Fat Tuesday

In celebration of Mardis Gras, Leslie and I are wanting to prepare a Cajun/Creole dinner tomorrow night. We already have tested and tasty recipes for Red Beans and Rice and Jambalaya, but we're looking for a good Chicken Etouffee. Any suggestions?

And, although I'll probably be drinking Dixie's Blackened Voodoo beer, I'd appreciate any wine recommendations.

Thanks!

In celebration of Mardis Gras, Leslie and I are wanting to prepare a Cajun/Creole dinner tomorrow night. We already have tested and tasty recipes for Red Beans and Rice and Jambalaya, but we're looking for a good Chicken Etouffee. Any suggestions?

And, although I'll probably be drinking Dixie's Blackened Voodoo beer, I'd appreciate and wine recommendations.

Thanks!

My suggestion?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... s&n=507846

Sorry, no Chicken Etouffee, but I do have a tasty recipe for Shrimp Creole that I can post if you want. We usually do an off-dry Riesling with it. I imagine the same would work with any cajun/creole dishes.

Somehow, in our family, it has become known as "Pancake Tuesday", so I usually make some special fruit pancakes and breakfast sausage.

For the money, why don't you go to the Master -- Paul Prudhomme! He started the Cajun-Creole craze about 25 years ago. He is the reason we have blackened everything in this country. And his cuisine is reminiscent of the back country cooking of my youth (born and bred in Louisiana). I've been to his restaurant, K-Paul's, in New Orleans. I've also been to Emerils and NOLAs in Louisiana. I would call Emeril's cuisine Louisiana fusion, which is hit and miss. But, if I could have wrapped K-Pauls menu (1 of everything to go) and put it into my suitcase and traded my husband's airplane seat for my package of goodies, I would have done it and not looked back. I've made several (all of his gumbos and jumbalayas) from his cookbook. Never a bad dish (watch out for the amount of pepper he calls for -- unless you have an asbestos tongue). I was pleased to get a bread basket in his restaurant that had every bread reciped in his cookbook -- and they tasted the same. (I have made the jalapeno cheese and the molasses bread -- FABULOUS! He didn't leave anything out of the recipe). I thought of copying the recipe for you here, but the step-by-step how to runs for 2 pages. (Don't be daunted by that, it's very easy, most of the text is dedicated to making sure you get the roux the right color and texture.) But, if you like Louisiana food, do your self a favor a buy the book (hardcover). Rather than wait for it to arrive from Amazon, you will probably find a used copy in a discount/used bookstore in your area. Call around first. Good luck!

http://www.amazon.com/Chef-Paul-Prudhom ... F8&s=books

We're having Jambalaya with the lustiest red wine we can find:

Cook a cup of brown rice in two cups of water, and set aside.

Nuke 2 chopped onions, a minced green pepper, and a minced stalk of celery in 1 T of bacon fat and two of OO.

Transfer veggies (not rice) to a 4 quart Dutch oven. Add 2 T parsley, 1 T oregano, and 1 T thyme chopped together (or dry equivelant), 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp granulated garlic, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp Tabasco or your favorite, and a 1 lb 12 oz can good crushed tomatoes. Simmer together for 45 minutes.

Add a pound of shrimp and cook until pink. Add a 1/2 pound of diced ham and the rice, and warm through. Sprinkle some green stuff on top and serve.

Sorry, no Chicken Etouffee, but I do have a tasty recipe for Shrimp Creole that I can post if you want. We usually do an off-dry Riesling with it. I imagine the same would work with any cajun/creole dishes.

Linda,

Please do, that sounds good!

Jeff, I posted the shrimp creole recipe. Enjoy!

Like Howie, pancakes and bacon 'til the cows come home, or midnight, whichever comes first.
Tomorrow I give up bread and chocolate and hard liquor.

Tomorrow I give up bread and chocolate and hard liquor.

I'm giving up making Lenten promises I can't keep.

Mainz! Ach, das waren noch Zeiten! Helau!!

Narhallamarsch