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FeedFebruary 2007 OH Recipes
Provided by Eric “Big E” AustinCrawfish Vol-au-vent
Vol-au-vent is a puff pastry shell that resembles a small pot (usually available in the grocery frozen-food section). Crawfish tail meat can also be found at most supermarkets or from a local fish monger. Or, you may substitute lump crabmeat.Serves 6
Photo by Maki Strunc
Photography
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
⅓ c. vegetable oil
½ c. all-purpose flour
¼ c. minced onions
¼ c. celery, finely diced
¼ c. green bell pepper, finely diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 c. clam juice or fish stock
¼ c. heavy whipping cream
½ tsp. Creole seasoning (found in the spice aisle of most supermarkets)
1 to 1½ lbs. crawfish tail meat
kosher or sea salt to taste
white pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
¼ c. chopped green onions, green part only
red pepper sauce to taste
Bake the pastry shells as directed. Remove the caps and set aside.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to melt. Whisk in the flour to create a blond-colored roux. Whisk constantly about 10 minutes until the roux is golden, thick, and paste-like. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Whisk in the cream to make a béchamel sauce, then add the clam juice or stock. Simmer about 20 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the mixture thickens.
Season the crawfish tail meat with the Creole seasoning. Fold the meat into the cream sauce without breaking it up too much. (Most commercial crawfish meat has already been cooked. Simply add it to the thickened cream mixture to heat through.) Add salt and pepper to taste and add Worcestershire sauce. Simmer an additional two minutes until desired thickness is reached. Stir in green onions. Add pepper sauce. Spoon the crawfish mixture into the puff pastry shells and cap with the tops.
Big E’s Gumbo/Jambalaya
Gumbo and jambalaya start with the same roux base, but the final product is as different as each chef. The quantities of meat and seafood vary accordingly.Serves 8
ROUX MIXTURE
Makes 4 cups¾ c. vegetable oil
1 c. all-purpose flour
¼ c. green bell pepper, finely diced
¼ c. minced onions, finely diced
¼ c. celery, finely diced
1 c. chopped (frozen) okra
kosher salt to taste
black pepper to taste
¼ c. Creole seasoning
3 c. chicken broth
In a large sauce pot, heat the oil over medium to low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly until the roux is tan, resembling melted peanut butter in color and consistency. Add remaining ingredients and stir until everything is well incorporated. Reduce heat and simmer until the mixture is a thick stew-like consistency (about an hour or more). Set aside.
CREOLE SAUCE
Makes 4 cups1 26 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 26 oz. can of diced tomato
½ c. of V-8 juice
1 oz. of hot pepper sauce
¼ c. Creole seasoning
1 Tbsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. granulated garlic or garlic powder
juice of one lemon
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
Jambalaya
shrimp, cookedchicken, cooked and diced
andouille or smoked sausage
crawfish tail meat
1 Tbsp. turmeric powder
8 c. rice, cooked
green onions as garnish
In a separate pot, add one part roux to two parts Creole sauce and heat to simmer. Add cooked shrimp, diced chicken, andouille or smoked sausage, and crawfish tail meat as desired. Add turmeric powder. Remove from heat and incorporate the rice into the stew until it resembles a paella or risotto. (This dish should not be soupy.) Garnish with green onions. You may substitute cooked pasta for the rice.
Gumbo
To make gumbo, add cooked shrimp, diced chicken, andouille or smoked sausage, and crawfish tail meat to the roux mixture. (Austin suggests one part Creole sauce for two parts roux mixture, but leaves the amount up to the chef. There are as many versions of gumbo/jambalaya as there are cooks in New Orleans.) Sprinkle with a seasoning called gumbo filé and serve in a bowl as you would stew.Red Beans and Rice
In Louisiana, Monday is red beans and rice day. Monday was the traditional “wash” day, which used to take all day. A pot of small red kidney beans were put on the stove on very low heat and allowed to simmer. By the time the laundry was done, the beans could be served. Big E replaced the typical ham bone with smoked turkey butts for a rich, smoky flavor.Serves 6 to 8
⅓ c. plus 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
5 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. cumin
kosher salt to taste
pepper to taste
⅓ c. blackening seasoning
1 lb. dried small red kidney beans
2 smoked turkey butts
⅓ c. parsley, finely chopped
2 to 3 c. long grain rice, cooked
green onions, finely cut, for garnish
Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over low heat. Add onions, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and bay leaves. Sweat until onions are translucent. Add spices, cumin, salt, pepper, and blackening seasoning. Add dried beans. Continue to cook over low heat for two minutes, stirring until beans, vegetables, and spices are well incorporated.
Add turkey butts and cover all with water. Bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for approximately 2 hours. Check the pot periodically to see if beans are fork tender. The liquid will thicken as the beans cook. Add more water if necessary; mixture should end up a thick liquid (like gravy).
In a hot sauté pan, place 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil, cooked red beans, rice, salt, pepper, green onions, and parsley. Aim for about a two-to-one ratio of beans to rice. Toss until well mixed, serve hot.
White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bananas Foster topping
The French added custard to stale bread to create a delicious dessert rather than waste a loaf. The Bananas Foster topping, however, originates in New Orleans, a banana-importing city. Brennan’s Restaurant created the dish in the 1950s, naming it for Dick Foster, one of their loyal customers who loved the topping over ice cream.Serves 6 to 8
1 French baguette or loaf of Italian bread, diced
6 egg yolks
¾ c. granulated sugar
1 qt. heavy whipping cream
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
golden raisins to taste
white chocolate chips to taste
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar with a mixer until the yolks double in volume, becoming a very pale yellow. Set aside.
In a sauce pot on low heat, add heavy whipping cream and vanilla and just warm through. Do not allow to boil. Combine the warm vanilla cream with the whipped egg mixture, whisking constantly.
Place bread cubes in a casserole dish. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, making sure it is completely coated. Add cinnamon, white chocolate chips, and raisins. Incorporate well.
Set aside for a half-hour so the bread becomes completely saturated and pudding-like. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top and place in a 350-degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes until the bread pudding has risen and is golden brown on top. Let cool to room temperature.
Bananas Foster topping
½ c. brown sugar2 ripe bananas, sliced or chopped
3 Tbsp. butter
⅓ c. chopped pecans
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. Bourbon (optional)
a slight ¼ c. of heavy whipping cream
In a sauce pan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in the brown sugar. When a caramel is formed, add the bananas and pecans and whisk in. Add the vanilla and Bourbon. Whisk in the heavy whipping cream and let simmer until the mixture is caramel-like in thickness.
Serve the bread pudding on dessert plates. Ladle a liberal amount of the banana topping over the pudding. Serve with a favorite ice cream and garnish with a sprig of mint.
Roasted Corn Succotash
Native Americans introduced colonists to succotash, a stew of corn and lima beans. Big E revised the dish by roasting the corn and replacing lima beans with French green beans. He also eliminated the heavy cream often used in the dish.Serves 6 to 8
4 ears of fresh sweet corn
1 medium red bell pepper, julienned
1 medium green bell pepper, julienned
1 medium red onion, julienned
fresh French green beans
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
kosher salt to taste
pepper to taste
parsley, finely chopped
Place the shucked ears of corn directly on a gas stovetop or another open flame and stand ready. Do not walk away! Using kitchen tongs, rotate ears so they char all around. Set aside to cool.
Holding the ear of corn upright, with the thickest part on the bottom, run your knife down the ear of corn, removing all the kernels. Get as close to the cob as possible.
Place green beans in boiling salted water for about one minute, until beans are a vivid green color. Remove and quickly place hot beans in an ice water bath. (Frozen green beans may also be used. Run under hot water for 30 seconds, drain and set aside.)
In a large mixing bowl, add all vegetables, including green beans and roasted corn. Medley can now be stored in refrigerator until ready for use.
In a hot sauté pan, add oil and vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste, along with a pinch of fresh parsley. A quick sauté is all you need to bring this colorful dish to life. Serve hot.
Recipe from John Sievers
Crawfish Po’ Boy
Named for the striking workers to whom they were originally served for free, this sandwich is still the stuff of the typical New Orleanian lunch.Makes two sandwiches
Creole mayonnaise:
2 c. mayo3 Tbsp. jarred horseradish
juice of one lemon
handful of cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Combine ingredients and set aside.
1 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 lb. crawfish meat (or substitute shrimp or oysters)
2 crusty hoagie buns
shredded lettuce
sliced tomato
Blend flour with spices. Coat crawfish in mixture and either deep fry or sauté until golden brown. (The crawfish usually is already cooked, so you are just giving it a crust and some color.)
Set aside.
Toast the hoagies and fill with the crawfish. Top with the Creole mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato.
11 ISSUES (1 YEAR)
