VENISON AND SAUSAGE CASSOULET From Chef Emeril Lagasse, a south Louisiana twist on a French classic, using the venison brought in by many local deer hunters, plus great local andouille sausage. For the Beans: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1/4 cup chopped onions 1/4 cup chopped celery 1 pound white navy beans 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 8 cups water 1 bay leaf For the Meats: 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup oil 1 cup chopped onions 1/2 cup celery 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers 1/2 cup chopped carrots 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 4 thinly-cut slices venison , about 4-5 ounces each 1 pound andouille sausage links, cut into 6 equal portions 2 cup chicken broth 1 pound chorizo, cut into 2" pieces 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning blend For the Gratin: 3/4 cup dried fine bread crumbs 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese 3 tablespoon chopped parsley 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning 2 tablespoons olive oil Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. For the beans, in a large saucepan, melt the butter over high heat and saute the onions and celery for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are slightly wilted. Add the beans, salt, cayenne, water and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until beans are tender and most of the water is absorbed, about 2 hours. For the meats, in a large oven-proof skillet, over medium-high heat, combine the flour and oil. Stirring constantly, make a medium brown roux. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, carrots, salt and cayenne. Stirring constantly, cook for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are slightly wilted. Lay the venison on top of the roux-vegetables mixture and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Add the sausages and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Add the chicken broth and stir the mixture until the roux and broth are combined and mixture thickens. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any brown particles. Bring to a boil. Add the beans and reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes. For the Gratin: In a mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, Creole seasoning, and olive oil. Mix well. When the bean-meat mixture is cooked, spoon the gratin evenly over the top and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Spoon a serving of the mixture from the pan onto a plate and garnish with more Creole seasoning, shaved chives and crusty bread. Yield: 6 servings
SWEETBREADS MADEIRA from Corinne Dunbar's snort's note: this was my old man's favorite restaurant in new orleans (no longer in business). This is a simple but elegant dish from the late, lamented Corinne Dunbar's Restaurant, once a bastion of 19th Century Creole elegance. 1-1/2 pounds veal sweetbreads, cleaned 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 stick (4 ounces) butter 1/2 cup Madeira wine Brown sauce: 1-1/2 sticks (6 ounces) butter 6 tablespoons flour 2 cups beef stock 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste Blanch the sweetbreads in simmering water for approximately 10 minutes. Drain, and allow to cool. Make the brown sauce by melting the butter and stirring in the flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the roux turns a medium brown, about 15-20 minutes. Add the stock, salt and pepper to taste, depending on the seasoning in the stock. Slice the cooked sweetbreads in half. Dip them in 1 cup of flour seasoned with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper (you may add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne as well), and then in the eggs. Immediately saute the sweetbreads in the stick of butter and brown both sides. Drain half the butter from the pan, and place the sweetbreads and remaining butter into a hot, 475F oven for 5 minutes. Drain the remaining butter. Add half of the Madeira (1/4 cup) and 1 cup of the brown sauce to the sweetbreads and bring to a boil. Pour in the remainder of the Madeira, head and flame. Add the rest of the brown sauce, heat and serve. Yield: 6 servings.
Apple Stuffed BBQ Pork Roast the Grand Prize winner from Tony Chachere's recipe contest 1 (5 lb.) pork tenderloin or loin roast 2 tart apples, sliced Tony Chachere's® Creole Seasoning 1/2 cup Creole or spicy brown prepared mustard 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 1 cup tequila 2 cups hickory, mesquite or apple chips 2 cups Half and Half cream 1 cup cream sherry 2 Tbsp Tony Chachere's® Instant Roux and Gravy Mix Wash the roast and pat dry. Cut pockets all around the roast and insert apples slices throughout the length of the roast. Score roast and rub generously with Tony Chachere's® Creole Seasoning. In a bowl, combine mustard, walnuts and 1/8 cup tequila. Work into paste and coat roast. Cover and chill over night. In a sealable container, place smoking chips and cover with remaining tequila. Allow to soak overnight. Remove covered roast and let warm to room temperature (2 - 3 hours). Place roast on roast rack in center of barbecue pit. Place tray under roast to catch drippings. Place wood chips on flavor bar on briquets. Cook about 2 hours or until core temperature is 160 degrees. Remove and cover immediately with foil to keep in heat and moisture. In a saucepan, pour drippings from roast. Add cream, sherry, 1 Tbsp. mustard and Tony Chachere's® Roux and Gravy Mix. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to avoid burning and sticking. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. To serve, cut slices of roast, at an angle, about 3/4 inch thick, to expose apples. Ladle sauce over roast. Yields 10-12 servings.
CHICKEN PONTALBA from Brennan's Restaurant In New Orleans, this entree is considered to be one of the finest dishes ever created. It was first made at Brennan's restaurant in the French Quarter by Chef Paul Blange in the early 1950's. "It was named after the beautiful Baroness Pontalba who came to New Orleans in the 1700's," says Ted Brennan, one of the owners. Like the Baroness who gave lavish parties and served rich creative Creole dishes, Chicken Pontalba is a rich lavish dish that is truly Creole in creation. Knowing that every restaurant has "signature" dishes to enhance its reputation, Blange searched his culinary repertoire to create something different. And what could be more different than cooked chicken breasts napped with Bearnaise sauce all on a bed of deep fried potatoes, diced ham, mushrooms, onions, garlic and white wine? 2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup butter 3/4 teaspoon salt Dash of pepper Water for poaching 8 chicken breasts, boned, skinned and halved 4 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped 2 cups white onions, chopped 2 cups green onions, chopped 1-1/2 cups boiled ham, chopped 2 cups mushroom, sliced 1-1/2 cups diced potatoes, deep fried about 2 minutes 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped 3/4 cup white wine 3 cups Bearnaise sauce In a large saute pan or skillet put in the 2 tablespoons butter, salt, pepper, and add about 1/4 inch water to the pan. Bring this poaching liquid to the boil, add breasts, cover, lower heat and simmer 15 minutes or until the breasts are done. With a slotted spoon remove the breasts and keep warm in 175 degree oven. Discard the poaching liquid. In another sautepan or skillet, melt the remaining butter and saute the garlic, onions, ham and mushrooms until they are brown. Add the wine and reduce by one-third. Add fried potatoes and parsley and cook 2 minutes. Remove and keep warm in the oven. To assemble the Pontalba, put 1/8 of the potato/ham mixture in the center of the plate. Place on each side of the mixture one half of a chicken breast. Top each breast with a generous amount of Bearnaise sauce. Yield: 8 servings.
CHICKEN ROCHAMBEAU Here's a recipe involving Marchand de Vin sauce, along with Hollandaise (the other sauce you can get on your tournedos at Antoine's, as well as other restaurants). It's Chicken Rochambeau, which is a favorite entrée at Antoine's. This is a great dish to make around holiday time because it calls for roast chicken, and there's bound to be lots of roast chicken or turkey leftovers around many a New Orleans household at Christmas time. 4 slices French bread toast 4 large slices roast chicken 4 large slices boiled or baked ham 1 tablespoon minced parsley Dash Worcestershire sauce salt and pepper to taste 1 cup Bearnaise sauce 1 cup Marchand de Vin sauce Fry the ham and warm the chicken slices. As an alternative to roast chicken, you may grill a chicken breast pounded thin for each person. Place the French bread toast on the plate, then the ham, then a generous amount of Marchand de Vin sauce, then the chicken, then top with the Bearnaise sauce. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4. BEARNAISE SAUCE 1-1/2 pounds clarified butter 2 ounces shallots, minced 4 ounces tarragon white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon dried tarragon 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed 6 egg yolks 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped Cayenne pepper to taste Salt to taste Fresh lemon juice to taste Mix together shallots, vinegar, first batch of fresh or dried tarragon and peppercorns in a non-aluminum pan. Reduce by 3/4. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Transfer reduction to a round bottomed stainless steel bowl. Add egg yolks and mix well. Place the bowl over a hot water bath (barely simmering) and continue to beat until the yolks are thick and creamy. Be careful not to scramble the egg yolks; pull the bowl away from the hot water bath if it starts to get too hot. Remove from heat. While whisking, gradually add the clarified butter to the egg yolks, drop by drop at first. If the sauce is too thick, thin with lemon juice or warm water. Strain the sauce through cheesecloth. Season to taste with salt, cayenne and a little lemon juice. Add teh remaining tarragon. Hold warm for no longer than 1-1/2 hours. Makes 1 pint. MARCHAND DE VIN SAUCE 4 ounces (1 stick) butter 3 tablespoons flour 1/4 cup very finely minced lean baked ham 1/2 cup finely minces green onion tops 3/4 cup mushrooms, finely chopped 4 tablespoons finely minced onion 4 tablespoons finely minced garlic 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 cup rich beef stock, made from soup bones Marrow from the soup bones 1/2 cup dry red wine In a large heavy saucepan melt the butter over low heat. Gradually add the flour, stirring constantly, and cook until the roux is light brown. Quickly add the ham, green onion tops, mushrooms, onion and garlic and cook, still stirring, for 5 minutes more. Add the salt, pepper and cayenne and blend thoroughly. Keep the mixture simmering and gradually add the beef stock, bone marrow and red wine, stirring constantly to keep the sauce as smooth as possible. When the sauce is blended, cook over very low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Makes 2 cups.
CHICKEN SAUCE PIQUANTE Contributed by my friend Sarah Savoy of Eunice, LA, who says: "It's not the easiest task in the world to get recipes out of someone who doesn't use them. I got these from my dad and had to make them myself many times to figure out the exact measurements. They taste right to me, and after 22 years of eating his cooking, I think I can consider myself a pretty good judge. Just keep in mind that the number one rule in Cajun cooking is, as Gil Young says, "TASTE AND ADJUST!" "Everyone has his or her own way of doing this. My friend Dirk Hébert adds tasso to his sauce piquante and it s really good. Sausage is nice in it too. Play around with the recipe and decide what you like best." 1 whole chicken cut up 2 large onions, chopped 1 bell pepper 4 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon roux 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce Gravy-thickening flour 1/2 bunch scallions 1/2 bunch parsley Brown the chicken in a large pot. Pour off the fat but keep the drippings. Add the vegetables to the chicken and drippings and cook until softened. Add water to cover the chicken and some gravy thickening flour. Let tenderize, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add scallions and parsley five minutes before serving. Serve over boiled rice.
1978 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CHICKEN JAMBALAYA Here's an award-winning recipe (along with some tips and some history of the dish) as prepared by: Matthew "Dee" Gautreau, Dee Gautreau's Cajun Catering, Gonzales, Louisiana 70737, Telephone - (504) 644-5977 or 644-4405. This makes damn good jambalaya, and is a brown-style rather than the red tomato-based jambalayas you see in New Orleans (like mine, for instance). This one doesn't use a chicken stock because you make your own as you go along here. One 3 to 4 pound hen cut into serving pieces 3 cups long grain rice - uncooked 1/4 cup cooking oil 3 medium white onions - chopped fine 6 cups water (but Chuck says use chicken stock if you want it to be really good) 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste 2-1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic 1 cup green onions - chopped 1/2 cup green peppers 1/2 cup celery - chopped fine 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Red pepper to taste 2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce Fry chicken in cooking oil until golden brown. Remove chicken and oil leaving just enough oil to cover bottom of pot. Add onions, and fry until golden brown. Put chicken back into pot with onions, and add 6 cups of water (note water level). Add remaining seasoning and simmer covered until chicken is tender. If necessary, add enough water to bring back to previous level. Bring back to a rolling boil, and add rice. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes - turn rice. Cover with tight fitting lid, let steam for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Turn rice once more, and turn fire off. Let stand for 10 minutes and then serve. Jambalaya is more tasty if highly seasoned, so don't forget the red pepper. When adding salt, water should taste a little too salty, as rice absorbs considerable salt. Yield: 6 to 8 generous servings. HELPFUL HINTS FOR INEXPERIENCED JAMBALAYA COOKS: Most jambalaya cooks prefer to cook in cast iron pots - whether cast iron or aluminum pot is used, it should be heavy enough to prevent easy burning, and have a tight lid. To brown onions: Onions and shortening are put into the pot, covered, and cooked over low heat until golden brown, stirring frequently. A little water added to the onions will help prevent sticking. Jambalaya should never be stirred - turn rather than stir after the rice has been added. This prevents the grains of rice from breaking up. Most cooks turn jambalaya only two or three times after the rice is added, being sure to scoop from the bottom of the pot to mix rice evenly with other ingredients. A LITTLE JAMBALAYA HISTORY Similar in many ways to Spanish paella, the term "jambalaya" is derived from the Spanish jamón for ham. Jambalaya found its way into Creole cookery in the late 1700's where it soon took on the flavor of added local ingredients. It can be made (separately or all together) with ham, chicken, sausage, fresh pork, shrimp and oysters, to which is added shortening, rice, onion, garlic, pepper and other seasonings. Starting with church fairs, which were the largest public gatherings at the turn of the century, Jambalaya emerged from small quantity indoor cooking to become the ideal dish for outdoor cooking over hardwood fire. Big black cast iron pots made preparation so easy and economical for church use that Jambalaya was rapidly adapted for political rallies, weddings, family reunions and other affairs. No fair or political rally around Gonzales is complete without Jambalaya cooking. The Jambalaya Festival and World Champion Jambalaya Cooking contest is held annually at Gonzales and attracts area cooks who have spent years perfecting the are of cooking and seasoning this Creole delicacy. Gonzales really is the Jambalaya Capital of The World. About the creator of the championship recipe: "Dee" Gautreau is a World Champion Jambalaya cook; he won the title in 1978. He has his own catering business, "Dee Gautreau's Cajun Catering." In the past nine years he has cooked Jambalaya all over the United States and in France, too.
LEFTOVER HOLIDAY TURKEY GUMBO A few years ago, I headed down to San Diego to have Thanksgiving dinner with my old friends Peter and Sarah Simoneaux, New Orleans expatriates (who've since moved back home). They and I were invited to the home of some friends of theirs, and we agreed to provide some side dishes. The meal was lovely, and afterwards one of us remarked about how wonderful all that leftover turkey would be, and how they'd enjoy it over the next few days. "Oh, we're leaving for Mexico for a vacation tomorrow," our hostess said, "and we're just going to throw it away." Peter and I nearly shrieked. The very idea of such waste! This was potential gumbo about to go in the trash! "Can we have it?" we pleaded. Sure, no problem! Folks ... what ya do with ya leftover turkey carcass is to make a gumbo. It's fabulous. Sure, make turkey sandwiches, turkey whatevers, but reserve a pound or so of turkey meat and the bones/carcass and make this. You won't regret it. And maybe, the two-days-after-Thanksgiving dinner of gumbo might just become a tradition in your household. This recipe calls for ... drum roll, please ... bacon fat. Stop screaming. Look, how often are you really going to use this much bacon fat? Once a year, maybe?? C'mon, live a little. It's not like I'm recommending that you eat bacon fat-soaked biscuits for breakfast every day. As I recall, it took about a pound and a half of bacon, fried crisp just like I like it, in order to get this much bacon fat. And what are you gonna do with all that bacon, you ask? Well ... um ... you could make BLTs for your entire family. You could give some away to friends and neighbors. Or ... you could do what Peter and his son William and I did. (We ate it all.) What the hell. We live once. 6 quarts turkey stock, made from your leftover turkey carcass 1 cup flour 1 cup oil (but if you really want to be decadent, use bacon fat) 1 pound leftover turkey meat, white and/or dark, chopped into bite-sized pieces 1 pound andouille or smoked sausage 2 pounds shrimp 2 pounds okra, sliced 2 onions, chopped 1 bunch green onions with tops, chopped 2 bell peppers, chopped 5 ribs celery, chopped several cloves garlic, minced 3 bay leaves 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped Creole seasoning to taste, OR black, white and cayenne peppers, to taste Few dashes Tabasco, or to taste. Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Steaming hot Louisiana long-grain rice Blend oil (or bacon fat) and flour thoroughly in a thick skillet and cook over medium-high to high heat, stirring CONSTANTLY. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BURN IT!! If you start to see lots of black specks in the roux, you've screwed it up. Dump it out and start over. Keep cooking and stirring until the roux gets darker and darker. It's best to use a very heavy bot or skillet for roux-making, especially cast iron. With a good cast iron Dutch oven or skillet, you can get a beautiful dark roux in only about 20 minutes. If you prefer a blond or medium roux, cut down on the amount of roux you use; dark roux does not have as much thickening effect since the starch is so thoroughy cooked. You should turn the fire down or off as the roux nears the right color, because the heat from the pan will continue cooking it. You can also add your onions, bell peppers and celery to the roux as it's near the end of cooking to arrest the cooking process and to soften the vegetables (I like to do it this way, and I recommend it). KEEP STIRRING until the roux is relatively cool. Add the roux to the stock. Slice the andouille or smoked sausage and brown, pouring off all the fat. Saute the onions, green onions, bell pepper and celery if you haven't already added them to the roux, and add to the stock. Add the sausage. Add the bay leaves and Creole seasoning (or ground peppers) to taste and stir. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer; let simmer for about 30 minutes. Keep tasting and adjusting seasonings as needed. Add the okra and cook another 30 minutes or so. Make sure that the "ropiness" or "stringiness" from the okra is gone, then add the parsley and the reserved turkey meat. Simmer for another 15 minutes, then add the shrimp. Give it another 5-6 minutes or so, until the shrimp are just done, turning pink. Be very careful not to overcook the shrimp; adding the shrimp should be the last step. Adjust seasonings, adding salt, pepper and perhaps Tabasco as needed. Remember that gumbo shouldn't be too spicy hot. If there is any fat on the surface of the gumbo, try to skim off as much of it as possible. Serve generous amounts in bowls over hot rice. Sprinkle about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of gumbo filé in your individual serving; just remember not to put it in the pot and cook it with the gumbo; it doesn't work, and will make the gumbo stringy.
White Beans and Rice 1 pound dried white or navy beans, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 pound tasso, fresh smoked sausage or cured ham , 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 medium onions, chopped fine, ½ teaspoon ground red pepper, 1 large bell pepper, chopped fine, ½ teaspoon ground white pepper, 1 cup chopped parsley, 2 cups chopped green onions It is best to soak the beans overnight in water to cover, but it is not essential -- unsoaked beans simply take longer to cook. If you are using tasso or ham, cut it in ½-inch dice; if you are using sausage, slice it half inch thick. Place the beans in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot and add water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and add the onions, bell peppers, tasso, ham, or sausage, salt and peppers. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender. Soaked beans will take 1 - 1 ½ hours, unsoaked beans up to 3 hours. If the mixture begins to dry out, add more water. When the beans are tender, remove 2-3 cups of them, mash with a fork, and return to the pot. This makes a thick gravy base for the beans. If there still seems to be a lot of liquid in the pot, mash another couple of batches of beans the same way. Stir in the green onions and parsley and serve over rice. Serves 6-8 as a main course, 10-12 as a side dish
Smothered Round Steak 1 round steak, about 2 pounds, ½ cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons salt, 3 medium onions, chopped ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 bell peppers, chopped 1 teaspoon ground red pepper, 1 celery rib, chopped 1 teaspoon ground white pepper, 1 cup beef stock or water All-purpose flour for dredging Season the roast with one half of the salt and peppers. Dust with flour on all sides. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat, add the steak, and brown well on all sides. Remove the meat and pour off all but 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add half the onions, bell peppers, celery, the other half of the seasonings, and the stock or water. Stir well and reduce the heat to the lowest possible point. Return the roast to the pot and cover with the remaining vegetables. Cover and let cook until the meat is very tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve the meat in slices, with rice alongside and gravy over all. When you try this recipe with other kinds of meat, be sure to adjust the cooking times accordingly -- let tenderness be your guide. For extra flavorful roasts, try larding with slivers of garlic before smothering. Serves 4-6.
