It's that time of year again for that wonderful big party called Mardi Gras. Elaborate balls, fun parades, king cake parties, and decadent food are all the norm right now. I love everything about Mardi Gras, but especially the food, and I like to have friends and family over for a casual buffet to celebrate the Carnival season. Here are a few of my family's favorite Mardi Gras eats that I will be serving my guests.Happy Mardi Gras!
Nanny's Creole Crab Cakes
1 lb. lump crab meat, picked over 3 tbs.'s mayo 1 tsp. Creole mustard 1 large egg, beaten 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce Few drops of Tabasco 2 tsp.'s Creole seasoning 1/2 sleeve of saltine crackers, crushed 2 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup bread crumbs Butter for frying Combine
all ingredients, except crab meat, in large bowl. Fold in crab meat and
toss gently, until blended. Shape into cakes, roll in breadcrumbs, and
fry in butter, in a cast iron skillet, until browned. Makes 6 Divine!
We had a fabulous time on Thursday evening at the 21st annual Realtors of Acadiana Gumbo Cook-Off. There were dozens of gumbo booths, all competing for the best gumbo in Lafayette and only $5.00 for all-you-could-eat! Pure heaven, cher, and it was very hard to pick a fave.
But clearly, my favorite was the seafood gumbo from the Teche Federal Bank booth. It was packed with flavor with lots of shrimp, crab meat, and crawfish, and had a generous dose of Tabasco, which gave it that unmistakable spicy taste. It was sinfully good!
This chicken and sausage gumbo from the Coldwell Banker booth was a close second and was also seasoned well and very flavorful and delicious Cest bon!
There was a costume contest and all the booths were decorated according to this year's theme, Fun and Games. This group was lively and their chicken and sausage gumbo was fab!
There was just about every kind of gumbo you could imagine, including duck and venison sausage, and gator and sausage, and all of the proceeds went to local housing charities.
And of course there was live music and dancing, and Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie entertained the crowd. Had to dance off that gumbo, rice, and potato salad.
Here's a little clip that I took. Most people were still eating, but a few could not resist a dance or two. That's my friend Tom, in the plaid shirt and baseball cap. This one's for you, cher.
Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie
******* We are finally warming back up to 80 degrees in Cajun country, but earlier this week, we had an early cold snap with lows in the low 40's and it was a shock, but perfect for cooking a gumbo. I made my first gumbo of the season and it was totally scrumptious and I wanted to share the recipe. Bon appetit!
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
1 cut up fryer or gumbo hen
1 lb. Andouille sausage (or smoked sausage), sliced
1 pt. oysters w/ liquid, optional
1 cup each onions, bell peppers, and celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbs.'s Cajun seasoning (divided)
Salt and Tabasco to taste
3 bay leaves
3 quarts chicken stock or warm water First, you make a roux.
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup vegetable oil Combine
flour and oil in a large Dutch oven, on medium heat, and stir
constantly, for about 10 to 15 minutes, until medium brown in color.
Scrape bottom and sides, often. When desired color is reached, lower
heat and add the "holy trinity" (onions, celery, and bell peppers), and garlic, stir well for about 3 minutes, then slowly add the chicken stock or water.Add seasonings, bay leaves, and Tabasco , and bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
Season chicken and sausage with 1 tbs. of Cajun seasoning. Brown seasoned chicken and sausage, on both sides, in a large
cast iron skillet. Drain excess oil and add to the gumbo. Bring to a
boil, lower heat and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add
green onions, parsley, and oysters, and a few shakes of Tabasco, and
stir and cook for 10 more minutes. Skim excess oil and top each bowl with a little gumbo file' powder and serve with a
scoop of rice, potato salad and hot French bread. Serves 8 Cest bon, cher!
Here's another clip that I took at Festival Acadiens of a traditional Cajun waltz. Walter Mouton and the Scott Playboys were swaying the crowd at Scene Ma Louisiane. Walter is a master accordionist and has been entertaining Cajun country for over 40 years.
Walter Mouton and the Scott Playboys
Wishing all of you a fantastic week ahead! Merci beauoup for stopping by!
There was a chill in the air this morning in Cajun country, and with dinner guests coming tonight, I thought, what could be more perfect than a big pot of seafood gumbo?! This is one of my favorite recipes that I have perfected over the years into a delectable, flavorful dish, chocked full of fabulous seafood, vegetables, and spices. When I tell you that it's the most sinfully delicious thing that you will ever eat, then you know that I mean it, cher! Oh, cest bon, cher!
Roux
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
First you make a roux. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet on medium-low heat. Slowly add flour and stir constantly with a spatula until a medium brown color is reached. Remove from heat and set aside. If roux looks too thick, carefully add a little water, because it will be very hot.
Note: ( How long it will take will depend on what kind of skillet you are using. I use a heavy cast aluminum or cast iron skillet , which will brown a roux in 10 to 15 minutes. A lighter skillet will take twice as long, and will have to cook on low heat.) I also make roux in larger batches and store in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer, for use in other dishes. This is a real time saver.
Stock
3 tbs.'s vegetable oil
3 cups Cajun trinity, (onions, bell peppers, and celery), chopped
3 tsp.'s minced garlic
1/2 cup green onions, including tops, sliced
1 can diced Rotel tomatoes, w/ green chilies
2 quarts seafood, chicken, or vegetable stock
1 lb. fresh or frozen okra, sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbs. dried thyme
3 bay leaves
2 tbs.'s Cajun seasoning, divided
1 tsp. Tabasco
Salt to taste
Seafood
1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. lump crab meat
1 bag gumbo crabs, if available
1 lb. crawfish tails, if available
1 pint fresh oysters Note: If gumbo crabs and crawfish are unavailable, increase shrimp to 2 lbs.
In a large, 6 quart stock pot, saute the Cajun trinity in the vegetable oil, until soft. (about 10 minutes) Add the garlic, tomatoes and stock, and bring to a boil. Add the okra, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, 1 tbs. Cajun seasoning, salt, and Tabasco, and reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Carefully add the roux to the stock, mix well, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Season shrimp, crawfish, crab meat, and gumbo crabs with other tbs. Cajun seasoning and add to the pot. You can omit this other tbs. of Cajun seasoning, if you prefer a less spicy gumbo. Mix well and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
Add the oysters and green onions and continue cooking on low for 10 minutes. Add more seasoning, if desired and a sprinkling of gumbo file' and garnish with green onions.
Serve with a scoop of hot cooked rice, potato salad, and hot French bread.
Out of this world! Serves 8. Bon appetit!
********
A Cajun Two-Step
Here is another little clip that I took at the festival of The Pine Leaf Boys, playing a Cajun two-step. The couple dancing to the left, at the beginning of the clip, were really stirring up some dust! The lovely blonde with the pony tail, in the pink halter dress, and cowgirl boots is my darling daughter! She may look like her Daddy, but we all know where she got her love of dancing from! This one is for you, cher! Let the good times roll!
The Pine Leaf Boys
Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!
Ingredients:
2/3 cup flour 3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup each, of "the trinity"
2 tsp.'s Tabasco sauce
2 Tbls.'s Tony's Creole Seasoning
3 bay leaves
3 qt's warm water
Salt to taste
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 1/2 lbs. peeled shrimp
1 lb. lump crab meat
1 pint oysters
Gumbo file' powder
First, you make a roux. In a large heavy pot, on med.-low heat, mix the flour and oil, and stir constantly, scraping bottom often. Will get frothy, then thicker. Continue stirring until roux is med. brown in color. (about 10 minutes) Add 1/2 cup each of " the trinity" (chopped onions, celery, and bell peppers ) Stir for 1 minute and add 1 1/2 quarts of warm water.
Mix thoroughly, add seasonings and turn heat down to low and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes. Add 1 1/2 quarts of warm water, bay leaf ,and 1 1/2 lb.'s peeled shrimp, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add 1 lb. lump crab meat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 pint of oysters and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onions and file' powder.
Serve in gumbo bowls with hot rice and potato salad. Serves 6 Bon Appetite'!
Welcome to Cajun country and to my blog. I am a Cajun gal who was born and raised on the Bayou Vermilion. The area is rich in history and culture and is a very fun place to live. Fabulous cuisine, incredible music, and fun loving people with a joie de vivre, (love of life). You will learn about the Acadian French people and their culture, and best of all, you will learn how to prepare the world famous Cajun cuisine. Lassiez les bon temps rouler, cher!
1 lb. lump crab meat, picked over 
Posts
