Diving deep into a bowl of Redfish Sauce Piquante is an exploration of the spicy side of Louisiana’s culinary culture. It is a saucy and richly flavored dish that doesn’t hold back on taste. This recipe delivers a heavy wallop of deliciousness in a Magnalite pot. My friend Lee Robicheaux grew up in Houma, Louisiana…
Fire-Roasted Red Pepper Pimento Cheese
In the Deep South, pimento cheese is the mortar that holds society together. Whether sandwiched between two slices of white bread or elegantly stuffed in a stalk of celery, no Southerner worth his salt would be without a basic pimento cheese recipe. And my recipe for Red Pepper Pimento Cheese ups the ante with Creole…
Alligator Sausage and Creole Red Onions with Beer Gravy over Crab-Boiled Smashed Potatoes
There is an area just west of Lafayette, Louisiana that is known for its German heritage. Roberts Cove is at the center of it, and it is home to a long lineage of German immigrants who settled the Acadiana prairie in 1880. This was a little over a century after the French Acadians found their…
Fried Green Tomato Shrimp Rémoulade
When I glance at a menu and see anything featuring rémoulade sauce, I’m salivating. Usually, it’s a straightforward shrimp appetizer served on a bed of shredded iceberg that in the hands of a cook that has their rémoulade repertoire figured out is well worth ordering. But recently I was astounded to find a spin on shrimp rémoulade…
Stuffed Chicken with Mushroom Madeira
Food can be boring. Ok, I’ve said it, and you know exactly what I’m talking about. Slapping a spoonful of mashed potatoes on a plate along with a plain baked chicken breast doesn’t exactly set the world on fire with excitement. Why can’t we serve up a bit more creativity at mealtime? Now, don’t get…
Creole Stuffed Turkey Wings
The rich Creole history of South Louisiana is a beautiful mixture of heritage and customs that have become an essential ingredient of the cultural gumbo of Acadiana. Time-honored Creole traditions of Zydeco music, the Acadian horse culture, and the delicious recipes handed down through generations add amazing depth to our local folkways. Stuffed Turkey Wings…
Corn and Crab Bisque
Louisiana cooking is famous for pairing farm-to-table vegetables with fresh Gulf seafood. Oyster and spinach is a common duo in many soups and shrimp and artichoke shows up frequently as well. But my all-time favorite is a traditional soup: Corn and Crab Bisque. This cream-based soup has its origins in the Creole culinary culture of…
Louisiana Oyster Loaf
With one bite of this classic New Orleans recipe – Louisiana Oyster Loaf – I am transported back to a long ago time when simplicity reigned in Creole cooking. It is a basic recipe that elevates Louisiana oysters to spiritual heights. For a born and bred Louisiana boy, I was raised that eating oysters in…
Watermelon Bread
Watermelon stands lining the side of the rural parish roads are an especially Southern thing. Truckloads begin arriving as the temperature soars, and there is no better way to cool down than a slice of ice-cold watermelon on the back porch steps. Or maybe there is: Watermelon Bread – hot out of the oven. I’ve…
Gulf Coast Shrimp Boil
I love shrimp season in Acadiana. The opening of the Vermilion Bay inshore waters in late May signals the start of an endless summer supply of fresh Gulf shrimp. While I’m ready with a stack of recipes, there is no denying that a simple backyard Gulf Coast Shrimp Boil is the purest (and best) recipe…