Mardi Gras Party Food

"Lasser les bon temps rouler" in Cajun speak means "let the good times roll!". Let it roll this Mardi Gras season with these tasty Cajun foods:

Seafood Gumbo

Seafood gumbo recipes abound. There are many variations to this popular dish - some with other meats besides seafood. Here is one of my favorites - Chicken, Shrimp and Okra Gumbo ... read more

Jambalaya
In a heavy pot add oil, onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook uncovered over medium heat until onions are tender. ... read more

Red Beans over Rice

Try to acquire dried red beans which are less than 6 months old. You can either soak the red kidney beans over night for absorption, or you can bring them to a quick boil on the stove for a few short minutes. ... read more

Fried Catfish Nuggets

These spicy fried catfish nuggets are absolutely delicious! There's no doubt your friends will beg you for this recipe, but don't give it to 'em. Just send them over to Real Cajun Cooking - Pure and Simple so they can discover how to ... read more

Oysters Shantal

Wash oysters in cold water. Open oysters and remove top shell leaving mussel intact in lower shell. Place oysters in a baking dish and pour a little sauce over each one. Broil for 7 minutes. ... read more

Blue-Point Crab Dip

Cook onions, bell pepper and celery for about 5 minutes. Add mushroom soup, Worcestershire sauce, white pepper, hot sauce and crab meat. ... read more

Boudin Balls

This recipe is a slight departure from my original boudain recipe. I omitted the pork kidneys, pork heart and pork liver (because I couldn't purchase those particular items locally). So, without greatly compromising the original, I used the following ingredients ... read more

Pork Cracklings 

After trimming a pork tenderloin roast I cut up the fat (which had a small amount of meat attached to it) into 3/4 inch cubes and fried them in a #10 cast-iron skillet for about 30 minutes or so. ... read more

Peño Puppies

Thoroughly mix all of the ingredients except for the buttermilk. Slowly add buttermilk and stir until a thick batter is formed. ... read more

Zesty Cajun Onion Rings

For this recipe I always try to use someone else's beer for my batter so I don't have to use mine. And, I try to get it before she takes the first drink - if I can. No beer? Not to worry. You can use about 1/4  teaspoon of ... read more

King Cake

I must confess. I have never baked a King Cake, but I do eat them and they are delicious. My friend Danno at NolaCuisine.com has graciously allowed me to post his King Cake recipe here for your enjoyment. ... read more

These are only a few ideas you can use for your Mardi Gras party. Visit our site at http://realcajuncooking.com for many more examples of Cajun foods that you can serve at your next party.

Bon Appetit!  Ahheee!!

How to Boil Shrimp, Crabs or Crawfish

Boiled Shrimp

If you know how to boil shrimp, crabs or crayfish the way Cajuns do it, then you are in for a delicious treat. As we are heading into the 2017 harvest, get ready to impress your family and friends with this traditional method of preparing them. It's easy and fun.

To do an exemplary job we must include the right kind of seasoning to the water in which the shrimp, crab or crayfish are to be boiled but not before purging them first using cool clean water and regular table salt, for a few minutes, in a different container. Our family and friends have regularly used a #2 galvanized washtub for that occasion.

Boiled Crab

The saline solution during the purging process, especially for crawfish, causes the crustaceans to regurgitate any of the pond water from which they were harvested, and the thrashing around for a few minutes while in the salt water solution helps to clean the underpart of the mudbug and crab shells and tails which will sometimes collect tiny bits of muddy or sandy residue. You may want to stir them around a bit with a broom handle or long spoon to help them along if you would like to speed up the cleaning process. This will agitate them and the water.

Boiled Crawfish

The basic seasonings for the boil consist of salt, ground red cayenne pepper, and black pepper (easy on the black pepper, tho). This is the secret of bringing out the flavor of boiled seafood as served by Louisiana Acadians (Cajuns). It is important to remember that these types of seafood will completely cook in a short period of time. Overcooking can cause problems with texture, taste and the ability to easily peel or clean them. So, take precautions.



Instructions
  
The seasonings presented herein were our own family's special blend which we used long before Zatarain's seasoning became a popular brand.

1. bring your seasoned water to a boil in a large pot then add the shrimp, crabs or crayfish
2. bring to a boil again and cook rapidly for 5 minutes in a large uncovered pot
3. be sure to have enough water to cover the seafood
4. remove from heat, cover the pot and let them set in the hot seasoned water for about 5 minutes
5. the covered pot will retain the heat while the mud bugs, shrimp or crab cools. This allows them to absorb more of the seasoned water in which they were boiled 
6. spread a few sheets of newspaper on a large table and evenly lay the seafood out within reach of your dinner guests
7. don't forget to add containers around to collect the discarded shells after eating 

Tip: Remember to boil only live crayfish or crabs. Discard any dead ones before hand. They certainly won't taste good, and they could make you sick. So, get rid of the dead ones.

When boiling a large amount of crayfish or crabs (20 lbs. or more) you may want to add small new potatoes, small to medium size onions, hot smoked pork sausage (hot Italian sausages are the best) cut into 2-inch links, and you may even include corn on the cob. We've added eggs on occasion to add a little more stuff to the pot. Be sure to have plenty of cold beer on hand to tame the hot seasoning.

Many Cajuns will add dry or liquid crab or shrimp boil, and a cup of oil, to make the crustaceans spicer and easier to peel.

Our Family Crayfish Farm

 "I was seven years old when my grandfather had this crazy idea of flooding our rice fields after the harvest to produce a second crop--crawfish. Grandfather didn't even finish grade school back in the old days but it did not diminish the fact that he was an innovator, or possessed the ability to accomplish great things.

The Gaspard Family has a claim of being the first commercial crayfish farmers in the State of Louisiana. The only challenge to that claim came from the Trahan family who resided about 12 miles away in a small one-horse town called Duson. I think Mr. Trahan copied my grandfather's successful operation, with his blessings, and they subsequently began their own crawfish farming operation.

Back in the day, we used rudimentary harvesting methods to catch crayfish, namely; pyramid shaped henged wire nets with baits affixed in the center of the net with clothespins. Even then, each year we managed to harvest tons of the delicious mud bugs. 

Later on, we made and used wire traps. The traps were made of  ¾ inch chicken wire formed into a cylindrical shape with a funnel opening at each end. We quadrupled our harvest and the 3/4" openings would allow the immature crayfish to escape the cages to live another day while the big ones remained trapped inside.

We operated our crayfish farm for nearly two decades. Most of the money earned from the farm operation was cold hard cash. This was a windfall for me because it allowed me to buy very first car (a brand new 1963 Chevrolet Super Sport) from the money I made and saved. I was 15 years old at the time.

As word spread, people would travel from miles around just to fish our ponds. Back then we would rent the nets by the dozen, sell bait and soda to anyone who did not have their own fishing equipment. 

I remember one time a business man came by to check out our farm. Before he knew it, we equipped him with a pair of waders, a dozen nets, a number two washtub, and a long cane pole. He fished a couple hours and walked away with about 100 pounds of crayfish. I've never in my life seen a Yankee that excited before.

Folk would place the nets at the very end of the pole and from the levee would strategically place them about 15 feet apart... never getting their feet wet. A dozen nets would usually do the trick. If you didn't walk away with about 100 pounds in an hour, or so, it probably meant you were just playing around and not too serious about fishing.

Back in the day we sold our crayfish for 10 cents a pound when people would harvest their own. If we caught them for you it cost 20 cents a pound.

Later on, when I was in high school, my grandfather would give me all the proceeds from the fish farm just for managing it while he was away pursuing other interests. Some weekends I would pocket around $300 - $400. Not bad for a lanky pimple-faced teenage farm boy..

Crayfish season would last only about 4 months until it was time to plow up the fields and prepare for the next rice harvest. This is when I would go down to the coast to catch shrimp and crab. I used a throw net to catch shrimp and nylon string with chicken necks tied to the end of it to catch crabs. We always had a freezer full of seafood. Those were the good old days."

Bon Appetite!
KT 

Cajun Black-Eyed Peas, Cabbage and Pork Chops - A New Year's Tradition

Black-Eyed Peas

      Ingredients

• 1 lb. dried black-eyed peas
• 2 slices of hickory smoked bacon
• 2 Tbsp onions, minced
• 2 Tbsp bell pepper, minced
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Colgin liquid smoke
• Water
• Salt and pepper to taste.

As is the case with thousands of other families across America, I also take part in the annual tradition of cooking-up a mess of black-eyed peas and cabbage in an effort to increase my luck for the coming New Year. Heaven knows we are gonna need all we can muster-up.

Contrary to popular belief, black-eyed peas don't have to be soaked over night or for any significant period of time because the peas have a thin skin and are relatively easy to cook.

Over medium (or lower) heat, black-eyed peas can be done in just a few minutes. It's the pot liquor that makes all the difference in how your peas will taste, however.

Think 'minced' and not 'chopped' when it comes to your vegetables. A couple tablespoons of minced onions and bell pepper - and about 1 teaspoon of minced garlic sautéed in the fat from a couple slices of smoked bacon creates a wonderful flavor and delicious taste. And, you can salt and pepper to your own liking.

Using a 2 quart pot begin by adding just enough water to cover the peas and sautéed vegetables by about an inch,  (or by a finger and a half as we say in Cajun speak),  and begin the slow process of cooking them to perfection, while stirring occasionally (around 1 - 1 1/2 hrs.). Keep an eye on the peas because you may have to add a little more water occasionally as they absorb and cook.You will know when they become tender enough by taste-testing.

Set them aside until the boiled cabbage is done.

A pound of dried black-eyed peas, when cooked, should yield between 5 and 6 cups.


Cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 head of cabbage, leaves separated
  
• 3 or 4 pork chops
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 Tbsp Colgin liquid smoke (hickory)
  
• 1 measure DIY Cajun Seasoning
• Additional salt and pepper (if desired) 
  

Cooking cabbage (boiled) is also easy to do and the way I prepare my cabbage, by popular demand I might add, is to include 3 or 4 pork chops with it. This is how I prepare my boiled cabbage.

The first thing I do is to season the heck out of the pork chops with one measure of DIY Cajun Seasoning (easy to make - check it out), and fry them up in my cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat in a couple tablespoons of oil.

I fry the chops for a couple minutes on both sides until they are well browned, but I don't cook them all the way because they will finish cooking with the slow-boiling cabbage.

The next thing I do is get my kitchen shears and cut-up the chops into bite size pieces and add this to the boiling cabbage.

If you are using a heavy cast-iron skillet, chances are in your favor that a crust will form at the bottom of the skillet (it usually does when you cook meat fast on high heat).This is a good thing.

We Cajuns call this crusty material the 'gratin' - which is commonly used to compliment and enhance the flavor of various meat gravies.

Here's a little secret: keep the skillet hot but add in about 2 or 3 ice cubes and stir them around the skillet and they will magically loosen the crust (or 'gratin') and will produce a savory bouillon that you can add to the cabbage mixture to enhance the overall flavor.

Once you have liquefied the crust and added it to the stock pot along with the cabbage leaves and cut-up pork chops, you just go about your business of boiling cabbage like you always have (low and slow).  Adding a little salt and black pepper always helps.

I like to also include a tablespoon of Colgin liquid smoke (hickory flavor) and not that other brand. Keep mixing and tumbling the cabbage leaves in the pot occasionally so they don't burn. The only difference with cooking cabbage this way instead of the traditional way is that you now have a delicious pot liquor and a few bites of meat to go with your good luck food.

See there! Your luck is already changing. Enjoy! Happy New Year! Ahheee!!

Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast is an easy meal to prepare and very delicious, too. You can also wrap the stuffed chicken breast with your favorite hickory smoked bacon.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken cutlets, split
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
• Chives

Coating Mix

• 1 cup of bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 2 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. lay the 4 cutlets (8 pieces) flattened on wax paper
2. divide cream cheese into 8 slices
3. place a slice on each chicken cutlet
4. sprinkle with chives
5. roll up and secure with toothpick
6. roll in coating mix
7. place in slightly greased baking dish
8. drizzle with melted butter
9. shake on Parmesan cheese
10. bake at 375 degrees F. for 40-50 minutes

Bon Appetite!

Beefy Cabbage Rolls

This recipe is unlike traditional cabbage rolls recipes because it demonstrates how to prepare them sans les tomate,  (without tomatoes), except toward the end when spaghetti sauce is poured on top.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cabbage, large
• 2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
  
• 5 cups beef stock
• 4 Tbs butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 measure of DIY Cajun Seasoning
• 1 measure of DIY Real Beef Onion Soup Mix
• 1 can spaghetti sauce
  

I began preparing this meal with a large head of cabbage, cored and trimmed. I like to trim the cabbage down to the 2nd or 3rd leaf layer because this usually illiminates those leaves which are damaged or blemished.

Next, I steamed the intact head of cabbage in a programmable 20 qt. portable oven for 20 minutes at 300 degrees F. until all its leaves were wilted. I would rather steam than boil because of taste.

Before using the portable oven I added about a pint of water to create the steam I needed to wilt the cabbage head. After 20 minutes of steaming I removed the cover and allowed the cabbage to cool.

In a heavy cast iron skillet the vegetables were sautéed in butter until a translucent texture was reached then they were set aside in a bowl for later use.

With the same skillet, the ground beef was fully cooked on medium heat with the DIY Cajun Seasoning.

Next, the previously cooked vegetables, 2 cups of beef stock and the DIY Real Beef Onion Soup Mix were added after which I continued to simmer and stir for about 10 minutes. The cooked meat and vegetables were set aside and allowed to cool, also.

I boiled 1 1/2 cups of uncooked long-grain white rice with 3 cups of beef stock for 20 minutes (on low simmer) and then thoroughly mixed the beef and cooked rice together. I placed a lid on the pot, this time, to keep the mixture warm.

Notice that no tomato products were included in the stuffing. I didn't want to compromise the desired heavy beef flavor I was aiming for.

The leaves were then stuffed with the beef/rice mixture. One large spoonful of mixture (about a cup) was used in each leaf. The cabbage leaf was then tucked-in at the sides and rolled; (for safety reasons I don't use toothpicks).

I layered the rolls starting at the bottom of the slow cooker and while working my way up I positioned each roll with the leaf flap down. At serving time I was careful to remove each roll from the cooker without spilling its contents.

Finally,  much to my chagrin, I poured some spaghetti sauce on top of the rolls. The red color of the sauce was pleasing to the eye and looked similar to traditional cabbage rolls but without interfering with the beefy taste of the filling inside. This is the only time a tomato product is used in this recipe. You don't get as many complaints from the traditionalist this way.

Since the beef/rice mixture was already cooked I confidently set my slow cooker dial on low heat for several hours until my guests arrived. One large head of cabbage yielded around a dozen rolls.

This method takes a little more time to prepare than traditional cabbage rolls. But, if you are a beef lover like I am then you will discover it is well worth the extra effort.

Bon Appetite! ... Enjoy!