese. Sprinkle with water and vinegar. Toss with a fork until a ball forms. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate for an hour or until dough is firm. Divide into six portions.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough into an 8-inch circle. Cut out eight wedges; place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 F for 10-14 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.
  5. Place cheddar crisp on serving platter; cover with crawfish mixture. Sprinkle a little extra cheese on top if desired. 

 

Alean’s Egg Pie

Grandmother’s recipe.

  • 1 unbaked crust
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 can condensed milk
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 stick butter
  1. Combine all ingredients. Cook at 350 F for 30 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick until it comes out clean. Let cool before serving.

 

Opal’s Sweet Potato Pie

Mother’s recipe.

  • 3 large sweet potatoes
  • 1 stick butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 2/3 cups evaporated PET milk
  • 2 unbaked pie shells
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake potatoes on baking sheet for an hour; let cool. Scrape pulp out of the skin. Transfer to a large bowl; mash and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and milk. Stir mixture into sweet potatoes; beat together with mixer until smooth; pour half of the mixture into each shell. Bake on bottom oven rack for an hour or until centers of pies are firm. 

 

Lela Mae’s Pound Cake

Mother’s recipe.

Cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk (divided use)
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon zest

Glaze:

  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. butter, softened
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  1. For cake: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a fluted tube pan.
  2. Beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer about 10 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating each egg efficiently before adding the next.
  3. In a separate bowl, sift flour, salt and baking soda. Add 1/3 of the flour mixer to the butter mixture; mix well. Pour in half the buttermilk; beat until combined. Repeat, adding remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, beating well; stir zest into batter. Pour batter into prepared tube pan.
  4. Reduce heat to 325 F; bake 60-75 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes; transfer to a plate.
  5. For glaze: In a bowl, beat all ingredients together. Pour half the glaze over the cake; let cool. Pour remaining glaze over the cake.