Category Archives: CREOLE/CAJUN RECIPES

CAJUN SMOTHERED CHICKEN

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When I was growing up, my grandmother usually cooked our main Sunday meal. Supper was served after church at about 2:00 pm. And the entrée (which is really too refined a word, but apropos) was most often chicken. (I did grow up on a chicken farm after all.) And any dish that my grandmother prepared that included chicken was always delicious. Always. Even though as an all-around cook, she was lacking in many areas. But that’s neither here nor there. Her chicken dishes were fabulous. And my favorite was basically fried chicken that she had dumped some heavy cream or whole milk over and then baked in the oven until the chicken melted in your mouth. Basically – smothered fried chicken. And then to top things off, she served the chicken with mashed potatoes. OMG. There just wasn’t any food better in my life in those days than grandma’s smothered chicken. So of course it had to be one of the first things I wanted to learn to build for my own family.

And for years I completely failed at making this simple dish as tasty as my grandmother’s. Until the day I realized I was not starting with the same product. Grandma started with a fresh (and I do mean fresh), grain fed chicken fried in butter. (Home churned butter from our cows.) And then baked in heavy cream, again from our cows. While I was starting with a chicken that was fresh all right. Freshly purchased from our local grocery store! And I’m here to tell you, there is simply no comparing the two, even if in reality they are the same critter.

So for years I beat myself up trying to reproduce grandma’s chicken. Finally I figured it out. And decided that I was going to have to add a whole bunch of flavor to the gravy if I was going to produce anything with any flavor at all. The chickens I was able to obtain were never going to be anywhere near as flavorful as the ones my grandparents raised.  

My recipes for Smothered Fried Chicken and Chicken Paprika are already on this site. And they are darned delicious. But yesterday I wanted to come up with a Southern smothered chicken with a Cajun twist. So I went online and found the bones of this recipe on the Immaculate Bites web site. I did make some changes, but mainly this wonderful recipe is compliments of Imma. So thank you Imma for sharing your wonderful recipe.

Now, this is not a low calorie or carb dish. This is a down home, Southern comfort, diet be damned, treat. And absolutely perfect when what you need is a bit of pampering.

And can’t we all use a healthy dose of pampering right now as we ride out the pandemic, race relation havoc, wild fire and hurricane devastation, not to mention the upcoming presidential election. I think for Mr. C. and me, October is going to be dubbed “Comfort Food Month” here at Chez Carr! At least for this year. Hopefully next October will be another story and we can enjoy our usual restrained eating habits in preparation for the holidays. (Right, as if that ever happens!)  

Anyway, we really enjoyed this chicken dish last evening. I served the chicken with steamed rice and fresh green beans. Absolutely yum.

So as always, look on the bright side of life. And do whatever you can to make life better for not only yourself, but for everyone with whom you come in contact. Your smile might mean the difference between a bad day and a good day for a stranger. Your smile might help someone remember that kindness and courtesy are still the prevailing sentiment in our country. And your smile might remind someone that the essence of decency is still alive and well with the mass majority of US citizens.

Most of us are not racist, or homophobic, or xenophobic, or consider ourselves better than others. Most of us are just trying to live our lives as best we can. So please don’t let a few militants detract you from doing what you know in your heart is the right thing to do.   

I love this quote from Dr. Martin Luther King “Cowardice asks the question – is it safe? Expediency asks the question – is it politic? Vanity asks the question – is it popular? But conscience asks the question – is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right.”

Peace and love to all.

Frying the Chicken:

1 whole chicken

1 tsp. kosher salt

2-3 tsp. Cajun seasoning, or more to taste

¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

pinch cayenne pepper 

½ tsp. paprika

½ tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. granulated onion

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. granulated garlic

2 T. vegetable oil  

1 T. unsalted butter

1 med. onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

Cut the chicken into 8 pieces – 2 thighs, 2 legs, 2 breasts – each cut in half. (I leave the skin on the chicken legs, but remove it from the thighs and breasts.) I use the wings and backs to make the chicken stock for the gravy. (See recipe below.)

Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel, then season both sides with the kosher salt and Cajun seasoning. Whisk the flour, cayenne, paprika, white pepper, granulated onion, dried thyme, and granulated garlic together in a shallow container. Dredge the seasoned chicken in flour mixture until well coated. Shake off excess flour. Save the rest of the seasoned flour.  

Heat oil and butter in a lidded cast iron or heavy skillet over medium heat. (I use my shallow lidded Le Creuset Cast Iron Braiser pan for this recipe.) Fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown. Remove chicken from skillet and place on a plate. (The chicken doesn’t have to be completely done at this point.)

Add the onion to the skillet; sauté until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Remove onion and garlic to the same plate with the chicken. Do not wash the frying pan.  

Making the Chicken Gravy:

3 T. unsalted butter

3 c. chicken broth, or more as needed (see recipe below)

¾ c. whole milk

Add the butter to the pan. Then add the remainder of the seasoned flour left over from dredging the chicken. Stir with a heavy whisk until it comes together and forms a dry paste. Let cook for a couple minutes over low heat until the roux starts to brown. Stir the whole time. (The darker the roux, the more flavorful the gravy.)

Then very slowly pour in the chicken broth and whisk like crazy. (You don’t want any lumps in your gravy.) And make sure you get every last bit of the stuck on brown stuff on the bottom of the pan. Therein lies a lot of flavor. Then add the milk and cook for about 5 minutes until the gravy is nice and thick. Return the chicken pieces including any juices, onions, and garlic to the pan. Mix all together. Taste the gravy and adjust seasoning. Bring gravy to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pan and remove from heat.

Bake the chicken and gravy in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Halfway through the baking time, stir the chicken to prevent sticking. Add more chicken stock if the gravy looks too thick. When done, the chicken should be falling off the bone tender. Remove from oven and let sit covered for 5-7 minutes.  

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and a green veggie or salad.

Please Note: You can use other chicken cuts based on your preference.

Simple Homemade Chicken Stock

4 c. water

1 T. chicken bouillon (I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken base)

wings and back from the cut up chicken

1 lg. carrot, cut into chunks

1 celery stalk, plus leaves – chunked

¼ lg. onion, chunked

1 lg. bay leaf

2 tsp. dried parsley

¼ tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp. poultry seasoning

freshly ground black pepper

Place in a large covered soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for a couple of hours. Use as the broth for this recipe.

PORK TENDERLOIN IN CREOLE GRAVY OVER EASY CHEEZY GRITS

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And yes that’s a bowl of Slow Simmered Smoked Pork Shank/Hock with Mixed Greens you see on that plate. Yum is all I have to say!

I am such a lover of Cajun and Creole food. If it were possible, I would hop on a plane today and drift down to New Orleans for the fabulous food. And of course the great jazz and also to be able to spend time with our dear family friends John and Carol. But alas, there is no getting on a plane or eating in restaurants for us until the coronavirus is contained. So, the next best thing is to cook up some of my favorite dishes up here in the beautiful NW and listen to my very own resident jazz pianist. (Not a bad life dear readers. Not a bad life at all!)

But the ambiance is just not the same. For all intents and purposes, it appears to a visitor that New Orleans never sleeps. (I’m sure it’s because everyone, residents and vacationers alike, simply can’t stop eating the wonderful food and listening to fabulous jazz.)

Plus there’s just something exciting about being in a city that on average is six feet below sea level. FYI: The site of the city was originally very low in relation to sea level, but human interference has caused the city to sink even lower. When New Orleans was being constructed they ran out of good land. To make more room, engineers drained swamplands around the area so they could continue expansion. This drainage led to subsidence. Subsidence is sinking or settling to a lower level, in this case it was the earth’s surface sinking lower in relation to sea level. This sinking effect has led to present day New Orleans.

When we were in New Orleans several years ago, we watched as large ships navigated along the Mississippi river where the level of the diked water was actually higher than we were! After that exhilarating experience, we simply had to retire to Café Du Monde for beignets. (The beignets were wonderful. The chicory coffee, not so much!) We would have hit one of the local bars for a restorative, but it was only 10:30 in the morning. Just a bit too early for us to start imbibing alcohol. Even in New Orleans!

But enough about New Orleans. And back to Camano Island and our kitchen which is somewhere between 250 and 300 feet above sea level. Not nearly as dramatic as looking up at water, but a heck of a lot more relaxing. Pretty sure we aren’t at risk of being flooded out. Unless of course we are hit with the “really big one”. (A seismic catastrophe.) In that case, all bets are off! But back to this recipe.

My first experience making a Cajun pork stew was back in 2015 – Grillades (Cajun Meat Stew) and Cheese Grits. It too is a really tasty stew served over grits and quite similar in many ways to this recipe. The main difference is that this recipe has a stronger tomato component and uses roasted peppers (red and yellow) rather than a green pepper. Both recipes are delicious, but just enough different to make life interesting.

So if you get a hankering for some Creole Food, build this recipe. And if you want to go full in Louisiana, add a bowl of Slow Simmered Smoked Pork Shank/Hock with Mixed Greens or Collard Greens with Smoked Pork Hock. And don’t forget the corn bread. BTW – there are several great cornbread recipes on this site too.

As always, stay safe, stay diligent about protecting ethnic diversity that brings us wonderful dishes like this, and keep defending every person’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

None of us had a choice as to what ethnicity we would prefer, what nation we wanted to call home, who our parents would be, what level of intellect we would be given, how tall we would be, etc. The only thing we have ever had any control over, is the kind of person we would become and steadfastly remain. And how we would use the gifts we were given in a positive way to help everyone live a better and more productive life. 

So anyone who feels superior for being born a white person (for example), or intelligent, or physically attractive, or talented, or born into a wealthy family, or any of the other attributes that can lead a person to become conceited, is disgraceful in my opinion. A person should be proud of themselves and their accomplishments. That’s physiologically healthy, recommended, and applauded. But to feel superior because of one’s color, or monetary position, or societal status, or really for any reason, I find that behavior reprehensible. And yes, I am scared beyond belief at what might be the outcome of the upcoming November election. Our country has taken a terrible hit these last almost four years. I only hope and pray that a change for the better will come to pass.

Peace and Love to all.  

Pork Tenderloin in Creole Gravy:

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 pork tenderloins, silver skin and excess fat removed, cut into bite sized pieces

½ lg. yellow onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely minced 

1 T. paprika

pinch cayenne pepper

3-4 tsp. creole seasoning, or more to taste

pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes (preferably Italian)

1½ c. roasted peppers, diced or 1 jar (12 oz.) Cento brand Red & Yellow Roasted Peppers)

2 T. tomato paste

½ c. beef or vegetable broth

1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. unsalted butter

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large covered Dutch oven or heavy pan. Add the meat and fry until nicely browned. Add the remaining olive oil, onion, and celery; cook until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the paprika, cayenne, creole seasoning, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.   

Add the diced tomatoes, roasted peppers, tomato paste, broth, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and butter.

Bake covered in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for about 2 hours. Check after an hour and add additional liquid if necessary. (You want a thick sauce, but you don’t want it to burn.) (You also want the meat to be fork tender.)

Remove from oven, adjust seasoning, and serve over Easy Cheezy Grits.

Easy Cheesy Grits:

1½ c. whole milk

1½ c. water

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

¾ c. quick-cooking grits

2 tsp. dried chopped chives, opt.

1 T. butter

1 c. sharp cheddar, grated

Bring the milk, water, salt, and pepper to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Gradually whisk in grits and chives. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Adjust seasoning. If you like thinner grits, add a little more milk before adding the butter and cheese.

SHRIMP ÉTOUFFÉE

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So, how to enjoy étouffée without causing stomach distress, especially if you are over 60? Well the first thing to do is not add too much cayenne pepper to the Creole Seasoning mix. Seems like this should be fairly simple to understand, but I can’t tell you how many times I have been fooled by someone saying “really, it’s not that spicy”! I have even said the same thing to guests, without thinking that “too spicy” is really a relative thing. What is perfect for me, can well be far beyond what another person can tolerate. So the sauce for this étouffée can be as spicy or non-spicy as you want it to be. You get to dictate how much cayenne you want to use when you make Creole Seasoning yourself. For us, I use 2 teaspoons of cayenne. (The recipe makes about a cup of seasoning, so a teaspoon or two of cayenne is not that much. At least for us.) You may wish to use much less or even more if your stomach lining is cast iron. Regardless of how much cayenne you use, you are going to be delighted with how wonderfully flavorful the sauce is.

Now, not being from Louisiana, I get very confused by what to call some of the regions finest dishes. I love them all, but there are differences, subtle in some cases, but distinctive in other ways.

In order to understand that when eating this dish you are enjoying an étouffée, not a jambalaya or a gumbo, I have provided you with a very simple explanation of the differences.

Étouffée is a main course, made using one type of shellfish smothered in a thick sauce served over rice. It can be prepared with a lot of heat, or with little to none.

Jambalaya is more like a paella. It contains meat (often andouille sausage, chicken, smoked ham, and shrimp), often tomatoes, all simmered together with rice and stock.

Gumbo is served as a soup. It is a mix of vegetables and meat or shellfish with a semi-thickened stock and served alongside rice that has been cooked separately.

There is however, one thing consistent in all three dishes. That is the use of the “holy trinity”. In Creole and Cajun cooking, many recipes, including this one, contain the combination of onion, green bell pepper, and celery (revered threesome) that has been gently sautéed to form a flavor base for the rest of the ingredients.  Much the same way in which French cooking has its mirepoix (carrot, onion, and celery) and Italy its soffritto (onion, celery, carrots or fennel bulb) as a base for many of their traditional recipes.

Regardless of what this dish is called, it’s just plain delicious. And it’s reasonably easy to prepare. And it’s a one dish meal. Protein, veggies, and starch are all served together in a bowl, making any other dish superfluous. I like that! Less work for me and fewer dishes for Mr. C. to wash after dinner. I call that a win/win! (Of course, you could always serve garlic bread as a side, but it’s really not necessary. You know, not necessary the way air and water aren’t necessary to life itself!)

Creole Seasoning:

  • 1/3 c. paprika (I use sweet Hungarian paprika)
  • 3 T. dried oregano (I use Mexican oregano)
  • 2 T. kosher salt
  • 2 T. dried basil
  • 1 T. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 T. onion powder
  • 4 tsp. dried thyme
  • 4 tsp. granulated garlic
  • 1-3 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mash all ingredients together with a mortar and pestle. (The back of a soup spoon works too.) Store in an airtight container. Makes more than you’ll need for this recipe. But it’s a great all-purpose creole seasoning recipe. Great in soups, stews, and yes, even other Creole and Cajun recipes.

Étouffée:

  • 1 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp (save the shells)
  • ½ c. water
  • 2 T. vegetable oil
  • 6 T. unsalted butter, divided
  • 3-6 tsp. Creole Seasoning (recipe above), divided
  • 1 medium sized yellow onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 4-5 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • ¼ c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 c. diced tomatoes (either fresh or canned)
  • 3 c. chicken stock, or more if needed
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, or more to taste
  • cooked rice (I use brown rice cooked in my rice cooker.) See recipe below.
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced
  • hot sauce, opt.

Place peeled shrimp in a colander. Place shells in a small saucepan along with the ½ cup water. Bring water to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and let the shells steep until the shrimp stock is needed. (Before adding the stock to the sauce, strain the shells and discard.)

Heat the vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium large saucepan over medium heat. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mix. Fry until just cooked through. Do not over-cook. Remove shrimp to a small bowl. Set aside.

Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium heat until the butter just starts to brown. Sauté the onion, green pepper, and celery in the hot butter until softened, about 5 minutes. Don’t let the veggies get brown. Add the fresh garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in 4 teaspoons of the seasoning mix, the fresh thyme, and the bay leaves. (You may want to add more of the seasoning later, but for now, 4 teaspoons is perfect.)

Sprinkle the flour onto the vegetable mixture and stir until everything is well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes. Let cook for a minute or two. Whisk the chicken stock and shrimp stock into the vegetable mixture, stirring until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to a gravy consistency, 3 to 5 minutes, or for however long it takes to bring sauce to your desired consistency. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and adjust seasoning.

Add the cooked shrimp and any accumulated juices. Cook only until the shrimp are hot. 

Serve the étouffée over rice in large, shallow bowls. Garnish with green onions. Pass the hot sauce.

BROWN RICE

  • 2 c. uncooked brown rice
  • 3½ c. water
  • 1 tsp. seasoned salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in rice cooker. Push the button. Walk away for an hour.

CREOLE MEATLOAF WITH MASHED BUTTERMILK POTATOES AND TRINITY GRAVY

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I love Creole food and I love meatloaf. So I decided that a recipe for Creole meatloaf would be next on my list of “how in the heck am I going to use up more of the ground beef in my freezer?!?!”

Having decided on the flavor theme, I went about looking for Creole recipes I could adapt. And one of the first recipes to pop up on my search was a recipe from Rachael Ray. But I couldn’t stop with just looking at one recipe, so I brought up a few more and the recipe below is the result of combining several recipes and my own ideas on the subject.

Now, unless you have done a lot of Creole cooking, you might be wondering about “trinity” gravy. If you are like me, my “trinity” in cooking is a combination of onion, carrot, and celery. I start almost every stew, soup, or red sauce with this combination of base ingredients. In French cooking it’s called mirepoix, and consists of 2 parts onion, 1 part carrot, and 1 part celery. But the Creole and Cajun cuisine considers onion, celery, and green pepper to be the holy trinity of flavor. 3 parts onion, 2 parts celery, and 1 part green bell pepper. Cajun/Creole dishes such as étouffée, gumbo, and jambalaya almost always start with this base. And since I love all three of these dishes, I decided maybe a trinity gravy was right up my alley too.

I am happy to report that both the meatloaf and the gravy are a wonderful combination of flavors, very simple to prepare, and economical to build. In fact, I would classify this dish as perfect for company. It does take time to prepare, but all can be made ahead of time, and then reheated just before serving. And although the ingredients aren’t expensive, the presentation looks like a million dollars.

Now I’ve heard, that half the enjoyment one gets from food is in the presentation. Frankly, I think that’s a load of rutabaga skins! I’ve tasted many a dish that looked terrific, but the flavor – less than satisfactory. But this delicious dish is not just beautiful on the outside. Remember – “external attractiveness has no relation to goodness or essential quality.” I know this maxim first stated by Sir Thomas Overbury in his poem “A Wife”, was meant to imply that beauty (in a wife) should not be just skin deep. But, as far as I’m concerned, his reflection speaks equally to culinary presentations! And if this dish doesn’t yell “good wife” I don’t know what dish does!! (And yes, I can make any quote or maxim have something to do with food. It’s a DNA abnormality handed down through my father’s side of the family!)  

For a small family or a senior couple like Mr. C and me, this wonderful meatloaf and gravy is a three meal delight. First night – eat until you can’t walk. Second night, eat until you remember how bad you felt after dinner the night before! Third day, argue over who’s going to get the last couple of slices of meatloaf for lunch! Enjoy, and no fighting kids!     

Meatloaf:

  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for smearing on meat loaves before baking
  • 1 lg. onion, finely chopped, divided
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely minced, divided
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 2 T. fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 T. Creole Seasoning, divided (to make your own, see two very good recipes below)
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 T. grainy Dijon mustard
  • ½ c. bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ c. milk
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 lb. ground pork

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4th of the onion to the skillet, and cook to soften, 5-6 minutes.  (The rest of the onion is used in the gravy.) Add half of the minced garlic and cook for one minute. (The rest of the garlic goes in the gravy.) Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cool.  To the cooled onion mixture add the paprika, thyme, 1 tablespoon of the Creole seasoning (the rest of the Creole seasoning will be used in the gravy), ½ teaspoon of the salt (the rest in the gravy), black pepper, mustard, breadcrumbs, egg, and milk.  Mix to combine. Add the ground beef and the ground pork, stirring gently just until well combined. (I use my hands for this part.) Form into 2 loaves, each about 10 inches long and 4 inches wide.

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Place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Smear the entire surface lightly with olive oil. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

To serve: Slice the meat loaves. Arrange the slices over Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and pour the Trinity Gravy over both.  Garnish with sliced scallions and serve.

Trinity Gravy:

  • 2 T. butter
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1/8 tsp. white pepper
  • 2 T. tomato paste
  • small bay leaf
  • 2 T. all-purpose flour
  • 1½ c. beef stock (I use beef base and water)
  • 1 tsp. hot sauce or more to taste (I use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce)
  • 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • mashed sweet or russet potatoes (see recipe below)
  • 2-3 scallions, sliced on the bias, for garnish

Meanwhile, in the same skillet you used for the meatloaf mixture, melt the butter and add the remaining onion. Cook for about 7 minutes, then add the celery, bell pepper, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and white pepper.  Cook the mixture long enough to soften, about 30 minutes. (I usually cover the pan after about 10 minutes and let the veggies gently steam/fry.) The veggies should be kinda brown and kinda mushy. That’s what you want. None of this crisp tender for this recipe!

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Add the remaining garlic and cook for one minute.  Add the tomato paste and bay leaf; stir for 1 minute.  Sprinkle the flour and remaining Creole seasoning over the mixture and stir for another minute.  Whisk in the stock, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; cook to thicken over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes. Adjust the seasoning. Turn the heat to the lowest setting to keep the gravy warm. Stir periodically.

If you are not going to be serving in the next little while, remove from heat and re-warm when ready. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes:

  • 2 lbs. sweet potatoes or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ to 1 c. buttermilk

Cover the potatoes with water in a medium pot and bring to a boil, then season with salt, reduce heat, and cook for 12-15 minutes until tender.  When the potatoes are done, drain and return to the hot pot and mash with black pepper and buttermilk to desired consistency. Add salt if necessary.

EMERIL’S ESSENCE CREOLE SEASONING

  • 2½ T. paprika
  • 2 T. salt
  • 2 T. garlic powder or granulated garlic
  • 1 T. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 T. onion powder
  • 1 T. cayenne
  • 1 T. dried oregano
  • 1 T. dried thyme

Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.

CREOLE SEASONING MIX (my recipe) 

  • 1½ tsp. onion powder
  • 1½ tsp. granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. white pepper
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • ½ tsp. dry mustard
  • ½ tsp. dried thyme
  • ½-1½ tsp. cayenne (depends on how much heat you like or can tolerate)
  • ½ tsp. gumbo file

Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.

 

GRILLADES (CAJUN MEAT STEW) AND CHEESE GRITS

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Until I read the latest issue of Southern Living, I had never heard of Grillades. (Remember, I live in the Northwest corner of the US, so dishes like Grillades are not indigenous to our area.) But through the years I have learned to absolutely adore many of the dishes that have their roots in the South. (Thus my subscription to Southern Living!) So when I read the ingredients in the Grillades recipe, I was hooked immediately.

Grillades (pronounced ɡree-yahds) is a kind of meat stew typical of French regional and Cajun cooking. And at least in Cajun country, Grillades is most often served with grits. And since I am a true believer in the merits of grits, you can bet your best Squirrel Perlo recipe that if grits are even mentioned in conjunction with any given dish, I will be fixing them too!

So yesterday I decided it was the perfect day to tackle Grillades. But as some of you know, I almost never try a recipe until I have researched other recipes for the same dish. Especially if the dish is one that I have not previously tasted. I simply like to read what other cooks have included or excluded in their recipes so that I can better judge what might work best for our tastes. As a result, I didn’t change a thing in the Southern Living seasoning mix recipe. (Well that’s not entirely true. I did reduce the amount of cayenne from 1½ teaspoons to ½ teaspoon because I thought the original amount might be just too spicy for me. And I’m glad I did. The amount of cayenne I used was perfect for both of us.)

I did however change a couple of amounts and cooking methods from the magazine recipe based on other recipes I perused. For example, I changed thinly sliced pork to pork cubes. (Much easier to deal with.) But all in all, the recipe is basically as reported in the September 2015 edition of Southern Living.

Now comes the best part. When we sat down to dinner last evening, and each of us took our first bite, almost simultaneously we looked at each other and uttered the same three little words. OMG! We both exclaimed that this dish was one of the best things we had ever tasted.

So if you too are fans of Cajun cuisine, you have simply got to try this recipe. It is an all time winner at Chez Carr.

  • 7 tsp. Creole Seasoning Mix for Grillades, divided (see recipe below)
  • 2 lbs. boneless pork roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
  • 7 T. vegetable oil
  • 1 med. yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 c. chopped celery
  • 1 lg. green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 lg. garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 3 c. beef or chicken broth
  • ½ c. dry red wine
  • 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • hot cooked Cheese Grits (see recipe below)

Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix on all sides of the pork cubes in a large bowl. In a gallon size freezer bag combine ½ cup of the flour and another 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mix together. Add pork to bag (don’t wash the bowl) and shake until all the cubes are coated.

Heat oil in a large heavy covered Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork, and fry for about 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. (You will probably need to fry the pork in 2 batches.) Using a pair of tongs, transfer the browned pork back to the bowl where you coated the meat originally and reserve the drippings in the Dutch oven.

Sprinkle remaining ½ cup flour over drippings. Cook over high heat, whisking constantly, about 4 minutes or until mixture is medium brown. Immediately add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Add bay leaves and the remaining 4 teaspoons of seasoning mix. Reduce heat slightly and continue cooking, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.

Add the broth to vegetable mixture, stirring until well incorporated. Add wine, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, and browned pork; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring often, about 90 minutes or until the meat is tender. Midway through, taste to check seasoning. Add additional salt and/or seasoning mix to taste. (I had to add more salt to mine.) Just before serving, remove bay leaves.

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To serve, ladle a large serving of Grillades into a shallow bowl. Add a heaping spoonful of Cheese Grits on top and to the side. Serve immediately. (At our home, this is a meal unto itself. Nothing else to eat required. Of course a nice glass of wine to go with the Grillades is always welcome. Mr. C. recommends a hearty Cabernet-Sauvignon.)

CREOLE SEASONING MIX FOR GRILLADES

  • 1½ tsp. onion powder
  • 1½ tsp. granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. white pepper
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • ½ tsp. dry mustard
  • ½ tsp. dried thyme
  • ½-1½ tsp. cayenne (depends on how much heat you like or can tolerate)
  • ½ tsp. gumbo file

Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.

CHEESE GRITS

  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 5 c. water
  • 1 c. hominy grits (I use Quaker brand Quick cooking grits)
  • 3 T. unsalted butter
  • 2 T. cream cheese
  • ¼ c. grated Gruyère, Swiss, or Edam cheese

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring salt and water to a boil. Slowly whisk in the grits. Reduce the heat to low; cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the grits don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. (Grits are done when they have the consistency of smooth cream of wheat.) Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, cream cheese, and grated Gruyère. Season with salt to taste and serve warm.

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SHRIMP GUMBO

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I think many people shy away from Creole and Cajun food because they think it’s going to be too spicy. They hear words like gumbo filé and Creole seasoning and they automatically shy away. And it’s true, some Creole and Cajun dishes can be very spicy, but they don’t have to be. And this recipe, based on a recipe from Marcela’s Creole Cookery in Seattle, contains a bit of heat but only enough to compliment the other ingredients. And that’s good. The last thing you want is a sauce that is so spicy hot that the wonderful taste of your expensive shrimp is completely obliterated. (Along with your taste buds, I might add!)

So figuratively speaking, this sauce is the perfect foil for shrimp. Then all you need is a big old ball or two of cooked rice, and you have a simple and delicious one course meal.

Now like any other stew like dish, there are about as many recipes for gumbo as there are Louisiana residents. And many of them are fabulous. (The stews that is; I don’t know about all the residents!) But we especially like this gumbo recipe because it is fairly mild. (Did I mention that both Mr. C and I are both kind of wusses when it comes to really spicy food?)

So if you are a person unfamiliar with Creole or Cajun food, but consider yourself in possession of a sophisticated and educated uraniscus (palate), step on out of your comfort zone and travel “culinarily speaking” down to the land of Marti Gras, hush puppies, and bread pudding. Make yourself up a batch of this gumbo honey and there will be no turning back.

  • ¼ c. canola oil
  • ¼ c. flour
  • 4 c. chicken stock, heated to almost boiling
  • ½ small onion, chopped
  • 4 chopped green onions
  • 2 lg. stalks celery, chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 tsp. gumbo filé powder
  • 3 bay leaves
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp. commercial Creole seasoning or see recipe for homemade Creole Seasoning below
  • 1 lb. uncooked large shrimp
  • cooked rice

In a large covered saucepan, cook the oil and flour over medium heat until it is chocolate colored, about 25 minutes, stirring continuously. (If it burns, throw it away and start over!) Carefully whisk in the hot chicken stock, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Add the onion, green onions, celery, garlic, thyme, gumbo filé powder, bay leaves, pepper, cayenne, and Creole seasoning. Cover the pan and gently simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. (Add additional chicken stock if needed.) Adjust seasoning (probably will need salt), remove bay leaves, add the shrimp, and simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through.

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Serve with cooked rice.

Creole Seasoning:

  • 1/3 c. paprika
  • 3 T. dried oregano
  • 3 T. freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 T. dried basil
  • 2 T. kosher salt
  • 1 T. cayenne pepper
  • 1 T. onion powder
  • 4 tsp. dried thyme
  • 4 tsp. granulated garlic

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. Makes about 1 cup.

 

CREAMY CREOLE SHRIMP WITH CHEESE GRITS

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If there is anything better than cheesy grits covered with a savory sauce and perfectly cooked shrimp, will someone please tell me what it is? I mean really! I truly believe grits are manna from heaven.  And then when you doctor them with some butter and a wee bit of sharp cheddar cheese, well who in their right mind can resist? And Creole seasoning? Whoever invented this combination of herbs and spices should be canonized. And I’m not even catholic! But I would vote to make this person a saint in the time it takes roux to go from caramel colored to burnt! And believe me, that’s only a matter of seconds!

I have actually been trying to perfect a saucy, semi-spicy shrimp over grits dish for quite some time now. I have pages of recipes copied off the internet and have made several attempts to make the perfect sauce (poor Mr. C.).  Some sauces call for the addition of andouille sausage, which by itself I love. But I don’t particularly care for the combination, so I checked that duo off my list. Finally, last evening, I prepared a sauce I can truly say is delicious. It includes simple ingredients, but I must confess it will never be featured on 30 Minute Meals. It does take time to prepare, but I am telling you, it is worth the time and effort. Actually next time I make it, I am going to double the recipe and put half in the freezer. And I know, it looks like there will be a lot of sauce, but not the case. The amount of sauce is perfect for 3 healthy adult servings.

So if you like Cajun or Creole food, give this recipe a try. And in case you are worried about the spice level, don’t. The sauce is not overly spicy nor does the flavor overwhelm the delicate flavor of the shrimp. And for those who like their food spicier, there is always hot sauce!

  • 1 lb. unpeeled, medium-size raw shrimp (26/30 count)
  • 3 c. water
  • 5 T. vegetable oil, divided
  • 1/3 c. flour
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery plus leaves, chopped
  • 1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¾ tsp. chopped fresh thyme
  • 3 T. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. lobster base – Better Than Bouillon or Knorr (more expensive, but worth it)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 T. Creole seasoning, divided (I use Emeril’s Essence – see recipe below)
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 T. heavy cream
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, opt.
  • 2 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley, opt.
  • hot sauce, opt.

Peel shrimp, reserving shells; devein shrimp. Set aside. Bring shells and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes. Pour shrimp broth through a colander over a large bowl, pressing shells with back of a spoon; discard shells. Reserve the shrimp broth.

Heat 4 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; stir in flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until flour is caramel colored (about 15 minutes). Add onion, celery, green pepper and cook, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and thyme; cook until you can smell the garlic, about 1 minute. Stir in the shrimp broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, 2 teaspoons of the Creole seasoning, salt, couple grinds of pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Meanwhile pour the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium size fry pan. Season the shrimp lightly with salt, pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of Creole seasoning. Add shrimp to hot oil and cook only until done. Do not over-cook. Set aside. After the sauce has burbled away for 45 minutes or so, stir in the heavy cream. If sauce is too thick add a bit of water. Add the cooked shrimp and adjust seasoning. When ready to serve, spoon Cheese Grits (see recipe below) into the bottom of a shallow soup bowl. Ladle the shrimp and sauce on top. Serve with green onions, chopped parsley, and hot sauce available on the table. Cornbread and a nice hearty beer or merlot are great accompaniments.

Cheese Grits:

  • 1½ c. milk
  • 1½ c. water
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¾ c. quick-cooking grits
  • 1 T. butter
  • ¾ c. sharp cheddar, grated

Bring milk, water, and salt to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Adjust seasoning. If you like thinner grits, add a little more milk before adding the butter and cheese.

Emeril’s Essence Creole Seasoning:

  • 2½ T. paprika
  • 2 T. salt
  • 2 T. garlic powder or granulated garlic
  • 1 T. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 T. onion powder
  • 1 T. cayenne
  • 1 T. dried oregano
  • 1 T. dried thyme

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

 

BREAD PUDDING WITH SPICED RUM SAUCE

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There are few desserts as delicious as bread pudding. But it has to be good bread pudding. For decades I shied away from this incredible dessert because of my grandmother. Please allow me to explain. I think I’ve already told you that both my mother and maternal grandmother were not good cooks. My grandmother however, was excellent at homemade bread and pies. So you would think, since bread pudding is made from bread, she should have been able to make at least a passable bread pudding. Absolutely not the case. And since I never watched her put one together, I actually don’t know how hers was prepared. (Even from the ripe old age of 4 or so, I knew instinctively when to say no thank you to food that I had once tasted and knew was of poor quality. Why then would I even want to know how it was prepared? I was no dummy, even as a kid!) But, to the best of my recollection, grandma’s bread pudding starred plain old bread, soaked in a combination of milk, eggs, and a pinch of cinnamon and liberally laced with raisins. Now I like raisins, but not when they are burnt. And that was my grandmother’s forte. She could burn a raisin better than anyone I have ever known. And even if there had been some kind of warm sauce to serve with the pudding, it sure as heck didn’t contain liquor. (Not that I would have even known about cooking with liquor when I was a child. My parents weren’t teetotalers, but by any stretch of the imagination, they weren’t drinkers either. So spring forward several decades to when I left my bad memories behind and became a true devotee of bread saturated with milk, cream, and eggs and studded with little golden jewels of flavor. New Orleans. Marti Gras. Good friends (Dick, Eloise, son John and daughter-in-law Carol), fun parades, great music, and amazing food. So you know the old saying, when in Rome, well when in New Orleans you eat anything placed in front of you because it is bound to be delicious. So in order not to appear a prig (yes, I spelled it right) I went along with the crowd and ordered bread pudding for dessert one evening. Any resemblance to what I had experienced as a child was merely coincidental!  I had discovered heaven in a bowl. As soon as we got home after our 10 day adventure in Louisiana, I went to work finding the perfect recipe for bread pudding. I finally ended up with the recipe below, an amalgam of several recipes I found in cookbooks. I hope you enjoy this lovely dessert as much as we do. This bread pudding has actually made believers of others like me who, until they tried really good bread pudding, just couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. But I get it now. This recipe could make a bread pudding believer out of you too. Give it a try.

Bread Pudding Ingredients:

  • ¼ c. spiced rum
  • 1 c. golden raisins
  • 8 lg. eggs, room temperature
  • 3 ½ c. whole milk
  • 1 ½ c. heavy cream
  • 1 ½ tsp. vanilla
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 (1-lb.) loaf Challah or other dense egg bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

Spiced Rum Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 c. packed brown sugar
  • ½ c. butter
  • ½ c. heavy cream
  • 2 T. spiced rum
  • ¼ tsp. cinnamon

Whipped Cream Topping Ingredients:

  • 1 c. heavy cream
  • 2 T. powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp. spiced rum

Bread Pudding: Combine spiced rum and golden raisins in a small heavy pan. Bring to a boil and simmer until all liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and cool. Meanwhile combine eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Gently stir in bread cubes and cooled raisins. Pour mixture into a buttered 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Bake uncovered in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 75 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. (Watch carefully the last 30 minutes or so. If the pudding starts to get too brown before it is set, gently tent with aluminum foil.) Serve warm with Spiced Rum Sauce and a dollop of Whipped Cream Topping.

Spiced Rum Sauce: Combine brown sugar and butter in a medium sized heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until butter completely melted and mixture is smooth. Add heavy cream, spiced rum, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until mixture thickens and is reduced to about 1 ½ cups. Serve warm over pudding. Can be made ahead and refrigerated. Bring to a simmer again before serving.

Whipped Cream Topping:  Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks; add powdered sugar and spiced rum. Serve dolloped over top of Spiced Rum Sauce.