We used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry, but commercial puff pastry dough weights and shapes vary, so you may have to adjust the recipe to suit the brand you choose. If you end up with extra filling, don’t fret. It’s delicious served warm on crisp French bread or wrapped in a flour tortilla as a cook’s treat.
The Crawfish Issue
Crawfish Boil Turnovers
Ingredients
4 tablespoons (about 2 ounces, or ½ stick) unsalted butter; olive oil may be substituted
1 medium yellow or white onion (1 cup, or 8 ounces), finely chopped
½ medium bell pepper, any color (¼ cup, or 2 ounces), finely chopped
1 rib celery (about ¼ cup, or 2 ounces), finely chopped
4 ounces chopped canned tomatoes
½ teaspoon Creole/Cajun seasoning, plus more as needed
1 pound (about 3 cups) crawfish tails and fat, thawed and drained if frozen (do not rinse)
¼ teaspoon fine salt (optional)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup (4 ounces) water, broth or white wine
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
All-purpose flour for rolling out the pastry
2 sheets (17 ounces) puff pastry dough, such as Pepperidge Farm, thawed
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
Directions
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 400°F. If air-frying, set the air fryer to 375°F and preheat for about 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. If using an air fryer, also lightly grease the basket or tray.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter, onion, bell pepper and celery and cook, stirring until the vegetables are soft and golden, 6 to 8 minutes. (If using vegetables softened in a crawfish boil, cook until just warm and the butter has melted.) Add the tomatoes and Creole/Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the crawfish tails and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt, as needed.
In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water/broth or wine, and mix to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the skillet and stir, cooking until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Add the scallions and stir to incorporate. Remove from the heat and cool for about 10 minutes. You should have about 3½ cups, or 28 ounces.
On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry sheets and, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough until the folds are smooth and the dough is about 10″ x 14″ inches. Cut each sheet into 12 equal squares, a touch over 3″ x 3″ each.
For each turnover, place about 2 tablespoons, or 1 ounce, of the crawfish mixture on the pastry square. Fold one corner over the filling diagonally to meet the opposite corner to form a triangle, then seal the edges by pressing down with the tines of a fork. If the dough is not sealing well, lightly dampen your fingers and gently press the edges, but do so sparingly. It is ok to stretch the dough slightly to cover the filling, but to prevent the filling from bursting out of the pastry during baking, do not overfill.
Transfer the turnovers to the lined sheet pan as they are filled, leaving 1 inch between each. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with water and lightly brush the surface of each turnover with the wash, sprinkle with additional Creole/Cajun seasoning if desired, and, with a sharp knife, cut a small slit in the top of each. (If freezing some or all of the turnovers, at this point freeze them as directed; see Storage above).
If baking immediately, place the sheet pan in the preheated oven and bake turnovers for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and warmed through.
If air-frying, add the turnovers to the basket or tray, leaving at least 1 inch of space between them, and air-fry turnovers in batches for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Refrigerate the remaining turnovers until ready to air-fry. Transfer the cooked turnovers to a platter and repeat until all turnovers have been cooked.
Let the turnovers rest at least 5 minutes before serving, because the filling will be very hot; serve warm or at room temperature.
