RECIPES: This classic cookbook is just right for a Mardi Gras meal
I’m not exactly sure what year or season it was, but the first time I traveled from Tallahassee to New Orleans, it was like I’d been transported to the land of Oz.
It was the early ‘80s, and one long weekend, a friend took me along to visit his family in Baton Rouge. The first evening at his mother’s house, there was a party in the backyard with plenty of beer and a picnic table covered in newspaper and piled high with what they called “mud bugs.”
That was my first crawfish fiesta and likely the first time I heard Professor Longhair. Everyone laughed while they taught me how to pinch the tail and suck the head — a glorious introduction to another world that I was suddenly welcomed to with open arms.
And then there was New Orleans. A short speeding drive down I-10 to the Big Easy and I was hooked. It didn’t look or sound or smell or taste like anything I’d ever experienced.
As a Midwestern farm boy transplanted to Florida, I was accustomed to a certain level of swampy exotica. But not Bourbon Street and Preservation Hall and the dive bars and strip clubs. Or the swirling parades of people, who in the early morning congregated at the river near the French Market, amid the flurries of powdered sugar at Cafe Du Monde.
After that, there were regular trips to New Orleans and annual pilgrimages to Jazz Fest. The music was incredible during that era, and the festival was inexpensive and mostly attended by locals rather than tourists.
Of course, Irma Thomas was a favorite. On many nights, “The Soul Queen of New Orleans” would serve up her famous red beans and rice, before taking the stage at her club, the Lion’s Den.
During Jazz Fest, the infield at the Fair Grounds Race Course was another wondrous pilgrimage, featuring nearly every Creole and Cajun delicacy. I wanted to learn to cook that kind of food. So one day, after standing in line at K-Paul’s, and enjoying what at the time was a fairly expensive meal, I came home with a first edition of “Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen” (William Monroe, 1984).
I didn’t realize it at the time, but working through the recipes and learning how to make roux was like a short course in French cooking, and that idiosyncratic book became a bible of sorts.
I hadn’t revisited Prudhomme’s classic cookbook in a long while. But during the early days of the pandemic, I pulled it off the shelf and prepared a decent version of his chicken and andouille sausage gumbo, substituting some leftover duck for chicken, and brown for white rice.
Now, with Mardi Gras 2022 underway, it feels like the right time to get back to the original recipe, which begins with fried chicken, and is “super” served with potato salad, according to Prudhomme, who died in 2015.
For a full three-course meal, add Prudhomme’s Shrimp Remoulade to start, and his New Orleans Bread Pudding With Lemon Sauce for dessert.
RECIPES
Make these classic recipes from “Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen” for a homemade Mardi Gras celebration.
Chicken and Andouille Smoked Sausage Gumbo
Serve this classic gumbo mounded with rice, or as Prudhomme would suggest, potato salad.
- 1 (2-3 pound) chicken, cut up
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for rubbing chicken and seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, plus more for rubbing chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (preferably cayenne), plus more for rubbing chicken
- 1 cup finely chopped onions
- 1 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
- About 7 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 pound andouille smoked sausage (preferred) or any other good pure smoked pork sausage such as Polish sausage (kielbasa), cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Black pepper
- Cooked rice
- Remove excess fat from the chicken pieces. Rub a generous amount of salt, garlic powder and red pepper on both sides of each piece, making sure each is evenly covered. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl, combine the onions, bell peppers and celery; set aside.
- Combine the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper in a paper or plastic bag. Reserve 1/2 cup of the seasoned flour. Add the chicken pieces to the bag and shake until chicken is well coated.
- In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil until very hot (375 to 400 degrees). Fry the chicken until crust is brown on both sides and meat is cooked, about 5 to 8 minutes per side; drain on paper towels. Carefully pour the hot oil into a glass measuring cup, leaving as many brown particles in the pan as possible. Scrape the pan bottom with a metal whisk to loosen any stuck particles, then return 1/2 cup of the hot oil to the pan.
- Place the pan over high heat. Using a long-handled whisk, gradually stir in the reserved 1/2 cup seasoned flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until roux is dark red-brown to black, about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let it scorch or splash on your skin.
- Remove from heat and immediately add the mixed vegetable mixture, stirring constantly until the roux stops getting darker. Return pan to low heat and cook until vegetable are soft, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping pan bottom well.
- Meanwhile, place the stock in a 5 1/2-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Add roux mixture by spoonfuls to the boiling stock, stirring until dissolved between each addition. Return to a boil, stirring and scraping pan bottom often. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in the andouille and minced garlic. Simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, stirring often toward the end of the cooking time.
- While the gumbo is simmering, bone the cooked chicken and cut the meat into 1/2-inch dice. When the gumbo is cooked, stir in the chicken and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
- To serve as a main course, mound 1/3 cup cooked rice in the center of a soup bowl, ladle about 1 1/4 cups gumbo around the rice. For an appetizer, place 1 heaping teaspoon cooked rice in a cup and ladle about 3/4 cup gumbo on top. This is super with potato salad on the side. Makes 6 main-dish or 10 appetizer servings.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, based on 6: 692 calories (percent of calories from fat, 44), 59 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 33 grams total fat (9 grams saturated), 150 milligrams cholesterol, 1,125 milligrams sodium.
Shrimp Remoulade
Be sure to make the snappy remoulade sauce several hours ahead, or preferably, two to three days before serving. It keeps several days refrigerated and improves with time.
- 3 cups seafood stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sweet basil leaves
- 1 1/2 pounds unpeeled medium shrimp, without heads
- 1 1/2 cups Remoulade Sauce (recipe follows)
- 6 large bowl-shaped lettuce leaves
- 2 cups very thinly shredded lettuce
- 1 1/2 small tomatoes, cut into 12 wedges
- 12 black olives
- 6 large sprigs parsley
- Combine the stock and the seasonings in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Turn heat to high and add the unpeeled shrimp. Cooked, uncovered, over high heat for 3 minutes. Immediately drain the shrimp and refrigerate. When cool, peel shrimp and then chill well.
- In a medium-size bowl, combine the chilled shrimp and Remoulade Sauce. For each serving, place a lettuce leaf on a salad plate and mound about 1/3 cup shredded lettuce in the center; top with 6 to 10 shrimp. Garnish each salad with 2 tomato wedges, 2 black olives and a sprig of parsley. Makes 6 appetizer servings.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 277 calories (percent of calories from fat, 55), 21 grams protein, 11 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 17 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 206 milligrams cholesterol, 1,737 milligrams sodium.- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup finely grated fresh horseradish or prepared horseradish
- 1/4 lemon, seeded
- 1 bay leaf, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons Creole mustard (preferred) or brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- In a blender or food processor, beat the egg yolks for 2 minutes. With the machine running, add the oil in a thin stream. One at a time, blend in the remaining ingredients until well mixed and the lemon rind is finely chopped. Chill well. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per tablespoon: 31 calories (percent of calories from fat, 77), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 3 grams total fat (trace saturated fat), 15 milligrams cholesterol, 155 milligrams sodium.
New Orleans Bread Pudding With Lemon Sauce
During the preparation of this dish, the milk-and-eggs mixture is too sweet and all the elements are very strong because they will be absorbed by bland bread. After baking, the result is a magnificent pudding.
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit, like cherries
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, roasted
- 5 cups very stale French or Italian bread cubes, with crusts on
- Lemon Sauce (recipe follows)
- Whipped cream for serving
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs on high speed until extremely frothy and bubbles are the size of pinheads, about 3 minutes (or with a metal whisk for about 6 minutes). Add the sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and butter and beat on high until well blended. Beat in the milk, then stir in the raisins and pecans.
- Place the bread cubes in a greased loaf pan. Pour the egg mixture over them and toss until the bread is soaked. Let sit until you see only a narrow bead of liquid around the pan’s edges, about 45 minutes, patting the bread down into the liquid occasionally. Place in a preheated 350-degree oven. Immediately lower the heat to 300 degrees and bake 40 minutes. Increase temperature to 425 degrees and bake until pudding is well browned and puffy, about 15 to 20 minutes more.
- To serve, put 1 1/2 tablespoons warm lemon sauce in each dessert dish, then spoon in 1/2 cup hot bread pudding and top with whipped cream. Makes 8 servings.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, entire recipe: 610 calories (percent of calories from fat, 50), 9 grams protein, 66 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 36 grams total fat (19 grams saturated), 157 milligrams cholesterol, 182 milligrams sodium.
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Squeeze 2 tablespoons lemon juice from the lemon halves. To a 1-quart saucepan, add the lemon juice, lemon halves, water and sugar and bring to a boil. Stir in the dissolved cornstarch and vanilla. Cook 1 minute over high heat, stirring constantly. Strain, squeezing the sauce from the lemon rinds. Makes about 3/4 cup.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per tablespoon: 20 calories (percent of calories from fat, 1), trace protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, trace sodium.Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
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