I decided to try my hand at Cajun cooking this weekend with a shrimp and andouille sausage gumbo (I researched it after the fact and found what I made was indeed Cajun because of the dark roux and lack of tomatoes). I was a little surprised at how well the gumbo came out - it was rich, smokey and had more than a small kick to it. I served it with popcorn long grain rice that had been sitting in my cabinet since I came home from a New Orleans visit last spring.

The recipe was pretty basic but labor-intensive with an hour making the dark roux. I would've like to have made it even a bit darker but by that time I'd had it. Anyways, dark roux with the holy trinity and a few minced garlic cloves. Added salt, pepper, cayenne, bay leaves, and a pinch of thyme, then homemade shrimp stock (used the shells from the shrimp that would go in the gumbo). Brought the stock up to a simmer, then added the sausage and okra and simmered for 30 minutes. Turned off the heat and stirred in the shrimp and let it sit for 5 minutes. That was it, and it was delicious.

dabeef starts & participates on the best threads on LTH hands down(a tip of my white sox hat to my fellow High Life drinkin' homie), glad to contribute and post on this one. Cajun/Creole food is one of my passions. Nothing better than cooking old school all day long.

My lunch today was smoke crawfish boudin, served with saltine crackers & hot sauce. I also dos some pork belly cracklings. I scored the net for recipes, and technique, and kind of did a mix of a few. I used pork belly as I wanted some meat on mmy cracklins.

I started with bone in pork belly, quickly removed the bone. Belly had some belly skin, a fat layer, and a meat layer. I trimmed these into cubes. I brought a stock pot filled with some water to boli, and then tossed in the belly chunks. The idea was to use the water to melt the fat, the water evaporates and you are left with the melted fat to crisp the cubes in time. Worked like a charm.

End result was one of the best things I have ever made, and one of the top 5 things I have eaten this year. Crunchy, tender, popping with flavor. Once out of the hot oil I tossed some of my famous bbq rub on them, and it worked really well. A little Texas Pete on there as well and you have a taste of heaven.

Boudin was good, but didnt hit the high of the craklings. Casing cut open, and spread on a saltine cracker, and a shot of hot sauce. A few cold beers, a Viking s winner and I had a good time before my nap.

cubed belly:




how its done:

Kudos. Nothing better than sitting in the parking lot at Poche's or Comeuax's or anyplace else that makes boudin and scarfing it out of the paper bag with a cold beer to wash it down.

Great thread!

Out of all the cooking I do, Cajun/Creole would account for the largest portion of my cooking, then moving into southern "Q" style and Spanish cooking (bringing things back to Louisiana.)


I make my regular chicken and sausage Gumbo very similar to Jim. Starting with the roux which normally takes between 45 minutes to an hour fifteen. I then add my 1:1:.5 trinity into the hot roux, then my garlic and sausage. After this I add the stock (chicken/shellfish stock...the shellfish make a big difference.) bring to boil reduce to simmer and add herbs and spices. I cook my chicken separate before I start my roux. Once the Gumbo is "set" together I take the bird apart and separate the meat from the bones. I prefer large pieces of meat, which I reserve to add 30 minutes (or so) before serving...only to warm in the Gumbo. The chicken just seems to hold together much better adding later in the process. But I will add the chicken bones into the simmering Gumbo to get the additional chicken flavor and that "velour" that the bones add to a stock, I obvious remove all the bones later in the cooking process when everything is in it's last leg. Make any corrections to seasonings, add the chicken, shrimp/crawdads (remember their shells were used in the initial stock), add the green onions and additional Tabasco to taste. Serve atop rice and add a healthy dash of file' to round out the flavors.

Dirty rice is another great dish that could hold up as an entrée or a side. Either way...it must be made with chicken livers. It's one of those things like adding anchovies to certain Italian sauces or soups that adds a certain depth. Even if you don't like'em...ya have to add'em! Etouffee...smothered pork chops...on and on. MMMmmMMMmmMMMMmm! I also love a homemade pecan pie made with fresh figs when they're in season (otherwise I use fig preserves...thanks Caputo's)

You know...I almost hate to say it...but I'm not crazy about Cajun Connection. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad...and I love the atmosphere and what Cajun Ron is all about. But the food is just ok. I don't know how he makes his gumbo, but I get the impression the main thing I like about it is the stock. It's got that velvet feel to it, the way it gets when you use a fair amount of chicken bones (or better...chicken feet). But it tastes more of chicken stock, and less of a developed roux and more of sodium. To me, the tone of a Gumbo is set by the roux (much like the sofrito setting the tone for Paella.) Another problem I've had is with the etouffee. It has these little freeze dried shrimp in there that I thought may have been mistaken for sea monkeys (ok...slight exaggeration to make a point). The alligator, at times, can be very good. I really do like the place and almost hate to say anything. But I think I like the nostalgia of Cajun Connection more than I do the food. To me, the food is mediocre, while the atmosphere is spot on.

Andouille in this area is really getting me frustrated! I'm real close to putting in an order to Louisiana at both Jacob's and Poche's. Would anyone be interested in this possibility to save on shipping? It's still going to be expensive...but REAL andouille is quite a good thing (at least I think so).

I smoked about 7lb's of raw Polish sausage today, using some of it for the Gumbo today. This time I used a majority of oak wood and finished with some apple. I thought it had a real nice flavor that suited the Gumbo quite well. Before this I would smoke my sausage with primarily hickory or apple and sometimes finish with cherry. I'm going to explore the use of oak alot more.

Next I think I may make some smothered pork chops Ruston style with some peaches.


*cheers all*
dan

So, since it seems we have three or four threads on this topic going right now, I figure here's as good a place as any to post this.

Unlike gumbo, which reheated and served on fresh hot rice is predictably great, jambalaya does not seem to reheat well, at least in my recent experience. I've learned that adding water is not good for reheating rice; rather, you should add some kind of fat. I like to add a few pats of butter and some hot sauce to jambalaya when I reheat it. And yet ...

... the thrill is gone.

Just wondering to myself if this is pretty much true of reheating any rice dish, cajun/creole or other. Though I've had decent luck with reheating red beans and rice. Still, reheated red beans on fresh hot rice are better.

Moral of the story, don't make too big a batch of jambalaya at one time?

next to the trinity, tasso ham is probably one of the most wide used ingredients in cajun cooking. I have bought tasso before, and also tried to make it.

This time I did alot of reading, and came up with a method that was successfull. Quick cure, then a dry cure in the fridge, then slow smoked with pecan on the WSM.

Cured, smokey, and nice and hot. Rub was marjoram, cayenne, white pepper, allspice, and some secrets I am not sharing with the internet masses.

It looks great, Jim, of course you knew that already So, when is your neighbor going to put their house up for sale?

,
dan

gonefishin wrote:It looks great, Jim, of course you knew that already So, when is your neighbor going to put their house up for sale?

,
dan

lol, thanks dan I appreciate that. This was a fun experiement with a new method that I worried and thought about all week.

Looks wonderful how does it taste?

gjdad wrote:Looks wonderful how does it taste?

poppin'... nice pecan smoke flavor, and a nice heat kick.

maybe Ill bring some to the cajun/southern pot luck.

tonight I am using some for a kind of cajun inspired shrimp and tasso alfredo over spaghetti.

jimswside wrote:

lol, thanks dan I appreciate that. This was a fun experiement with a new method that I worried and thought about all week.

What did you change? It sounded like you developed a nice pellicle for the smoke, was there anything else you changed? I'd love to hear it...I'm always looking for ways to improve my food parts

dan

gonefishin wrote:

jimswside wrote:

lol, thanks dan I appreciate that. This was a fun experiement with a new method that I worried and thought about all week.

What did you change? It sounded like you developed a nice pellicle for the smoke, was there anything else you changed? I'd love to hear it...I'm always looking for ways to improve my food parts

dan

I changed the cure, and the wait time. Before I would just use salt and sugar & then smoke,

The tenderquick, and the 3 days "drying" in the fridge really allowed the cure to set.

that and the WSM is really easy to maintian temps, so I made sure to stay beolow 200 degrees.

I am stoked!!!!! Can't wait to try some!

Searched this week for recipes to use some of the tasso I made on saturday(had some backed up smoked sausage in case I failed in tasso making). Luckily the batch of tasso turned out nice so I was set.

Did a Shrimp and tasso dish over pasta. Basically kind of a shrimp and tasso in a cream sauce.


Shrimp and tasso in the cream sauce was awesome, tasso added heat, and flavor, also the thyme and basil was prevelant. Simple, and quick dinner.

just might be my contribution for the LTH cajun/southern potluck dish next month.



It met shay's approval(she helped peel the shrimp, and QC the tasso, she is probably the most adveturous eating 3 y.o. I know of)):

jimswside wrote:It met shay's approval(she helped peel the shrimp, and QC the tasso, she is probably the most adveturous eating 3 y.o. I know of)):

Hope it holds. Mine was very adventurous at 3 and lost almost all of it by 6.

Substitute crawfish for the shrimp and you've just made a lovely riff on Crawfish Monica--favorite of NOLA Jazzfest attendees for as long as I can remember. If you bring this, I will be VERY happy

boudreaulicious wrote:Substitute crawfish for the shrimp and you've just made a lovely riff on Crawfish Monica--favorite of NOLA Jazzfest attendees for as long as I can remember. If you bring this, I will be VERY happy

sounds good, maybe once crawfish season comes around Ill try it..

I am doing another test shrimp dish this upcoming Saturday.,

lougord99 wrote:
Hope it holds. Mine was very adventurous at 3 and lost almost all of it by 6.

me too, Ill do my best to turn her into a food lover like her mom and dad.

while I still enjoy bbq, cajun/creole cooking is my new passion.

Shrimp Uggie, a great recipe from the now closed Uglesich's in NOLA. Spicy, and popping withe flavor. Head on shrimp made the dish, great finger food. Served with some white rice and a bowl of gumbo(no pics).


Sauce was made a week in advance(olive oil, ketchup, Melinda's XXX, salt, crushed red pepper, paprika, parsley, red onion, green pepper, lemon juice).

Shrimp and cooked red potaotes simmered in the sauce. Turned out great. This recipe is a keeper.

banged out another batch o' shrimp and tasso, my tasso.

Used the wok, allowed for great temp control, garnished with shrimp heads that were full of red shrimp butter..mercy..



my bad ass homemade tasso:




I steamed the shrimp heads and sucked the butter out, not just a garnish, but a treat.

not as creamy as above version, but still nice(i rushed the reducing of the cream). New cajun shrimp and tasso pasta dish I did yesterday:

You may have rushed it, but I along with others were simply eating the sauce with smiles on our faces.

lougord99 wrote:You may have rushed it, but I along with others were simply eating the sauce with smiles on our faces.

thanks, it was nice meeting you & your andoullie was top notch.

Yes, the shrimp pasta was really nice. Especially fun eating the little eggies on top! The tasso was truly top notch.

jimswside wrote:

lougord99 wrote:You may have rushed it, but I along with others were simply eating the sauce with smiles on our faces.

thanks, it was nice meeting you & your andoullie was top notch.

My husband can't stop talking about how great that sausage was.

It was a pleasure meeting you Lou.

Jim- Alistair also swears by your dish and had a nice conversation with you. You know, they just don't have food like that back in England.

leek, and pairs, thank you, it was a fun little twist adding the roe.

Im almost out of my tasso, only one chunk left in the freezer, Ill need to do up another batch in the next month or so.

I also enjoyed talking with Alistair.

jimswside wrote:leek, and pairs, thank you, it was a fun little twist adding the roe.

Im almost out of my tasso, only one chunk left in the freezer, Ill need to do up another batch in the next month or so.

I also enjoyed talking with Alistair.

Just snuck a little slice off the tasso that you brought and it's delish!! Thanks again--i like our barter system!!!

Breaking out my favorite cookbook this weekend - "The Prudhomme Family Cookbook" to knock out a couple recipes. I like this book because of the killer recipes, and the side stories & history Chef provides with each one.

I had about 20#'s of bone in pork butt to use, so (1) will be used for a pepper pork roast recipe(the other will be handed over to my wife for a huge batch of Filipino Adobo), basically a slow cooked butt in the oven stuffed with hot peppers, cayenned, etc. His recipe calls for it to be done @ 160-170 which would be slicing range. I am going to take mine to 190+ so I can pull it. Ill prep this tomorrow so it has a night in the fridge to rest.

Other recipe which is a first is a smothered potato dish that also has turnips in it.

thinking the house will smell good Sunday afternoon.

Roti de Cochon avec Piments Forts Frais in the oven now(and for the last 3.5 hours).

This is a fresh hot pepper pork roast. A 9# bone in butt that had slits cut in the fat cap, and pockets cut in the met. Then stuffed and rubbed with a mix of paprik, cayenne pepper, salt, sugar, minced garlic & chopped jalapenos.. Roast was rubbed and stuffed yesterday, and wrapped in plastic in the fridge overnight.

Begun @ 450 degrees for 20 minutes, then surrounded by chopped onion, whole garlic cloves, and chopped green pepper in the pan with some water and continued @ 275 degrees. Probe set to alarm @ 195. I might make a thin pork gravy with the pan drippings.

butt:



slit, stuffed and rubbed:



house smells damn good.

Side is: Pates et Navets Etouffes: Smothered Potatoes & Turnips. Didnt just want rice or regular mashed.

Both recipes from the godfather of cajun cooking: Chef Paul Prudhomme's Family Cookbook.

finished pic's, magnificent, succulent pork butt, overshadowed by smothered potatoes & turnips. Overall all one could ask for in a Sunday supper.

finished butt:



the Shay was all over this pork(as was I, dipping it in the gravy made from the poan drippings):





this roast was majic:



smothered potatoes with and without gravy(cant see how anyone could consider buying gravy):





pork with gravy:



cant beat supper supper like this.