CORNMEAL-CRUSTED CRAYFISH PIES

Steps:

• Place the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the butter in small pieces and pulse into the dry mix just until coarse pebbles form. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. By hand, gradually work in the sour cream and 1/4 cup ice water. The dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky. Adjust as necessary with flour or water. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes (or up to a day in advance).
• To prepare the pies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each part into a very thin (1/8-inch) round and drape it into a 4-ounce tart pan or individual gratin dish. Cover each shell with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place the pie shells on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove the beans and parchment and bake 1-2 minutes longer. Don't let them color too much, because they will be baked again with the filling. Let them cool to room temperature.
• Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and fennel, if using, and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, scallions, and parsley and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and stir. Whisk in the stock, lemon zest and juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the crayfish and simmer for a few more minutes, until the crayfish is warm. Adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Cool to room temperature or refrigerate until ready to make pies.
• Fill each cooled shell with 3 ounces (about 6 tablespoons) of crayfish filling. Set them on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• I cook only with Louisiana crayfish-accept no substitutes! Frozen varieties are available from China, but they have no texture or flavor. That's because the fat that normally coats fresh crayfish does not freeze well (it tends to go rancid before the tail meat does), so it's rinsed off before freezing. But crayfish needs that fat to retain its sweet flavor. Your best bet is to choose a Louisiana source (see Sources, p. 384) whose crayfish are frozen close to the end of the January-to-June season. Better yet, buy a few pounds of fresh crayfish and freeze them yourself, but use them up within four weeks.
• Put your fear of pastry aside-this cornmeal pie dough is not sticky and is absolutely wonderful to work with. If you don't want to bother blind-baking pie shells you can simply prepare these as little turnovers. Roll each portion of dough into a 6-inch round, place a few tablespoons of filling on one half, fold the other side over the top, and crimp the edges together with a fork or your fingers. Brush them with egg wash, if you like, and bake at 350°F until golden, about 25-30 minutes, or deep-fry them-which is more traditional.