INGREDIENTS:
Seasoning mix includes following starred ingredients:
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 teaspoons ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
* 1 teaspoon white pepper
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 teaspoon dried sweet basil leaves
* ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
¼ cup chopped onions
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped green bell peppers
7 tablespoons vegetable oil
¾ cup all purpose flour
3 cups seafood stock
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 pounds peeled crawfish tails or medium shrimp
1 cup very finely chopped green onions
4 cups hot cooked rice
RECIPE:
Thoroughly combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the onions, celery and bell peppers.
In a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron), heat the oil over high heat until it begins to smoke, about 4 minutes. With a long handled metal whisk, gradually mix in the flour, stirring until smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until roux is dark red-brown about 30 to 45 minutes (be careful not to let it scorch in the pan or splash on your skin). Remove from heat and immediately stir in the vegetables and 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix with a wooden spoon; continue stirring until coated, about 5 minutes.
In a 2-quart saucepan, bring 2 cups of the stock to a boil over high heat. Gradually, add the roux and whisk until thoroughly dissolved. Reduce heat to low and cook until flour taste is gone, about 2 minutes, whisking almost constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a 4-quart saucepan melt 1 stick of the butter over medium heat. Stir in the crawfish or shrimp and the green onions; sauté about 1 minute, stirring almost constantly. Add the remaining stick of butter, the stick mixture and the remaining 1-cup of stock. Cook until butter melts and is mixed into the sauce, about 4 to 6 minutes, constantly shaking the pan in a back and forth motion (versus stirring). Add the remaining seasoning mix, stir well and remove from heat. Serve immediately. To serve, mound ½ cup rice on heated plate. Surround the rice with ¾ cup of the etoufee.
Red Beans and Rice on Monday
From The Tabasco Home Page
1 pound dried red beans, picked over
8 cups of cold water
1/2 pound lean salt pork, bacon or ham, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
2 tablesoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons TABASCO brand Pepper Sauce
4 cups hot cooked rice
In a large suacepan, combine the dried beans and the water, cover and soak overnight. Add the pork, bacon, or ham and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet heat the oil and saute the onion and garlic for three minutes or until golden. Add the mixutre to the beans along with the parsley, salt and TABASCO Brand Pepper Sauce. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, or until the beans are tender enough to mash one easily with a fork. Add hot water as needed to keep the beans covered, and stir occasionally. When the beans are finished, they will have soaked up most of the liquid. Serve over hot cooked rice.
Serves 8
From Every Day's A Party By Emeril Lagasse with Marcelle Bienvenu and Felicia Willett. Morrow Books, 1999
1 large egg
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Add the baking powder, cornmeal, 1 cup of the flour, and the sugar. Whisk until smooth. Season with the salt and hot sauce.
In a small shallow bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup flour and the Creole seasoning.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep heavy pot or an electric deep fryer to 360 degrees.
Thread a sausage link onto each skewer, leaving 3 inches of the skewer bare at the bottom. Dredge the sausages in the flour mixture, tapping off any excess, then dip in the batter, coating evenly.
Carefully lay 2 to 3 corn dogs at a time (do not crowd them) in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 8 minutes, gently rolling them with tongs to brown evenly. Remove from the oil and let drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with Creole seasoning.
Serve the corn dogs with the mustard.
Makes 8 servings.
Andouille Corn Dogs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons baking powder
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups bleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot sauce
½ teaspoon Creole Seasoning plus some for garnsh
8 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds andouille sausage, cut into eight 3-inch long pieces
16 bamboo skewers, cut into 6 inch lengths
Yellow mustard for dipping
Gumbo
I always like the recipes and culture located at www.gumbopages.com. It's also a good place to learn how to make a good roux, which pretty much defines your social status in the world of Cajun and creole cooking.
Here's another good recipe by Emeril Lagasse.
1 hen about 6 pounds
8 cups water
2 medium six yellow onions, quartered
2 ribs celery ,each cut into 6 pieces
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2/ teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons cayenne
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
1 1/2/ cups bleached all purpose flour
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cups chopped green bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
½ pound andouille or other smoked sausage, finely chopped, plus 1 pounds smoked sausage, cut crosswise into ¼ inch thick slices.
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Put the hen, water, quartered onions, celery pieces, bay leaves 1 tablespoon of the salt, and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne in a large, heavy pot. Bring to a boil over high hear, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, partially covered, until the hen is tender, about 2 hours. Remove the hen, strain and reserve the broth.
In a large heavy pot over medium heat, combine the oil and flour. Stirring slowly and constantly, make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the chopped onions, bell peppers, chopped celery and chopped sausage. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are very soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the reserved broth and stir until the roux mixture and broth are well combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 ½ hours
Meanwhile remove the skin from the hen and pick the meat off the bones, discarding the skin and bones. Coarsely chop the chicken meat. Add the chicken and the slices sausage to the gumbo. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes before skimming off the fat that has risen to the surface.
Stir in the green onion and parsley and serve the gumbo in individual soup or gumbo bowls.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
