Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2022 i Louisiana Cookin'

ONE OF THE INTERESTING things to me about Louisiana cooking is that while it’s firmly rooted in the home and in family traditions, there are countless chefs around the state who execute incredible renditions of important Cajun and Creole dishes each night. From white tablecloth establishments in New Orleans to hometown haunts in the far reaches (not to mention the gas station cracklin’s to be had in between), I don’t think there’s ever been such a good time to eat in the Bayou State. Each year, we select a handful of up-and-coming chefs who respect local traditions while fearlessly forging ahead by introducing their personal twists and tweaks to the classics. I am as impressed by this year’s class of Chefs to Watch (starting on page 41) as I’ve ever…

AFTER THE HEAT of the summer, Louisiana gardeners and farmers alike look forward to their crop of hearty greens. Collards, kale, mustard greens, spinach, and Swiss chard all grow well in the Bayou State, and whether you cook them up with smoked pork or simply throw a handful into your morning smoothie, you’re bound to get a heaping helping of flavor and nutrition. Overall, greens are typically high in vitamins A, C, and K, and cooked collards are a great source of omega-3 and -6 essential fatty acids. Tasty as they are, greens have a reputation for being tough and bitter. In these recipes, you’ll see us cook up a mess of traditional collard greens, but you’ll also find a tender, raw marinated salad that goes against that time-honored technique…

Chef Ben Fidelak Mariner’s Restaurant 5948 Hwy. 1 Bypass • Natchitoches marinersrestaurant.com UNLIKE MANY CHEFS who call the Bayou State home, Ben Fidelak didn’t grow up on étouffée and gumbo. He was raised in rural Canada, and his path southward was a winding one. Ben went to college in New Hampshire, moved to Boston, Massachusetts, and then to New York, where he worked as an equity trader on the Nasdaq. New York is also where he met his wife, Keri, who hails from Louisiana. Even on those first trips to visit Keri’s family, Ben remembers falling in love with everything about the Bayou State. One day after the two married and had their daughter, Ben received a surprise phone call from Keri. It was about a Queen Anne Victorian house…

DEATH VALLEY SNACKING MIX MAKES ABOUT 12 CUPS Think of this as Chex Mix with a Cajun accent. 2 cups toasted rice cereal2 cups toasted corn cereal2 cups mini pretzels2 cups mini pretzel sticks2 cups pecan halves1 (8-ounce) bag rye chips¼ cup unsalted butter, melted¼ cup cane syrup1 tablespoon hot sauce1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, divided2 cups popped popcorn 1. Preheat oven to 250°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl, combine cereals, pretzels, pecans, and rye chips. 3. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, cane syrup, hot sauce, and 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning. Pour over cereal mixture, tossing to evenly coat. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. 4. Bake until mixture is dry, about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool completely on…

AS FALL WEATHER APPROACHES, many of us are looking forward to soup season. Now, to be quite honest, I could have a bowl of gumbo just about any time of the year. I don’t care if it’s 100° outside and the dead of summer—I’m not turning down a bowl of gumbo. But there’s just something about that first cold snap of the season. Here in Louisiana, summers are very hot, so when fall hits, we can’t wait for those cooler temperatures to come. And when they do, I’m pulling out a big pot and cooking up all the soups I can. Gumbo is a given, but my family and I also love my Beef and Vegetable Soup and Corn & Crawfish Bisque. Beef and Vegetable Soup is just one of…

LIKE MANY DISHES FOUND IN LOUISIANA CUISINE, boudin is a reflection of Louisiana life. From the age-old tradition of a Cajun boucherie to the afternoon pastime of picking up fried boudin balls at the local gas station, these smoky hot links make anyone feel right at home in Cajun Country. And with so many grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, and off-the-beaten-path smokehouses to choose from, why not give yourself one more option with these homemade recipes to fire up the taste buds. BOUDIN DIP MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS Homemade boudin will make this easy dip a quick favorite at your family gatherings this fall. 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened1 (8-ounce) container sour cream1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese1 (10-ounce) can tomatoes with green chiles, drained½ cup sliced green…

Appetizers Boudin Dip 91 Cheesy Boudin Egg Rolls 66 Death Valley Snacking Mix 65 Oysters Rockefeller 89 Three-Greens Dip 21 Beverages Aurora Seersucker 94 Tiger Bite Cocktail 66 Desserts Pecan Pralines 85 Praline Sundae 85 Purple-and-Gold Whoopie Pies 68 Meat, Game, and Poultry Boudin 91 Cauliflower Rice Jambalaya 19 Grillades and Grits 60 Red Beans and Rice 57 Roasted Chicken with Spicy Tasso Sauce 34 Roasted Pork and Sweet Potatoes with Salad 58 Turkey and Tasso Jambalaya 60 Seafood Grilled Gator Bites 68 Sheet Pan Shrimp and Fall Vegetables 60 Shrimp Salad Sliders 68 Soups, Stews, and Gumbos Beef and Vegetable Soup 84 Chicken and Sausage Gumbo 55 Chicken, Shrimp, and Sausage Gumbo 71 Corn & Crawfish Bisque 84 Homemade Chicken Broth 71 Vegetables and Sides Braised Collards with Smoked…

THE BEKERY LAKE CHARLES Anyone who has visited The Bekery in Lake Charles has felt right at home lounging in the pastel bistro chairs, gazing at the parade of French pastries lining the glass display. And with a new location and elevated look courtesy of Thomas Guy Interiors, The Bekery is serving up a whole new experience just a few blocks from its original spot. The 2,500-square-foot space features dazzling chandeliers, salvaged antique columns, and modern tile flooring that’s the perfect French-inspired backdrop for this beloved Louisiana pâtisserie. facebook.com/thebekeryllc NEW ARRIVALS AT ST. ROCH MARKET NEW ORLEANS The doors of St. Roch Market are continuously revolving with new chefs and food concepts that showcase a variety of worldly cuisines. One of the market’s latest vendors is Hype Eatz, operated by…

Making a gumbo isn’t something we take lightly. From choosing the right ingredients to taking the time to make the perfect roux, gumbos are all about patience and practice. To best illustrate a few of the techniques that go into cooking up a great gumbo, we homed in on the roux, broth, and rice. With its roots in classic French cuisine, roux is, of course, the backbone of any gumbo, and whether you shoot for a thicker, blonder roux or a thinner, dark chocolate roux, this flour-and-fat mixture sets the tone for your final gumbo. We would never judge anyone for just using a box of premade chicken broth in their gumbo, but the difference between store-bought and homemade is stark. If you use lots of chicken bones (wings, necks,…

PRALINES HAVE A LONG AND STORIED HISTORY in New Orleans, making the trip from France (where they were originally made with almonds) and later being sold as street food by emancipated African American women. Whether at the French Market, Jackson Square, or Uptown, these ladies, who went by nicknames like Tante Titine, Praline Zizi, and Gateaux Bon Marche, were able to make a living for themselves in an otherwise difficult time to do so. Though that history isn’t often discussed, New Orleans’ love for praline candy has continued to grow, and this sundae is sure to hit the spot. PRALINE SUNDAE MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS Homemade pralines make this decadent sundae even more tempting. 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons cold heavy whipping cream, divided1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste½ teaspoon…

THE CAJUN DISHES for which Louisiana is best-known—the gumbos, jambalayas, and étouffées chief among them—are a joy to eat but can be difficult for folks with restrictive diets. With a simple change from rice to cauliflower rice (finely chopped or shredded cauliflower), we were able to reduce the carbohydrates and calories in this chicken and sausage jambalaya without sacrificing flavor. CAULIFLOWER RICE JAMBALAYA MAKES 4 SERVINGS Frozen cauliflower rice may work in this recipe, but the resulting texture could be a tad mushy. ½ pound mild smoked pork sausage, sliced ¼ inch thick1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into ½-inch cubes1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided1 cup chopped green onion½ cup finely chopped celery½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper½ cup diced seeded tomato1 tablespoon minced garlic1 teaspoon Creole seasoning1…

AS THE SEASONS SHIFT from hot sun to cool autumn days, my mind’s eye turns to Septembers and Octobers past. I think particularly of my Zeringue grandparents, who lost their daughter (my mother) Therese when she was only 37 years old. They mourned and wept as we did, and with my father, they loved, taught, and reared us as their own. Papere taught us to plant a garden, including picking coco grass, which I detest even today. He taught us to care for animals—chickens, mules, pigs, and cows. He taught us the tradition of the boucherie and how to cook in cast-iron kettles. He carved army men for us from bits of wood and made whistles from palmetto fronds. We rode the mule-drawn sled from Cabanocey to Graugnard’s store, and…

CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE GUMBO MAKES 8 CUPS Make this satisfying gumbo even better with the homemade broth in our Gumbo 101 feature on page 69. 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs1 teaspoon kosher salt½ teaspoon ground black pepper½ cup water½ cup vegetable oil¾ cup all-purpose flour1 cup chopped yellow onion1 cup chopped green bell pepper1 cup chopped celery1 jalapeño, seeded and diced2 cloves garlic, minced4 cups chicken broth2 dried bay leaves4 sprigs fresh thyme2 tablespoons Worcestershire saucePotato salad, to serveGarnish: paprika 1. In a large Dutch oven, cook sausage over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in pot. 2. Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper, and add to…

THE HARDEST PART about this recipe for Oysters Rockefeller is waiting an hour for the vibrant green sauce to marinate. After that, it’s just a quick pass through the oven before you and your family are enjoying a classic taste of New Orleans. OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER MAKES 12 The rich mixture of salty cheese, peppery greens, and crunchy bread crumbs that crowns these briny bivalves is the epitome of easy sophistication. 1 cup fresh spinach1 cup fresh arugula2 cloves garlic, minced¼ cup finely diced yellow onion¼ cup thinly sliced green onion6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened¼ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)1½ teaspoons water1 teaspoon hot sauce½ teaspoon kosher salt½ teaspoon ground fennelCoarse kosher salt or rock salt12 fresh oysters on half shell¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheeseLemon wedges, to serve 1. Preheat oven…

THE AURORA SEERSUCKER’S name has a two-part origin story. Half of the name honors the Roman goddess of dawn, and the other half comes straight from the brand of gin mixed in. Something is afoot here, though. First, you’ll notice there’s the Seersucker Southern Style Gin in it. It’s got “Southern” right in the name, but when I got here, about 98% of my guests would say, “I don’t like gin, I don’t like gin.” I took the time to talk to them and ask why. Turns out, they’d only ever had London Dry Gin—they don’t like juniper. Those conversations sparked a want as well as a need to create a couple of cocktails that called for gin in hopes of coaxing customers out of their comfort zones. There are…