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Hair Health: The Mardi Gras Menu
Happy Mardi Gras curly cuties! After an epic saga of celebration in the street, Mardi Gras 2015 comes to a close today. Once the parade Rex makes it’s final lap around Lee’s Circle, hundreds of exhausted individuals will find themselves famished, on the prowl for their last plate of authentic Louisiana cuisine before they pass out until tomorrow’s Ash Wednesday service. Though I no longer am a permanent resident of New Orleans, I always find myself craving a taste of home during this time of year, no matter where I am in the world. Check out these excellent adaptations of my favorite, classic Fat Tuesday dishes. Celebrate Mardi Gras right from your kitchen, and as we say in New Orleans, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!”… right into that tummy!
Rebirth Brass Band, playing Do Watchca Wanna, live in the historic French Quarter (2008)
*source:youtube.com
Alton Brown’s Shrimp Gumbo:
by Genius Recipes (and adapted slightly from the Food Network)
Photo by Mark Weinberg
*source: food52.com
A Note from Author, Genius Recipes:
“A hands-off method for a rich, dark gumbo roux, so you can celebrate Mardi Gras away from the stove. While I recommend following the recipe as written — and it’s well worth the trouble of finding head-on shrimp and filé powder for what might be the most soul-stirring gumbo you’ve tasted—the most important lesson to take away here is that any gumbo is more within reach when you bake your roux.”
Ingredients
(Serves 6)
4
fluid ounces vegetable oil
4
ounces all-purpose flour (or about 1 cup less 4 teaspoons, if measuring by volume)
1 1/2
pounds raw, whole, head-on, medium-sized (31-50 count) shrimp
2
quarts water
1
cup diced onion
1/2
cup diced celery
1/2
cup diced green peppers
2
tablespoons minced garlic
1/2
cup peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato (fresh or canned)
1
tablespoon kosher salt
1/2
teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1
teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4
teaspoon cayenne pepper
2
bay leaves
1/2
pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices and browned in a little oil
1
tablespoon filé powder
Rice for serving
Directions
Heat the oven to 350° F.
Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5- to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.
While the roux is baking, de-head, peel, and devein the shrimp. Place the shrimp in a bowl and set in the refrigerator. Place the heads and shells in a 4-quart saucepan along with the 2 quarts of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced to 1 quart. Remove from the heat and strain the liquid into a container, discarding the solids.
Once the roux is done, carefully remove it from the oven and set over medium-high heat. Gently add the onions, celery, green peppers, and garlic and cook, moving constantly, for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Gradually add the shrimp broth while whisking continually. Decrease the heat to low, cover, and cook for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and sausage, and stir to combine.
Add the filé powder while stirring constantly. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve over rice.
For more on this Recipe: Alton Brown’s Shrimp Gumbo
Recipe courtesy of Genius Recipes (2015) and food52.com
Cajun Jambalya
by Emeril Lagasse
(From the Essence of Emeril episode, “Jambalaya”)
*source: foodnetwork.com
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
4 ounces chicken, diced
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 cup rice
3 cups chicken stock
5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced
Salt and pepper
Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
Makes about 2/3 cup
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Directions
In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.
To make Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast): Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
For more on this Recipe: Cajun Jambalya
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse and foodnetwork.com
New Orleans-Style Red Beans and Rice
by Emeril Lagasse
(From the Emeril Live episode, “ New Orleans Caribbean Connection”)
*source: foodnetwork.com
Warning: Though this recipe only requires about 15 minutes to prep, the beans require at least 4 hours of cooking time, in order for the dish to be just right. This would be one of those meals to start before any of the parades, so that dinner will be good to go, by the time you return home.
Ingredients
(Serves 8)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 pound boiled ham cut, into 1/2-inch cubes
6 ounces smoked sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (1 cup)
1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted through, soaked overnight and drained
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
8 to 10 cups water
Steamed rice
Directions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne, black pepper and thyme for about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves, ham and sausage and saute for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the beans, garlic, and enough water to cover the contents in the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 2 hours. Add more water if the mixture becomes dry and thick. Use a wooden spoon to mash about half of the mixture against the side pf the pot. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the mixture is creamy and the beans are soft. Add more water if it becomes too thick. The mixture should be soupy but not watery. Remove the bay leaves and serve with steamed white rice.
For more on this Recipe: New Orleans-Style Red Beans and Rice
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse (2004) and foodnetwork.com
Zea Corn Roasted Grits
Recipe by Jeff Blake and perfected at New Orleans Restaurant, Zea Rotisserie and Grill (Tastebuds Management)
*source: tastebudsmgmt.com
This recipe has been slightly adapted, based on my personal experimentation with a varying versions of this recipe.
Ingredients
(Serves about 4)
2 cups of Chicken Broth
2 cups heavy cream
½ pound butter
1 tablespoon salt
1 ear grilled corn, kernels removed
1 cup yellow grits (works best with high quality, stone-ground grits. Instant one’s will not do the dish proper justice.)
Green Onion to garnish
Directions
Begin by grilling the corn, first shucking it off husk. Lightly butter corn cob and grill over charcoal or open fire, until slightly blackened. If you don’t have a grill, I recommend either baking the kernels in the oven or sautéing the corn kernels, till they begin to blacken.
Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add heavy cream and return to boil.
Slowly whisk in the grits and then the corn, till the mixture begins to thicken.
Reduce heat to a simmer and add in butter.
Cover the pot, allowing the grits to cook 5 to 7 minutes.
Season to taste, and garnish with green onions.
For more on this Recipe: Zea Corn Roasted Grits
Recipe courtesy of Jeff Blake, Zea Rotisserie and Brewery, tastebudsmgmt.com, and foodnetwork.com
Sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
All images sourced via Pinterest
