Beach Bum Crab Bisque

Beach Bum Crab Bisque is one of my favorite Cajun meals.

The beaches along the Louisiana gulf coast are not as pristine and beautiful as one might find along the Florida and California coastlines, but spending lots of time there was nevertheless a great opportunity for me to relax, enjoy a few cold beers, and cook-up some great Cajun foods while escaping the stressful fast-pace lifestyle of the city.

One of the good things about bumming around on the beaches of south Louisiana during my off-times was the relative ease of catching fresh seafood in the immediate vicinity for just about all of my dinners.

With the nearly unlimited bounty of fresh seafood, it was easy enough for me to get out for a couple hours and catch just about anything I needed to prepare a fantastic meal--such as shrimp from the gulf, large blue-point crabs from the nearby canals, as well as speckled trout and flounder from the surf. Those were the good-ol' days.

Holly Beach, a small coastal town which was located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, was one of my favorite spots to hang out during my off-times. There were several fully furnished cabins available along its beach and the rents were very reasonable. Beach pubs and bars were within walking distance of each other where one could visit to listen to what seemed like never-ending upbeat Cajun music, and sample what seemed like never-ending free hors d'oeuvres for the patrons (fried shrimp, catfish nuggets and hush puppies--YUM!).

Sadly, the small resort community of Holly Beach was totally devastated by Hurricane Rita in 2005.

Okay. Enough already--on to more pleasant things--like how to prepare this delicious Beach Bum Crab Bisque.


Ingredients

• 1/2 dozen medium blue-point crabs, cleaned and quartered
• 1 lb. lump crab meat (regular)
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 4 qt. of chicken stock
• 1 qt. Half ’n Half
• 1 cup chopped onion                                      
• 1 cup chopped celery            
• 1 lb. butter

Instructions

1. melt the butter in a large gumbo pot
2. add crabs and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes
3. add the chopped onions and celery
4. cook until they become translucent (about 5 minutes)
5. add flour and blend the roux
6. pour-in the chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
7. heat Half ’n Half milk (do not boil) and blend it in the soup
8. strain soup through a colander (optional)
9. add lump crab meat to the hot soup and serve

Bon appetite!
NT

What Kind of Gumbo to Cook?

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

When I ponder on what kind of gumbo to cook, I first like to look in my freezer to see what's on hand... or, in the local papers to see what is on sale at the supermarket. 

Gumbo is a real Cajun dish. It is served in a soup bowl over cooked rice and garnished with chopped green onions and an optional pinch of filé lightly sprinkled on top.

Any of the following meats may be added to make a delicious gumbo: beef, pork, chicken, goose, wild duck, quail, dove, guinea, rabbit and squirrel, to name just a few. Sausage, tasso, and okra may also be added.

Seafood gumbos are made with shrimp, crab, crawfish and oysters, or a combination of these. The basics in making gumbo are the same. However, the seafood mentioned here take about 15+ minutes to cook so you should add it to the slow boiling gumbo about 15 -- 20 minutes before it is done.

Please check out these links for everything you need to make a great gumbo:

• How To Make a Gumbo Roux
• Wild Duck Gumbo with Oysters
• Shrimp and Okra Gumbo
• Wild Duck Gumbo
• Chicken Gumbo

Barbecuing Chicken Leg Quarters

I prefer barbecuing chicken leg quarters more so than the other parts of the chicken--especially the white meat (chicken breast). And, here are a couple reasons why I like barbecuing chicken leg quarters more than other parts of the yard bird:

1. The dark meat has more flavor than the white meat.
2. I am able to use my special dark meat secret marinade.

The secret that I am about to reveal to you will certainly set you apart from the rest of the humdrum (always the same old stuff) culinary crowd--and it's very simple to do. All it takes is brown sugar, salt, liquid smoke, a large nonreactive container, an indoor oven... and eventually a barbecue grill.

So, if you are ready... let's get started.

Ingredients

• 10 lbs. chicken leg quarters (fryers)
• 4 oz. Colgin Liquid Smoke
• 1/2 lb. brown sugar (dark if you can get it)
• 1/2 cup salt

Instructions

1. remove skins from the chicken quarters (set aside)
2. clean and rinse chicken quarters under cool running water (leave wet)
3. put chicken quarters in a large non-reactive container (enamel, plastic, stainless)
4. in a small bowl add half the bottle of liquid smoke, brown sugar and salt, mix well
5. use clean hands to coat all of the chicken pieces thoroughly with the marinade
6. marinate the chicken quarters for 6 - 8 hours, re-coating the chicken every couple hours
7. when ready remove chicken quarters from the marinade
8. gently wash the marinade off the chicken using as little water as possible (don't overwash)
9. apply the remaining liquid smoke to the chicken quarters (even distribution)
10. place all the chicken quarters in a large roasting pan
11. set the oven at 275° F. and cook for 2 1/2 hours (lid on)
12. transfer the cooked chicken quarters to the barbecue grill
13. smoke the chicken quarters on low heat (away from the fire) for 30 more minutes

Note: It is important not to pressure wash the chicken quarters under the faucet after marinating because it will wash away all of the slightly sweet smokey flavor that we are trying to capture. Over washing defeats the purpose of marinating.

PS. If it's raining outside and you don't have access to a grill, just continue cooking the chicken leg quarters in the oven for about another hour. I promise it will still come out great.

PPS. What do I do with the chicken skins? Glad you asked. Follow this link: Cacklin Cracklins.

Bon appetite!
KT

The Health Benefits of Cajun Foods

The Health Benefits of Cajun Foods is a 3 minute video which outlines the numerous health benefits associated with Cajun-style cuisine--including the excellent benefits derived from the top 5 Cajun herbs and spices.




Bon appetite and healthy living!
KT

Cajun Trout Almondine

This Cajun Trout Almondine recipe is an adulterated form of the original Trout Meunière Almondine recipe.

The French word 'meunière', as used here, means food (especially fish) which is dipped in all-purpose flour, sautéed in butter, and accented with citric acid from the lemon juice.

Here we added a couple more ingredients, i.e., chopped parsley and DIY Cajun seasoning to liven up the catch... so to speak. Very delicious! Try it. You will like it, I'm sure.

Ingredients

• 8 trout fillets, skinned
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 lb. butter
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, roasted (375 F. for 7 minutes)
• 2 units of DIY Cajun Seasoning

Instructions

1. sprinkle trout fillets with DIY Cajun Seasoning
2. dredge in flour
3. on medium heat melt the butter in a shallow skillet
4. add fish to the hot butter
5. cook slowly until golden brown on both sides, turning once
6. remove fish and place in a warm oven until the sauce is made
7. in the skillet, add lemon juice and parsley to butter and drippings
8. mix well then poor over cooked fish fillets
9. sprinkle sliced roasted almonds over the fillets

Makes 4 servings

Note: In the DIY Cajun Seasoning mix, you may add up to 1 tsp. of Old Bay Seasoning to give your Cajun Trout Almondine an additional traditional southern flavor.

Bon appetite. Enjoy!
NT