Innholdsfortegnelse for September - October 2014 i Louisiana Cookin'

“WE WORK WITH A SPEARFISHERMAN who dives near the off shore oil rigs for Cobia,” says 2014 Chef to Watch Ryan Prewitt. “He is fearless, and his stories are mind-boggling.” That was just one moment from the countless hours of interviews we conducted while producing this issue. Aft er speaking with Chefs to Watch, artisan bakers, and bright young chefs in training, we got an even better glimpse of the culinary ecosystem that makes up Louisiana’s signature cuisines. Our esteemed class of Chefs to Watch (page 41), which includes homegrown stars and passionate Bayou State transplants, speaks to the direction Louisiana flavors are headed. Drawing inspiration from nature’s bounty, historical traditions, and their own ingenuity, these chefs not only craft repasts but forge the future of the Louisiana table. And…

ANYONE WHO HAS TASTED a dish and thought to themselves that some subtle layer of flavor was missing is likely to have fixed the problem by adding dried shrimp to the pot. The techniques and practice of drying shrimp in Louisiana were introduced by Chinese immigrants who arrived in the 19th century and then furthered by Filipino settlers. The sun-dried shrimp add a touch of umami (a distinct savory note) to the already layered flavors of the cuisine of Louisiana. Dried on raised platforms in the wetlands aft er being boiled in seawater, the Chinese and Filipino immigrants created a new industry in Louisiana. Stilted homes built near the platforms created elevated villages with walkways connecting the homes to the platforms. Aft er the shrimp were dried, the community “danced”…

recipe development and food styling by melissa l. brinley One of the most notable things about New Orleans barbecue shrimp is that it isn’t grilled. Rather, this decadent Crescent City classic is sautéed in a flavor-packed sauce. In many restaurants, the dish is served with the shrimp heads and shells left on, which further enhances the almost-hedonistic experience. Butter—and lots of it—forms the basis for the silky, luxurious sauce, and layers of flavor are added with rosemary, garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and beer. The result is bright and spicy, herbaceous and deeply savory, and with one taste, you’ll be hooked. Invented at Pascal’s Manale—the 100-year-old Uptown New Orleans institution—New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp has grown in popularity to a point where it can be found on many of the city’s best…

Boucherie • New Orleans “Whenever my mentor chef served collard greens, people asked for more,” says Chef Nathanial Zimet of Boucherie. “I’d scoff, and he’d look at me like I was crazy and say ‘Anyone can cook a steak or a lobster. If someone comes in asking for your collards, you’re winning.’” It should go without saying, then, that Nathanial’s customers typically order extra collards when they’re on the menu at his Carrollton District New Orleans restaurant. The North Carolinaborn chef has called the Crescent City home for a decade, and his first solo venture, the striking purple ‘Cue Crawl food truck, demonstrated that there was a strong demand for his locallysourced Southern-inspired food. “To me, Southern cooking, in its purest form, is not messing with the food too much.…

Village Café • Lafayette From his kitchen at the Village Café in Lafayette, Chef Jeremy Conner serves a menu that makes the most of the town’s Cajun roots and the availability of excellent local seafood. As an Alabama native who grew up in Pensacola, Florida, Jeremy always had a close connection with the sea. “I was well-versed in Gulf Coast cuisine before I moved to Louisiana but still had a lot to learn. Over these five years, I’ve worked Lafayette’s unique flavors and techniques into the menu,” Jeremy says. As a teenager, Jeremy started cooking professionally in a fast food kitchen before moving on to a beachfront restaurant in Pensacola. Throughout college he continued cooking while trying to figure out which major would set him on the right course. Aft…

Flour, water, yeast, and salt: they seem simple individually, but in the right hands they can become crispy, chewy, irresistible bread. A new generation of Louisiana bakers are turning out distinguished loaves from buttery brioche to the endearing Parisian workhorse, the baguette. “Bread will tell you a lot just by looking at it,” says Sean O’Mahony of New Orleans’s Breads on Oak. “The holes inside show the yeast activity and gluten development, and the variation of color in the crust will tell how long the loaf was baked.” New Orleans in particular has a storied history with French baking and confectionary, and at one point it was home to hundreds of bakers. And though their experiences and training vary—one is a Polish master baker and pastry chef, while others were…

A JOINT EFFORT between the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation and the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts, The Pot & the Palette Cookbook (LRA, 2013) is brimming with recipes reflecting the full bounty of Louisiana, interpreted by its most iconic chefs and the institutions behind them. The state’s culinary heritage is highlighted on each page with illustrations from its most talented junior and senior high school art students. The recipes in the book span all corners of the Bayou State, featuring signature dishes from top LRA member chefs and restaurants, such as Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp, Leah Chase’s Gumbo Z’Herbes, Ruffino’s Crawfish Mac & Cheese, and many more. The artwork features winners and participants of an annual art scholarship contest hosted by the George Rodrigue Foundation of…

MAKE ROOM in your arsenal of go-to breakfast dishes for this spicy Cajun hash that’s as versatile as it is easy to prepare. A South Louisiana classic, boudin is unique in its ability to work well at any meal and for almost any occasion. The flavorful pork and rice sausage pairs fantastically with sweet potatoes, and it’s downright decadent topped with an over-easy egg. Serve at Sunday brunch or as a weeknight fix for a quick meal that’s casually indulgent at any time of the day. SWEET POTATO BOUDIN HASH MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided 1 large sweet potato, peeled and shredded ½ pound boudin, sliced 1 bunch green onions, chopped 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon chopped…

WALKING INTO Social Southern Table & Bar, located just outside Downtown Lafayette, diners are faced with a decision: head right for communal tables, go left for private tables and booths, or continue straight ahead for the restaurant’s lively bar. This hip, high-ceilinged new entry into the Lafayette dining scene aims to hit a wide audience with its varied menu and cocktail offerings. With its large wood-burning oven and kitchen clearly on display, it’s immediately clear that Social Southern is serious about its food. Restaurateur and co-owner Charlie Goodson (also of Lafayette’s popular Charley G’s) calls it a “twist on the Southern gastropub.” Since the restaurant caters to a diverse neighborhood crowd, there are dining options to match, from small plates to shareable platters full of local flavor. Their smoked fried…

At face value, the concept behind Chef Ryan Prewitt’s signature dish at Pêche Seafood Grill in New Orleans is simple: take incredibly fresh fish, season it lightly, and sear it to perfection in the restaurant’s wood-fired oven. The fish speaks for itself but is gently nudged by its conservative seasoning and bright, vinegary sauce. In reality, though, this straightforward elegance took years to develop and strong relationships to maintain. The idea for Pêche came to Ryan and his partners, chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski, on a trip to Uruguay. “We spent some time working with people who were doing this type of open-fire cooking down there—not just in the markets with the large grill but out in the field watching these guys work with fire in a completely different…

Sometimes, to break through to the next stage of life, one must go on a pilgrimage. Aft er years of working on and off in the food industry, LisaMarie White took a journey down the picturesque Camino de Santiago in the French Pyrenees. She noticed that each town along the rural route had its own beautiful bakery. “That’s where I remembered how much I loved baking,” she says. “So I quit my job and went to culinary school.” As the Executive Pastry Chef at Domenica and Pizza Domenica in New Orleans, she practices her passion daily as she rolls out pizza dough, cures limoncello (and other cellos), develops dessert menus, and preserves seasonal flavors in jams and pickles. Of all of these different aspects of her job, she has a…

EARLIER THIS YEAR, 2004 Chef to Watch Jared Tees embarked on a new venture when he became Executive Chef and Managing Partner of Ole Saint at the Wyndham hotel in the French Quarter. Jared’s impressive résumé includes stints at iconic New Orleans restaurants like Besh Steak, Lüke, and Commander’s Palace, where his experiences cultivated the Southern coastal menu he now serves at the casual French Quarter eatery. We caught up with him to talk shrimp and other fresh and flavorful Louisiana ingredients. Q There are a few species of Louisiana shrimp on the market. Which do you serve? “It really depends on the season. Shrimp move inshore or off shore depending on the water temperature or time of year. We rely on the market down by Grand Isle and Venice,…

EARLIER THIS YEAR, longtime reader Brian Reid of New Orleans sent us this recipe for Gingery Broth with Shrimp and Green Onion. An avid cook, Brian knows that every great dish starts with a solid base. He moved from Indiana to Louisiana 14 years ago, and he’s since fallen in love with cooking whole, head-on shrimp. “Not only is it an indicator of freshness,” Brian says, “but the heads and shells make the most wonderful stock for seafood dishes.” This soup utilizes zesty ginger and a rich, homemade shrimp stock for a full flavored yet remarkably light taste that’s well worth the effort. The warm, fragrant stock is excellent on its own or with ramen noodles for a more substantial meal. GINGERY BROTH WITH SHRIMP AND GREEN ONION MAKES 4…

BARTENDER KIMBERLY PATTON-BRAGG built a solid whiskey program at New Orleans’s Tivoli & Lee that touches all corners of the spectrum. In this cocktail she tames a full-bodied corn whiskey with rich cane syrup and Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters—an intoxicating blend of cacao, cinnamon, and other spices. It’s very well suited for sipping during a football game or aft ernoon cochon de lait. CORN MONEY MAKES 1 SERVING Courtesy of Kimberly Patton-Bragg 2 (2-inch) pieces orange peel ¾ teaspoon cane syrup, such as Steen’s ¾ teaspoon water 6 drops Bittermen’s Xocolatl Mole Bitters 2½ ounces straight corn whiskey, such as Mellow Corn Garnish: orange peel 1. In a cocktail shaker, add orange peel, cane syrup, ¾ teaspoon water, and bitters. Muddle until fragrant. Add ice and whiskey, and stir until…

“Start with bone marrow, have a meat board, and finish off with the stewed lamb neck,” says Chef Isaac Toups of his ideal meal at Toups’ Meatery. “Take a break. Aft er that, try the doberge cake with three or four Espresso Martinis. Then have someone take you home in a wheelbarrow.” Isaac, a genial Cajun from Rayne, Louisiana, grew up in a family that loved cooking and eating. Since his first job as a grill-cook at Lafayette’s popular Prejean’s restaurant, he has worked toward having his own place. He made the move to New Orleans to cook at Emeril’s Delmonico 13 years ago, where he eventually earned the position of executive sous chef. Now at Toups’ Meatery in Mid City New Orleans, he serves Contemporary Cajun fare. The menu…

Growing up on his family’s farm in Batchelor, Louisiana, Chef Cody Carroll got a taste for the Cajun life early. Hunting, fishing, and helping out with farm work, Cody developed a love of cooking that he practices daily at Hot Tails in New Roads, Louisiana, and will build upon at a new restaurant he plans to open in New Orleans’s Central Business District this fall. After graduating from the Louisiana Culinary Institute, Cody, along with his wife Samantha and classmate Owen Hohl, opened Hot Tails and started building a cult following. Folks line up for “hardcore South Louisiana Cuisine,” like their boiled crawfish, char-grilled oysters, and po-boys. “Our food is full of flavor, but it’s not just spicy,” Cody says. “We build layers and layers of flavor until we have…