Tag-Archive for » New Orleans Recipes «
06
Dec 2010
Dec 2010
I’ve never liked Shrimp Creole. Maybe it’s because my mom never cooked it or because the few restaurant versions that I’ve tried were disappointing. But oddly enough, it has always been a dish that I wanted to like.
I hadn’t thought much about my dysfunctional relationship with Shrimp Creole until recently while reading through a bunch of recipes and stories on roux-based dishes. Every time a Shrimp Creole reference crossed my desk, my mouth watered. They all sounded so rich, comforting and tasty, but my food memories recalled otherwise. I had never eaten a bowl of Shrimp Creole that was rich, [ ... ]
Category: Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Roux, Seafood, Shrimp, Stock
Tags: Creole Cooking, French Bread, New Orleans Recipes, Rice, Roux, Seafood, Shrimp Creole, Shrimp Recipes 8 Comments
01
Dec 2010
Dec 2010
It’s unseasonably and unwelcomely cold outside today, but that suits my mood just fine because I have no intentions of leaving the house. All I want to do today is cook, in my own kitchen, all by myself. I tend to get cranky like this when I’ve been away from home for too long. Don’t get me wrong, I love the holidays and I’m very grateful that we were able to spend Thanksgiving week in New Orleans with our family. But after eight days on the road and three days of laundry and other wifely chores, I simply need [ ... ]
Category: Beef, Main Dishes, Pasta
Tags: New Orleans Cooking, New Orleans Recipes, Recipe, Red Gravy 7 Comments
06
Nov 2010
Nov 2010
Got a craving for crawfish? My husband does. And this time of year when live crawfish are not running (out of season) one of the only ways to satisfy his craving is with frozen Louisiana crawfish tails. In New Orleans, frozen crawfish tails are a heavily relied upon convenience food. Many folks outside of Louisiana are unaware of this great product, but it’s available in the frozen seafood department of most supermarkets across the country.
Now as much as I love the usefulness of frozen crawfish tails, their taste and texture take a small but noticeable hit during the freezing process. [ ... ]
Category: Crawfish, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Roux, Seafood
Tags: cajun, crawfish, creole, New Orleans Recipes, Roux, Seafood 10 Comments
05
Oct 2010
Oct 2010
Truth be told, I didn’t learn how to make a dark, rich roux from my family. My relatives, who are all incredibly talented and passionate cooks, prepare meals with a heavy Creole hand. So their sauces and gravies generally rely on butter-based white and blond roux. My mom’s Seafood Gumbo, a recipe handed down from my great-grandmother, also follows Creole lines. The gumbo is thickened with a light roux and okra and is flavored liberally with tomato sauce. I was a young adult before I associated the rich, smoky flavors of other gumbos, étouffées and dark gravies with a roux. [ ... ]
Category: Gumbo, New Orleans Classics, Roux
Tags: Gumbo, New Orleans Recipes, Recipe, Roux 3 Comments
02
Oct 2010
Oct 2010
There are many schools of thought on roux-making. Some cooks prefer the traditional and time-consuming approach of combining the flour and fat at room temperature then gradually increasing the heat until the mixture reaches the proper color and consistency. Others start their roux on the stove top and finish it in the oven. There are also folks who make it in the microwave or cook it dry by browning flour in the oven without any fat. I, on the other hand, have adopted the quick cook method described in Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen.
The quick cook [ ... ]
