Now before I get to the main recipes, there are a few things, you will need that help you with your getting a hold to these unique cuisines. Blackening Spice, Creole Seasoning, and Cajun seasoning. These can all be purchased, in any grocery store, but if you want to keep it real the recipes for each are right here....
Creole Seasoning
Ingredients
2 tablespoons onion
powder
2 tablespoons garlic
powder
2 tablespoons dried
oregano
2 tablespoons dried
basil
1 tablespoon dried
thyme
1 tablespoon black
pepper
1 tablespoon white
pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne
pepper
5 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons salt
Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine onion powder, garlic powder,
oregano, basil, thyme, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika and
salt. Store in an airtight container.
Cajun Seasoning
2 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon dried
oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne
pepper
1 tablespoon ground
black pepper
Directions
1. Combine the salt, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, and
black pepper in a plastic bag and shake to mix. Store in an airtight container
Blackening
Spice
2 teaspoons ground paprika
4 teaspoons dried leaf thyme
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to your taste
1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Preparation:
Place all
ingredients in a jar and store in a cool dark place. Shake jar well before each
use. Store in an airtight containerNotice the differences in the three recipes, how complex the Creole is, with the number of ingredients, versus the simplicity of the Cajun seasoning. Then look to the Blackening spice and notice that it has sugar, and added more aromatic, spices like nutmeg and cumin. So which of the two (Cajun or Creole) do you think blackening spice belongs to......
One more recipe I would like to introduce before we get any deeper is my recipe for Creole Tomato Sauce. It is a recipe that will give the gist of Cajun and Creole cooking because the technique is Cajun, and Creole combined, and it starts with something that is known in Louisiana as THE HOLY TRINITY!!! It is onion, bell pepper, and celery, and it is in everything.
Creole Tomato Sauce
1 quart canned of chopped tomatoes (with the Juice)
¾ cup chopped onions
¾ cup chopped celery
½ cup diced green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
½ tsp dried oregano
Zest of 1 lemon (if u Like)
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Preparation:
1. In a
heavy-bottomed saucepan, saute the onions, green pepper, celery and garlic
until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
2 .Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano and lemon zest.
Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaf, season with the salt, pepper and cayenne
and serve chunky or pureed.
4. Can adjust seasonings, with Creole, or Cajun seasoning
Makes about 1 quart
of Creole Sauce.
Now you are ready to do some cookin!!!!
First up is an interpretation on a classic Cajun dish that many have probably had before, but never really in the traditional way. And that is Cajun Red Beans and Rice..
Red beans and rice is an emblematic dish of Louisiana Creole People, that has been adapted by Cajuns.Traditionally made on Mondays withered beans holy trinity, Cajun seasoning, bay leaf and pork bones as left over from Sunday dinner, cooked together slowly in a pot and served over rice. Meats such as ham, sausage (most commonly Andouille), and Tasso ham are also frequently used in the dish. It is an old custom from the time when ham was a Sunday meal and Monday was washday. A pot of beans could sit on the stove and simmer while the women were busy scrubbing clothes. Now don't think what you are getting at Popeyes or Bojangles is the real deal, those are sides, this is a meal.
Before you even get started, You have to soak your beans overnight.
Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted over and soaked
3 tablespoons bacon grease
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/2 pound smoked sausage, split in half lengthwise and cut
into 1-inch pieces
1 pound smoked ham hocks
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
10 cups chicken stock, or water
4 cups cooked white rice
1/4 cup chopped green onions, garnish
Place the beans in a
large bowl or pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or
overnight. Drain and set aside.
In a large pot, heat the bacon grease over medium-high heat.
Add the onions, celery and bell
peppers to the grease in the pot. Season with the salt, pepper, and cayenne,
and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the bay
leaves, parsley, thyme, sausage, and ham hocks, and cook, stirring, to brown
the sausage, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1
minute. Add the beans and stock or water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce
the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the
beans are tender and starting to thicken, about 2 hours. (Should the beans
become too thick and dry, add more water, about 1/4 cup at a time.)
Remove from the heat and with the back of a heavy spoon,
mash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue to cook until
the beans are tender and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and
remove the bay leaves.
Serve over rice and garnish with green onions, and Cajun or Creole Seasoning on the side.
And that's that, if you can cook red beans and rice, you can make 90% of the dishes of this region of the country ( maybe exaggerating a bit).
Next up is My take on what might possibly be the most popular dish next to Gumbo in all Louisiana cuisines, Jambalaya , please read the link before proceeding, because this is a complete over haul of the classic jambalaya recipe technique, and knowing the history and original style of the dish if you are not already familiar will help you with this complex take on the dish. I will also like you to check out Risotto My Jambylaya will be in the style of risotto, using a short grain Italian rice called arborio rice . I will take the Louisiana rice dish and make it my own by combining ingredients that are typical for jambalaya, and applying a classic Italian technique to it creating a rich, flavorful interpertation of two of my favorite things to cook. The trick to pulling of a good risotto at home is the par cooking of the rice to just al dente. (use Your Links)
Par Cooked Aborio Rice
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 12oz. packages of Goya Arborio Rice
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 qt water
1 cookie sheet lines with wax paper or foil
Directions
1.In a medium sauce pan, over medium high heat, add olive oil and allow to warm just before smoking point.
2. Add onion , green pepper, and celery and saute until onion and celery are translucent.(DO NOT BROWN)
3. Add arborio rice and saute stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. (DO NOT BURN OR BROWN THE RICE) adding water a cup at a time still stirring until rice is midway cooked through (soft enough to bite but yet still firm.)
4. Empty rice and vegetables onto lined cookie sheet and spread out evenly so rice can cool.
5. once rice is cool cover and reserve.
Now as for the actual dish the recipe is as follows, for 2 servings, start out doing small batches at a time. Risotto is a fickle dish so learn to get it right before you do to much. Hope these videos and photos help you along.
Step 1 Risotto Video
Step 2 Risotto Video
Jambalaya Risotto
4 cups par cooked arborio rice (with the vegetables still mixed in)
1 cup Creole tomato sauce
1 cup water/ or chicken stock
1/2 cup diced andouille sausage
1 cup picked lump crab
6 each shucked oyster
2 tsp oil for sauteing
1 tbsp whole butter
Creole seasoning as needed
Directions;
1. In a medium saute pan, over medium high heat, add your oil, and sausage and saute until sausage starts to crisp.
2. Mix water and tomato sauce together, and add half of it to the pan with the sausage and bring to almost a simmer.
3. Add your rice and stir constantly with runner spoon or spatula ,adding more tomato sauce mixture as needed until rice is almost to your desired texture,
4. stir in oysters and butter, adjust seasoning if needed.
5. Stir in half of the crab and serve immediately in shallow bowls and garnish with remaining crab.
Hint**
**The Cioppino broth can be used in rosotto like the Cerole tomato sauce**
I hope You guys like these recipes, They really are a glimpse into what can be done with a certain cuisine without losing it's own integrity.
Now we don't want to forget the beer part of this blog, so two brews I will be serving that are also native to New Orleans. Both are mild in flavor, and not very hoppy, perfect for dishes such as these that are bursting with flavor.
Bon Appetit!!!
Next up is My take on what might possibly be the most popular dish next to Gumbo in all Louisiana cuisines, Jambalaya , please read the link before proceeding, because this is a complete over haul of the classic jambalaya recipe technique, and knowing the history and original style of the dish if you are not already familiar will help you with this complex take on the dish. I will also like you to check out Risotto My Jambylaya will be in the style of risotto, using a short grain Italian rice called arborio rice . I will take the Louisiana rice dish and make it my own by combining ingredients that are typical for jambalaya, and applying a classic Italian technique to it creating a rich, flavorful interpertation of two of my favorite things to cook. The trick to pulling of a good risotto at home is the par cooking of the rice to just al dente. (use Your Links)
Par Cooked Aborio Rice
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 12oz. packages of Goya Arborio Rice
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 qt water
1 cookie sheet lines with wax paper or foil
Directions
1.In a medium sauce pan, over medium high heat, add olive oil and allow to warm just before smoking point.
2. Add onion , green pepper, and celery and saute until onion and celery are translucent.(DO NOT BROWN)
3. Add arborio rice and saute stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. (DO NOT BURN OR BROWN THE RICE) adding water a cup at a time still stirring until rice is midway cooked through (soft enough to bite but yet still firm.)
4. Empty rice and vegetables onto lined cookie sheet and spread out evenly so rice can cool.
5. once rice is cool cover and reserve.
Now as for the actual dish the recipe is as follows, for 2 servings, start out doing small batches at a time. Risotto is a fickle dish so learn to get it right before you do to much. Hope these videos and photos help you along.
Step 1 Risotto Video
Step 2 Risotto Video
Jambalaya Risotto
4 cups par cooked arborio rice (with the vegetables still mixed in)
1 cup Creole tomato sauce
1 cup water/ or chicken stock
1/2 cup diced andouille sausage
1 cup picked lump crab
6 each shucked oyster
2 tsp oil for sauteing
1 tbsp whole butter
Creole seasoning as needed
Directions;
1. In a medium saute pan, over medium high heat, add your oil, and sausage and saute until sausage starts to crisp.
2. Mix water and tomato sauce together, and add half of it to the pan with the sausage and bring to almost a simmer.
3. Add your rice and stir constantly with runner spoon or spatula ,adding more tomato sauce mixture as needed until rice is almost to your desired texture,
4. stir in oysters and butter, adjust seasoning if needed.
5. Stir in half of the crab and serve immediately in shallow bowls and garnish with remaining crab.
Hint**
**The Cioppino broth can be used in rosotto like the Cerole tomato sauce**
I hope You guys like these recipes, They really are a glimpse into what can be done with a certain cuisine without losing it's own integrity.
Now we don't want to forget the beer part of this blog, so two brews I will be serving that are also native to New Orleans. Both are mild in flavor, and not very hoppy, perfect for dishes such as these that are bursting with flavor.
Bon Appetit!!!
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