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This is my favorite time of year as the Bacchanalian Debauchery between Christmas and Lent takes place.
This is my favorite time of year as the Bacchanalian Debauchery between Christmas and Lent takes place.
Ah, the joys of New Orleans! I must admit that I have an
affinity for this cuisine as I was raised on the Mississippi River which
connects North to South and runs through Memphis. Growing up, I had the best of
the city and the country, a bit like in the movie “A River Runs Through It”.
Couple that with a good John Grisham novel and there you have it. Court Square
in Memphis was a nice relaxing place in the middle of downtown, close to
Symphony Hall and right across from Goldsmiths which Is now Macy’s.
Times change, people grow, and I have the memories. When I
begin to prepare this dish, I think of Willie Mae, our maid, that raised me in
Memphis, Beale Street and a nice laid back afternoon.
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I begin by finding the freshest ingredients I can wherever I
happen to be. In Houston, I go to Fiesta for the fish and vegetables as they
source locally and usually have some good prices. I am a coupon shopper also!
Another place I check is the local fish monger on Richmond and of course I go
to China Town for different ingredients. That’s what I like about Houston, it’s
very diverse here.
Once the shopping is done, I prepare for a day in the
kitchen. Oh, I make sure to have fresh coffee, sweet tea, a bottle of wine and
me. To me, the kitchen is the fulcrum of the house and should be pleasant for
anyone to come in, sit a spell and talk with the Chef!
The roux is what takes the patience and time. It has to be
just right especially for this high class Creole dish! My mother would roll
over in her grave if it wasn’t. I have the freshest butter I can find, my
Mothers cast iron skillet and flour that I have browned in the oven to brown
just a bit to take that doughy flavor out. That’s what interesting about flour
as it has a nutty flavor when it’s browned like this. I melt my butter on low
heat and put the flour in through a fine mesh strainer. Nothing wrong with
being meticulous.
Stir, Stir, Stir and don’t let that roux burn cause if it
do, then you have to start over!
Once that is done to my liking, I add the other stuff to it
and we are about ready for the serving. By the way, that Cajun seasoning is up
to you as I make my own and will include that recipe earlier in this tome.
BBQ Oysters
Oh my! I grew up
eating these and still cannot get enough of these things! The Four Flames in Memphis was renowned for
this delicate and yet hearty dish. Happy
hour there, with my mother, was always fun.
Yeah, I had a Roy Rodgers until I was old enough for the Bourbon and
Branch.
CRAB LOUIS
This is a blast from the past and I do remember my
Grandmother having this at in Memphis a lot.
We lived in East Memphis not very far from the church we attended. Nanny’s bridge club loved this on the family
china in the semi-formal settings at the house.
The Southern version is a bit different from the sophisticated Eastern
and Western seaboard versions. I would
crave this as it was being fixed by Willie Mae!
CRAB AND SHRIMP SALAD
This delicate little salad is to die for! Light with an excellent flavor profile to fit
into that Spring or Summer Garden Party in the elegant Midtown area of
Memphis. The Crab and Shrimp mixed together
over the Avocado go well with a White Wine Spritzer, a Dirty Vodka Martini or
an Ice Cold Budweiser!
Rémoulade
Way down yonder in New Orleans! I simply love this dressing. I make it by the gallon, especially in the
Spring and Summer months. There is a
story here. When I turned 18, my mother took me on another trip to the Crescent
City. We started out having about ten
dozen oysters on the half shell before switching to the Shrimp Remoulade. I was hooked.
After that, we proceeded to Pat O’Brians where I got a wee bit tipsy
before heading on to Pete Fountains Club on Bourbon Street. Pete sang Happy Birthday to me and I was
beside myself. I later worked with Pete
and Al Hirt as a clarinetist. What a
great trip!
Beef and Sausage Gumbo
Way down yonder in New Orleans, the gumbo be good! I been
making this gumbo for a long time and it good. So good in fact that it don’t
take no hot sauce because it be plenty spicy.
There is a difference between Creole and Cajun cooking. The
Creole is a combination of French, Spanish and American Indian cuisines and was
developed in New Orleans. The Cajun style is from the bayous of Louisiana.
First off, for any good Creole or Cajun dish like this one,
one must make a good roux. The standard is one to one on the oil and the flour.
I use everything from bacon grease, corn oil to butter and even use some of the
fat from the roast in this one to give it an extra punch. To make the roux, I
use a black cast iron skillet on medium to medium low heat. Heat the oil and
for this one I used ¾ cup of oil to ¾ cup flour. The oil was a mix of bacon
grease, beef fat and corn oil. Stir the mix frequently or use a whisk for about
30 minutes and don’t try to speed it up. It should be a medium to dark brown
for that extra flavor.
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