I have always appreciated Creole and Cajun cooking. Perhaps because my favorite type of food is seafood; especially shellfish. So glad I don’t have any shellfish allergies like many people do.
I used to follow Emeril Lagasse’s shows on television and wanted to make everything he demonstrated. I don’t know if life just got too busy for watching cooking shows, or if I started to lose interest, but over time, I felt like the “BAM” man wasn’t in my field of interest anymore. I think a lot of the recipes eventually became geared more for dinner party hosts who wanted more gourmet, fancier (and thus time-consuming) meals.
Well, I do not entertain, and I live so simply that not many people would ever dream of being impressed by me, my down-home mountain life or what’s cooking in my kitchen. Except for family, and hopefully some of my kitchen pals who follow this column.
Anyway, here are some recipes that fit right in with Louisiana-style cooking, and they are not fancy. Hope you enjoy them.
Shrimp and corn chowder
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup chopped leek (white and light green parts only)
3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup diced poblano pepper (about 1 pepper)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 taza de harina
1 quart hot (at least 140 degrees) vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 cups diced peeled Yukon Gold potatoes (about 4 medium)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 cups fresh corn kernels
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large fresh shrimp
Garnish: sliced fresh chives, hot sauce
1. In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add leek, bell pepper, celery, poblano, garlic, salt, Creole seasoning and black pepper; cook until vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add flour and cook until flour begins to turn golden in color. Increase heat to medium-high. Add hot broth and 2 cups water, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits.
3. Add potato and cream, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are softened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Add corn and cook for 10 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink and firm, 5 to 10 minutes. (I do not care for squishy shrimp, so the firmness is a must for my tastes.) Garnish with chives and hot sauce, if desired. Makes about 3 1/2 quarts.
Sopa cremosa de camarones y salchicha andouille al estilo Cat
I have shared this recipe before, but in case anyone missed it, or lost it, here it is again.
1/4 taza (1/2 barra) de mantequilla sin sal
1/2 a 1 libra de salchicha andouille, cortada en cubos de 1/2 pulgada
3/4 taza a 1 taza de cebolla, apio y zanahoria picados
2 cucharaditas de ajo picado
1/4 taza de harina
3 tazas de caldo de pollo
1 taza de crema para batir
1 camote, pelado y en cubos (al menos 1 1/2 tazas)
1 libra de camarones crudos medianos a grandes, pelados
2 cucharadas de albahaca fresca picada
1 cucharada de jugo de limón fresco
1 cucharadita de tomillo fresco picado y sal gruesa (kosher)
1/2 cucharadita de pimienta negra recién molida, o al gusto
1. En una olla para sopa, calienta la mantequilla a fuego medio. Agrega salchicha y sofríe, revolviendo ocasionalmente, hasta que la salchicha esté dorada. Incorpora la cebolla, el apio, las zanahorias y la batata. Sofríe, tapado, hasta que las verduras estén tiernas. Agrega el ajo, baja el fuego a medio-bajo.
2. Destapa la tetera y revuelve la harina uniformemente sobre las verduras. Revuelve para mezclar bien y cocina por 2 minutos, revolviendo ocasionalmente. Agrega gradualmente 1 taza de caldo de pollo hasta que la harina se mezcle bien con el líquido. Añade lentamente el resto del caldo de pollo, revolviendo constantemente para evitar grumos. (Si la sopa está más espesa de lo que te gusta, agrega un poco más de caldo o agua).
3. Aumenta el fuego a medio-alto y lleva la mezcla a ebullición lentamente, revolviendo con frecuencia. Agrega los camarones y reduce el fuego a medio. Tapa la olla y cocina a fuego lento hasta que los camarones estén listos.
4. Añade la crema y los ingredientes restantes (jugo de limón, tomillo, albahaca, sal y pimienta) y cocina a fuego lento uno o dos minutos.
Creole red beans and rice
1 pound dried red beans
2 large onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cucharadita de pimienta negra
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
2 pounds smoked sausage (my favorite is andouille)
Hot cooked rice
1. Sort and wash red beans. Combine beans, onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, thyme, basil and cayenne pepper in a Dutch oven; cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce flame; cover and simmer 2 to 3 1/2 hours or until beans are tender and a thick gravy is formed. Add more water, if necessary. Stir in salt, pepper and parsley.
2. Cook sausage according to package directions; cut into serving pieces. Serve beans and sausage over rice. (Note: It is also very good to add the sausage to the beans while they are cooking, as long as there isn’t a problem of too much grease. In that case, you might wish to cook the sausage first, then add it in.) Makes 8 servings.
Louisiana crawfish boil
I always used to say crawdads, but I have heard that most people in Louisiana say crawfish, and people in the North tend to say crayfish. I might as well go with the Louisiana way.
2 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen crawfish, shell on
4 ears corn, shucked and cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces
1 pound small yellow potatoes, halved (you can also use small red potatoes)
1 onion, peeled and sliced into 6 wedges
1 pound smoked sausage (andouille or kielbasa), sliced into 1-inch pieces
8 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning
1 lemon, quartered
Sal y pimienta, al gusto
For serving:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or garlic butter seafood sauce (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional
1. Fill up a large pot with water over medium-high heat. Add Old Bay seasoning, garlic and lemon. Bring to a boil.
2. Add corn and baby potatoes into the water. Boil for about 10 minutes.
3. Add sausage and onions. Cover with a lid and boil for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Gently stir in crawfish. Boil for 5 to 6 minutes or until the crawfish turn into a bright red color. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (If crawfish are pre-cooked, you’ll only need 3 to 4 minutes; if they are frozen, add 2 to 3 more minutes.) Drain the mixture (you can reserve about 1/2 cup of the broth for serving, if you wish).
5. Transfer the crawfish boil to a serving plate or spread out on a layer of newspapers.6. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Serve with melted butter or homemade garlic butter seafood sauce.
Garlic butter seafood sauce
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (or less if you prefer)
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add 1/2 cup of butter and the olive oil. Once the butter is melted, add onions and cook, stirring, until they are soft. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and brown sugar. Stir mixture together.
3. Turn the heat to low and add the remaining butter. Simmer until the butter is melted, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth and cook for a few minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.
4. Remove from heat. Pour the sauce over your favorite seafood boil or serve it as a dipping sauce. Makes 6 servings.