Flounder Topped with Crabmeat Dressing and a Saffron Velouté
Of all the coastal Louisiana fish species, flounder is at the top of my list. I recall lazy summer afternoons fishing with friends at my camp near Slidell, Louisiana. We’d troll the mud flats and jetties along the banks of the East Pearl River as it empties into Lake Borgne. We’d fish for hours, share…
Radish and Goat Cheese Tartine
So, what exactly is a tartine? By definition, it’s a French open-faced sandwich with sweet or savory ingredients. A rather fancy little word that conjures up snooty French folks taking dainty bites in between sips of their French 75. Not exactly down-home Cajun fare is it? Well, I beg to … [Read More...]
Bacon Jam Baked Brie
Crispy golden brown pastry on top, flaky piecrust on the bottom, and a velvet creaminess oozing mellow flavors spiked with the porky flavor of bacon—that’s my down-on-the-bayou, French Louisiana version of a classic baked brie. Baking a round of brie cheese in pastry has been around for … [Read More...]
The Best Burger in All The Land
It's burger season, ya'll! National Hamburger Week and the Memorial Day holiday are all the signals South Louisiana needs to fire up the grill and break out the buns. Put away the propane crawfish boiling rigs; summertime backyard burger bashes are firing up all over Acadiana. “Who has the … [Read More...]
Shrimp and Mushroom Cream over Puff Pastry Shell
For the most part, Cajun food is perceived to be rural fare cooked in a black iron pot, and while that summation is partly correct, it misses the big picture. Cajun cooking is steeped in the tradition of sourcing the freshest ingredients available, of layering those ingredients into multi-tiered … [Read More...]
Italian Stuffed Artichoke
There’s no appetizer more dramatic than a stuffed artichoke in all its regal glory. Each tender olive oil-laced leaf holding onto a treasure chest of Italian ingredients, and all baked just long enough to meld those exotic tastes together. This simple Cajun recipe version makes a culinary statement … [Read More...]
Thin-Cut Fried Catfish
Growing up in the South, eating fried catfish is just part of my DNA. Back in the day, dining on catfish in a restaurant meant whole fried catfish on the bone, and we would think nothing of driving an hour to get our fill. These days, catfish is both farmed in aquaculture ponds and caught wild and … [Read More...]
Tasso Chili Cheese Dip and Frito Chili Pie
When you make this smoky, cheesy, beer-infused dip, it will catapult your cooking cred to new heights. It is not only one of the easiest Cajun recipes to prepare right every time, but it is addictively good. Your friends will beg for the recipe. And it’s a tasty way to celebrate Cinco de … [Read More...]
Oysters Supreme
David Bertrand runs Shucks seafood house in Abbeville, Louisiana with an eye for detail. Along with his partner Bert Istre, they have two locations (they’re in Baton Rouge, too), and they share a keen understanding of the tastes of their South Louisiana customers. This is not a tourist haunt, and … [Read More...]
Cajun Rice Bowl with Griddled Shrimp
Brown rice isn’t my thing, but my daughter Lo (remember, she moved to La La Land) recently teamed up with Roxanne to add a healthier regimen to my Acadiana Table. Ok, so roasted pork belly, bacon-wrapped meat loaf, and boudin gravy need to be brought into balance with a few healthy choices; … [Read More...]
Fresh Ham Roast
Ginger-kissed with a mustard-glazed sweetness, this ham roast is a revelation of how juicy, flavorful, and succulent this cut of pork can be. But, the key to it is in getting to know your farmer, and learning how he cares, feeds, and humanely raises his livestock. It is the essence of … [Read More...]
Duck and Brie Pizza
The perfect pizza has been a lifelong quest. Across the world and closer to home, I’ve visited the acclaimed chefs and prowled the back alley dives for just one bite of the perfect pie. I’m not talking about your typical red sauce-laden, mozzarella-coated, pepperoni-dotted New York pizza or even … [Read More...]
Gulf Shrimp Pasta Primavera
Translated in Italian, primavera means spring. And in my Cajun recipe book, there is no dish that combines light, refreshing spring flavors like this one. With garden-fresh vegetables kissed with the sweet leaves of basil, all tied together with a pungent olive oil-infused bucatini pasta, the only … [Read More...]
Pork Neck Bone Fricassée
I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Make friends with a butcher. There’s no clearer path to culinary enlightenment than through a butcher who can help you discover flavor-filled cuts of meat you never knew existed. And this Cajun recipe is one of them. So, what’s for dinner? Two … [Read More...]
Crawfish Rules
Today’s recipe is a recipe for success. Instead of giving you detailed Cajun recipe instructions for boiling crawfish (there are hundreds of them online), I’m giving you the essential first-timer rules for eating boiled crawfish. A more apt name for my story is "How to Eat Boiled Crawfish Without … [Read More...]
Shrimp and Tasso Mac and Cheese
This isn’t my first mac and cheese recipe, and I assure you, it won’t be my last. You see, I love how pasta noodles encased in a cheesy cream sauce is a culinary delivery for the spicy flavors of Cajun recipe ingredients like shrimp and tasso. It is this tasty combination that comes together in this … [Read More...]