Cookin’ Louisiana Style

My family just returned from a week in the New Orleans area, among a group of one-hundred thirty students and adults from The High Country who gave up their spring break to help bring hope and healing to victims of the hurricane. It is difficult to find words to describe the incredible blessing we received. As usual, I never visit a town that I don’t snoop around until I discover some of their culinary secrets and delights. Of course, the opportunities were endless as those folks have always known how to cook. (That’s where Emeril calls home, in case you were wondering!) I brought home a few recipes that I think can be easily adapted to our mountain menus.

Big Easy Chicken Creole

½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
4 skinless split bone-in chicken breasts
1 ½ teaspoons Creole seasoning (see note)
Salt to taste
1 (14 ½ oz.) can Mexican style tomatoes
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Place onion and bell pepper in a microwave- safe bowl; cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on high 4 minutes; set aside.

With a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 parallel slashes in each piece of chicken. Rub with Creole Seasoning and salt, spreading seasonings into slashes. Place chicken, meat side down, in a 2-quart rectangular glass dish. Cover with wax paper and microwave on HIGH 5 minutes.

Turn chicken pieces over, re-cover and microwave on high. Stir onions into tomato mixture and pour over chicken; re-cover. Microwave on HIGH 5 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast registers 170 degrees F.
Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve over rice.

NOTE: To make your own Creole seasoning, combine ½ teaspoon each: salt; ground white, red and black peppers; paprika; and dried thyme, basil and oregano leaves. Measure 1 ½ teaspoons and save remainder for future use.

 

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

3 lb. fryer-8 cut
2 lb sausage-fresh or smoked
2 Tbsp. oil
4 Tbsp flour
1 cup onion diced
½ cup bell pepper diced
½ cup celery diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 tomatoes diced
2 bay leaves
¼ cup onion tops diced
¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
1 cup chicken stock
Red and green peppers
Hot sauce to taste
2 tsp basil
2 tsp thyme
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 cups cooked rice

If the sausage is fresh, brown it first, then the chicken in oil. If the sausage is smoked, brown just the chicken, remove from pan. Boil grease until the water evaporates (clarify the fat), then add flour and make a medium dark roux. Add celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Simmer, 4 minutes, add tomato, basil and thyme, ground peppers, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and bay leaves. Put chicken and sausage back in and simmer at least 30 minutes, or until chicken is done. Add cooked rice, onion tops and parsley, adjust seasoning with peppers, bring back to a simmer and serve. 4-6 servings.

Bourbon Street Beef Po’ Boys

6 Tbsp. butter or margarine
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 large onion, sliced
1 small green bell pepper, sliced
2 cups beef broth
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
¾ tsp. Tabasco sauce
½ tsp. thyme, crumbled
1 lb. beef, cooked and thinly sliced
4 sub rolls

Melt butter in medium saucepan; stir in flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until flour browns, about 4 minutes.

Add onion and bell pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes; gradually stir in broth. Add Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and thyme; stir constantly until mixture boils and thickens.

Cut a thin slice from top of each roll, and scoop out soft insides. Arrange meat on each roll. Spoon gravy over meat and replace tops on rolls.

Louisiana Pralines

2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
½ cup pecan halves

In a heavy bottomed pan, combine sugars, water and cream. Cook and stir until soft ball stage. (238 degrees) Remove from heat, whip for ten to fifteen minutes. Add nuts and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls onto buttered pan or waxed paper. Cool, cover in plastic wrap.

 

Don’t forget your copy of “Lovin’ Spoonful . . . Cooking With Family and Friends,” a compilation of nearly 400 mouth-watering recipes by Sherrie Norris. It is available at all locations of High Country Media – Boone, Banner Elk, West Jefferson, and at The Avery Journal in Newland, all Boone Drugs, Black Bear Books, Trailway Laundry, Wilcox Emporium,( top level, booth 312-W,) and beginning June 15 at Mast Store locations.