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…
Creole Snapper En Papillote
What is it about cooking en papillote (in a paper bag) that seems so civilized and celebratory? Cooking food in parchment paper wrapped tightly to hold in the steam and juices is a mainstream technique that is embraced by many culinary cultures. The Italians have their al cartoccio, but the French seem to seal the…
Catfish Head Stew
On a crisp, cool Friday morning on my way to Eunice, Louisiana, to stock up on my favorite garlic smoked sausage at my friend Kermit Lejeune’s smokehouse, I drove past a little market on the highway heading west out of Opelousas. I did not have seafood on my mind, but it was the colorful exterior…
Black Drum Amandine with Crabmeat
Once relegated to a catch-and-release fish unworthy of the dinner table, black drum has ascended the culinary ladder to become a center-of-the-plate star in its own right. One theory is that it is following the coattails of its cousin the red drum (or redfish, as you know it), which with the help of renowned chef…