Mardi Gras

Seafood Gumbo

Erin McCormick — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:24:00 +0000

Gumbo, a hearty stew made with anything from sausage or duck to rabbit or seafood, starts with a roux, a mix of flour and oil that’s cooked until it turns dark and nutty, giving the stew recipe its signature earthy flavor. This crab and shrimp gumbo recipe comes from Eula Mae Doré, who was the cook at the Commissary on Avery Island, home to the Tabasco company. Just as most cooks of her generation did, she learned Cajun cooking by watching, rather than from cookbooks. Serve with brown rice. (Recipe adapted from Eula Mae’s Cajun Kitchen by Eula Mae Doré and Marcelle R. Bienvenu; Harvard Common Press, 2007.)

Grilled Redfish with Andouille & Shrimp Couche Couche

Erin McCormick — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:55:09 +0000

Grilled Redfish with Andouille & Shrimp Couche Couche

New Orleans chef Chuck Subra turns couche couche, a Cajun breakfast food where a cornmeal batter is cooked in oil until browned, into a savory stuffing for grilled redfish. If you prefer not to make cornbread from scratch, use 4 cups diced prepared cornbread.

Crawfish Etouffée

Erin McCormick — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:30:17 +0000

Crawfish Etouffée

Literally translated as “smothered” and pronounced ay-TOO-fay, the crawfish recipe is typically a saucy stew served over rice. In this healthy recipe from chef Patrick Mould, the tasty crustaceans (use shrimp if you can’t find crawfish) are smothered in a sauce made with plenty of onions, garlic and Cajun seasoning.

Catfish Courtbouillon

Erin McCormick — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:08:30 +0000

Catfish Courtbouillon

Cajun courtbouillon (pronounced koo-bee-yon) is a vegetable-and-fish stew recipe. In this healthy catfish recipe from Louisiana native chef Donald Link, the catfish and stew are combined at the end, making for a pretty presentation and keeping the catfish nice and crispy.

Smothered Green Beans with New Potatoes

Erin McCormick — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 15:29:37 +0000

Smothered Green Beans with New Potatoes

This green bean recipe from chef Alex Patout of Landry’s restaurant in New Iberia, Louisiana, gets plenty of flavor from bacon and onions.

Gateau de Sirop

Erin McCormick — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:09:34 +0000

Gateau de Sirop

This easy cake recipe by Cajun food authority Marcelle Bienvenu is studded with pecans and is typical of Cajun cooking—it’s rustic, humble and made with ingredients that are always on hand. Serve this easy cake recipe for breakfast with cafe au lait or as a simple dessert accompanied by whipped cream or ice cream. Cane syrup comes from cane juice that has been cooked until it’s golden and toasty-flavored. You can use molasses or honey in its place.

Braised Chicken Gumbo

Erin McCormick — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:36:58 +0000

Braised Chicken Gumbo

Leftovers make this chicken gumbo an absolute breeze. The only prep you’ll need to do is to dice a bell pepper and slice some okra if you’re using fresh. That’s it! If you don’t have leftover chicken and sauce from Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken, you can use 2 cups shredded cooked chicken and 2 cups canned diced tomatoes instead of the leftover sauce.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Erin McCormick — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:03:24 +0000

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

This zesty Cajun-style pasta is full of lean chicken, peppers and onions. Serve with sautéed green beans.

Praline Sauce