Tag-Archive for » Roux «

Finger Food Friday: Chicken and Andouille Cocktail Meatballs

  I’ve been under the weather this week and yearning for a big bowl of warm, soothing and spicy gumbo. I just couldn’t find the time or energy to pull it together. So yesterday morning the thought came to me to prepare a knock off of my Chicken and Andouille Gumbo in finger food form. And here it is! What do you think? Okay. Not a fair question since you haven’t tasted it yet. But let me say, these meatballs rock. They’re light and flavorful and perfectly seasoned, especially when partnered up with the gravy (or sauce or whatever you want [ ... ]

Peas in a Roux

Are you into creamed vegetables? Creamed corn maybe? What about creamed carrots or creamed peas? I’ve always been a fan of canned creamed corn. And my mom stills makes the best creamed carrots this side of the Bunny Trail. But I didn’t have creamed peas until I was in my late teens. The mother of a friend made them every Thursday night to serve alongside her weekly meatloaf and mashed potatoes dinner. I shared that meal with my girlfriend’s family many of times. And although the meatloaf and mashed potatoes were divine, [ ... ]

Super Bowl Recipes 2012

The big game is upon us! So I’m sharing my most successful playbook from the Raised on a Roux recipes archives. These tried and true crowd-pleasing favorites are sure to have your guests cheering for more. PREGAME Cajun Egg Rolls and Corn Dip FIRST HALF Andouille Baked Brie and Crescent City Sliders HALFTIME Chicken Andouille Gumbo SECOND HALF Crawfish Baskets and Oven Roasted Boudin POST-GAME Brownie Trifle Here are a few more game-worthy recipes from some other incredibly talented food bloggers: Spicy BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders from Dixie Chik Cooks, Sweet Potato Nacho Fries from Lauren’s Latest, and Queso Fundido from Annie’s Eats. With so many good eats, you better hope for [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Spinach-Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms with Creole Bechamel

Since today is not only Finger Food Friday but New Year’s Eve Eve, I thought I’d make something that could transition nicely between a casual Happy Hour and a fancy New Year’s Eve bash. These stuffed artichoke bottoms do just that. The filling consists of a humble combination of greens and pork, in this instance spinach and pancetta, that get dressed up with a rich-tasting (I avoid the calorie bomb here by using skim milk) Creole Bechamel thickened with Parmesan cheese. The artichoke bottoms? Yet another fun vehicle to transport all that creamy filling to your [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Miniature Oyster Patties

‘Tis the season to share another one of my favorite holiday recipes with you, Miniature Oyster Patties.  These savory little bite-size pastries have been making the rounds at New Orleans Christmas parties and weddings for as long as I can remember.  And once you taste them, you’ll understand why they’re so popular.  Now when you read through the ingredient list, you’ll probably notice similarities to my family’s Oyster Dressing recipe.  The two are actually so close that I had to call my mom prior to making the Oyster Dressing for Thanksgiving to help me figure out which one was which.  [ ... ]

Spinach, Crabmeat and Brie Soup

Just the other day, I was flipping through an old cookbook when out fell a recipe from the food section of the Times-Picayune, New Orleans’ daily newspaper.  The clipping, which obviously had a few years on it, was a recipe for Crabmeat & Brie Soup from The Dakota, a suburban New Orleans restaurant.  I had a vague recollection of that recipe and a similar one involving brie from Flagons A Wine & Bar Bistro.  (Flagons was another great New Orleans restaurant that closed many years ago.)  I remember wanting to borrow a couple of ideas from these two recipes to [ ... ]

Shrimp Creole

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, [ ... ]

Gumbo: Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

Gumbo is one of the many New Orleans dishes steeped in tradition.  Just about every family has their own unique style, cooked a certain way with specific ingredients.  Each pot tells a story or reveals a bit of family history. Our family gumbo was my great-grandmother’s Creole Seafood Gumbo.  She graciously passed that recipe on to my mom who continued the tradition of preparing the dish for specials occasions.  The pot was always teeming with fresh shrimp, previously boiled crabs (for extra flavor) and briny oysters.  The gumbo was thickened with a light roux and canned okra and finished with tomato [ ... ]

Crawfish Etouffée

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.  [ ... ]

Homemade Stock

If you’ve ever wondered what sets New Orleans food apart from the rest of the world, it’s the layers of flavor that go into each dish.  Two of the most important layers are the roux and the stock.  I’ve already posted a bunch about the roux which you can read here: What’s a Roux? How to Make a Roux Top Ten Tips For Mastering a Roux Now for the stock.  This is yet another back-to-basics cooking skill worth the effort. Making stock from scratch is easy, it just takes a little time.  It’s best to plan ahead so you’ll always have a stash of seafood, [ ... ]