The art of Cajun & Creole cooking

I have a goal this winter which is to learn about and cook as much cajun and creole cuisine as possible becoming as skilled in the kitchen with it as I have Mexican cuisine over the years. I love cajun food and on a trip to new Orleans right before the hurricane I learned how much I love food travel. I havent been on a trip since that didnt revolve around food. When I lived in Madison I had weekly visits to New Orleans Takeout which is one of Madison's best restaurants for good eats. We dont really have anything in Chicago close to as good as NOTO let alone the real deal down south so when is the case I just do it myself.

Despite the fact I have over 10 creole/ New Orleans recipe books including some treasures from the early 80's that my parents collected on vacations down there before I was born I haven't really done much Cajun cooking aside from wings and beer can chicken of that sort and I've made gumbo a few times. Thats all going to change this winter and the rest of my time in the kitchen. My goal is to become a better than good Cajun cook. Nothing is quite as fragrant as the aroma of Cajun cooking on a cold Sunday afternoon while watching football. I wanted to share the adventure here and gather ideas and tips on my journey. Please share any signature dishes of your own or anything you make in your kitchen, you cant learn enough.

I really don't have anything to share here - but I'm hoping you will document your process, and am looking forward to it!

First up on my to do list was to make an ingredient that would be required in most of my adventures. Hot sauce. I had just gotten a large batch of fresh grown red jalapeños so it was a perfect time to find a recipe. I found a recipe online for a tabasco style sauce and decided to do this with my own stuff added in.

Tabasco Style Hot Sauce (makes about 6 cups)

2 lb's of red chili peppers
2-3 cups of Borinquen homemade vinegar
half on an onion chopped down
3 garlic cloves
Cajun seasoning

Combine the chile's, garlic, onions and the vinegar so that everything is just covered in a saucepan and heat.

Stir in the salt and seasoning and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool, and place in a blender.

Puree until smooth and place in a glass jar and allow to steep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Remove, strain the sauce, and adjust the consistency by adding more vinegar if necessary.

This turned out alot better than I anticipated. Its already my favorite in fridge hot sauce and I got quite a few. Its got that tang but also packs more heat than Tabasco. It would be great for buffalo wings.


It turned out to be a spicy but not too hot very thin sauce that I cant stop using on everything now

People often make the mistake of using inferior andouille sausage in their cajun cooking. I think that Paulina market is a very fine market. But, their andouille is far from the real thing. I highly recommend seeking out a smoked andouille, particularly the "Thibodeaux" brand which is sold locally at Treasure Island.

IMO, there is nothing more comforting on a cold weekend morning than a classic three course New Orleans breakfast ala Brennan's. Start with a single egg Sardou, a healthy serving of warm, tender veal grillades serves with grits, and finish with a warm baked apple with sweet cream (or if you're ambitious Bananas Foster over a little Vanilla Haagen Daz).

Below is a link to a typical grillades recipe first published in Southern Living in 1971.

http://www.ichef.com/recipe.cfm/recipe/ ... egoryid/54

Paulina Meat Market is also a good source of smoked andouille, as is Schmeisser's, for those who live farther west. (Farther west than downtown, that is -- it's in Niles.) But be forewarned -- Schmeisser's is cash or check only -- no charge. (But that hasn't kept them from being wildly busy.) Paulina is happy to take your plastic.

Paulina Meat Market
773.248.6272
3501 N. Lincoln Avenue (corner of Lincoln & Cornelia) Chicago, IL 60657

Schmeisser's
7649 N. Milwaukee Ave., Niles
Tel: (847) 967-8995

Nothing like starting your journey with a bang. I had always been intrigued by the site below and after making the shrimp creole recipe I am now hooked to it. This was an amazing recipe that I followed every direction of and it came out superb. One of the best things I have eaten all year. I am craving it right now. This goes into my steady rotation, one of the best dishes I ever made even though it is not my recipe I cant give it enough praise. If you like cajun cooking with a little bang (heat) you will LOVE this.

Shrimp Creole

The link above is the recipe I followed up and down. Amazing, I would eat this daily if given the chance.



As the original creator of the recipe states, its all about homemade shrimp stock for this along with a little TLC. Anyone can make this dish and it tasted like I was in NOLA and as I ate it I was already thinking about making it again this Sunday.

no good cajun/creole in Chicagoland?

I guess you have never been to Cajun Connection out in Utica a GNR. Do yourself a favor, and take a trip out there, & talk to Cajun Ron, he is glad to share, he loves his craft.

http://www.ronscajunconnection.com

I do have to agree with your one point, there is nothing like makiing some gumbo, etouffee, etc at home on a fall/winter Sunday afternoon.

jimswside wrote:no good cajun/creole in Chicagoland?

I guess you have never been to Cajun Connection out in Utica. Do yourself a favor, and take a trip out there, & talk to Cajun Ron, he is glad to share, he loves his craft.

http://www.ronscajunconnection.com

In fairness to Da Beef, he did say that there was no good cajun/creole in Chicago (as opposed to Chicagoland), a sentiment with which I would largely agree. I would like to make it Cajun Connection one of these days if I have occasion to be out that way. Unfortunately, with two young children and a fairly busy schedule, a special trip just to go to Cajun Connection is probably not in the plans for me in the near future.

I agree with Will on Paulina's andouille. It tastes like what it is, a clumsily-spiced German take on that style of sausage. Interestingly enough, La Place, Louisiana, which is home of the Andouille Festival and the self-proclaimed "Andouille Capital of the World," is in a part of Louisiana known as the German coast and, at least according to this story, andouille was originally created in part by German immigrants.

Sausage makers in LaPlace say the local andouille prowess comes from the confluence of cultures in their community, part of the River Parishes region known as the German coast.

'Our andouille basically is a German sausage with a French influence, and LaPlace was settled by many Germans," explains David Rauch, owner of WJ's Smokehouse.

German immigrants arrived in the area in the 18th century, bringing their robust sausage making traditions with them, and they developed the regional andouille over the years with their French neighbors. In France, the sausage called andouille is made with tripe and chitterlings. But Louisiana's hybrid interpretation is a meaty mix of lean pork chunks, plenty of pepper and a whole lot of time in the smoker.

I usually head into the area around Lafayette for andouille on my semi-regular trips to Louisiana, but am going to try to hit up La Place over Thanksgiving. In terms of andouille in Chicago, I also agree with Will that the Thibodeaux product available at Treasure Island is about the best grocery store sausage you will find in Chicago. As an alternative, you can mail order from various places. I've had good success with Poche's Market in Breaux Bridge, a good source for tasso, andouille, boudin, other sausages, and various other Cajun specialties. While it's pricier per pound than what you would pay locally, I think it's worth it. Note that all prices include the cost of shipping, although you are required to order 10 pounds or more.

And Da Beef, here are some links to LTH threads regarding cajun/creole cooking (I'm sure there are many more):

Grits and Grillades

Crawfish Etouffee

Crawfish Bisque

matt, my bad.

I agree there definitely is a lack of even decent cajun food in Chicago proper, or the closer in burbs.

I sometimes forget to take into account others do not drive as much as I do. When you log about 900 miles a week commuting to and from work, a road trip of a couple hours for some food, and some fun is not an issue, I love to expose our 2 year old daughter to as much food as I can. Especially now that gas is under $2.00/gallon.

Inspired by this thread I am going to be making gumbo tomorrow while I sit around watching football, and enjoying time with the family.

Lagniappe isn't decent Cajun food?

Lagniappe--A Creole Cajun Joynt
1525 W. 79th, Chicago

nr706 wrote:Lagniappe isn't decent Cajun food?

Lagniappe--A Creole Cajun Joynt
1525 W. 79th, Chicago

I was not blown away by the food I had. Just one mans opinion though.

The gumbo I am maiing this weekend will be sausage, pork, and maybe I'll throw some shrimp in there. Of course a stove top - dark chocolate roux as a base. I also like to add gumbo file to my bowl before I eat it.

nr706 wrote:Lagniappe isn't decent Cajun food?

Lagniappe--A Creole Cajun Joynt
1525 W. 79th, Chicago

How recently have you gone? That place has the perception in my mind of service problems as well as ups and downs related to the food. If it was fairly recent, then maybe update the Lagniappe thread?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:

nr706 wrote:Lagniappe isn't decent Cajun food?

Lagniappe--A Creole Cajun Joynt
1525 W. 79th, Chicago

How recently have you gone? That place has the perception in my mind of service problems as well as ups and downs related to the food. If it was fairly recent, then maybe update the Lagniappe thread?

Regards,

it was late spring/early summer. I didnt even look for a thread on Lagniappe after the meal which is rare for me after a meal.

jimswside wrote:no good cajun/creole in Chicagoland?

I guess you have never been to Cajun Connection out in Utica a GNR. Do yourself a favor, and take a trip out there, & talk to Cajun Ron, he is glad to share, he loves his craft.

http://www.ronscajunconnection.com

I do have to agree with your one point, there is nothing like makiing some gumbo, etouffee, etc at home on a fall/winter Sunday afternoon.

I havent been to Ron's yet but it is and has been on top of my list since I first read about it on here. Drives dont bother me either, I go on food adventures almost too much, its just that there is nothing else out that way and if I was going to drive for a Cajun fix, I would go the extra 45 minutes to Madison to kill many birds with one stone.

Thanks for the links to those other recipes scattered throughout, they all look great but Im really intrigued by the grits and grillades, never seen that before. Ill be making that on a cold day this winter for sure.

Da Beef wrote:

jimswside wrote:no good cajun/creole in Chicagoland?

I guess you have never been to Cajun Connection out in Utica a GNR. Do yourself a favor, and take a trip out there, & talk to Cajun Ron, he is glad to share, he loves his craft.

http://www.ronscajunconnection.com

I do have to agree with your one point, there is nothing like makiing some gumbo, etouffee, etc at home on a fall/winter Sunday afternoon.

I havent been to Ron's yet but it is and has been on top of my list since I first read about it on here. Drives dont bother me either, I go on food adventures almost too much, its just that there is nothing else out that way and if I was going to drive for a Cajun fix, I would go the extra 45 minutes to Madison to kill many birds with one stone.

Thanks for the links to those other recipes scattered throughout, they all look great but Im really intrigued by the grits and grillades, never seen that before. Ill be making that on a cold day this winter for sure.

its all good,

either way thanks for the inspiration this thread gave for this weekend, I was just going to cook some typical items this weekend(soup, wings, etc.), but decided to bump up a big pot of gumbo(& maybe some etouffee) on my cooking schedule thanks to this thread.

jimswside wrote:its all good,

either way thanks for the inspiration this thread gave for this weekend, I was just going to cook some typical items this weekend(soup, wings, etc.)...

Even my quick and easy meals have been Cajun lately. Im on a binge that always seems to come as the temperature drops.


Some Cajun spiced grilled wings that I tossed in Cajun spiced melted butter along with some Tony Chachere's quick red beans and rice and some chicken andouille sausage from whole food's.

I rarely go to Whole Foods but I love there wings. Similar to the rosebud farms drumettes at S&VT but WFs always seems to have these available in the meat case.

Get yourself a copy of the great river road cookbook published by the baton rouge junior league. I bought mine at the airport but i am sure it is available on amazon. You will find lots of classic recipes in this book.

I havent schlepped out to Rons yet, but i have to disagree that you cannot find decent cajun food in chicago. The measure of cajun cooking (for me) is gumbo and the gumbo at heaven on seven is as good as anywhere. I know that Jimmy serves a lot of "cajun" recipes that he has made up and the place is knocked hard for being inauthentic but show me a place north of Monroe that isnt. Show me some real Boudin and braised nutria and we can talk about authentic cajun food. Otherwise it is all just a cartoon.

iblock9 wrote:Get yourself a copy of the great river road cookbook published by the baton rouge junior league. I bought mine at the airport but i am sure it is available on amazon. You will find lots of classic recipes in this book.

It's from 1959, originally, and some of the recipes are a hoot. Like a turkey, smoked for 36 hours, basted every hour (during the daytime) with a mix of 1 part each Coca-cola, vinegar and white wine. There's also a section called "How Men Cook" - unedited, because to do so "would have lost their charm."

iblock9 wrote: Show me some real Boudin and braised nutria and we can talk about authentic cajun food. Otherwise it is all just a cartoon.

Thanks for mentioning this. I attended a class on Cajun food when I was in New Orleans in April, and it was certainly not like what I was eating in the finer places in NOLA. It was dandy, but Lafayette (capital of Cajun country) is not the same as New Orleans.

However, I will add that, even without the food, I wanted to visit Lafayette after that class. I've never before seen people who can have so much fun just breathing as those Cajuns. Laughter is never more than a second away.

Spent my day yesterday putting together a gumbo for dinner.

Started with making stock from a whole chicken, chicken bones, and some veg(whole garlic,quartered onion, clerey, carrot, parsley. Simmered the stock for about 5 hours, and added on shrimp shells and shrimp heads from the shrimp I would add to my gumbo later for 30 mins.

Made a dark roux(took about 45 minutes of constant stirring) with flour, and peanut oil. Added my trinity(diced green peppers, diced celery, and diced onion) to the roux sauteed for a couple of mins and added in my stock. While I was doing this I had my cut up chicken in the oven for about 20 mins, and had my sausage on the stove top getting brown. I brought the roux stock mixture to a boil, and added the chicken, and sausage. Simmered about 45 mins, and then added the shelled shrimp for 10 mins. Ladled the rich gumbo over some rice, topped my bowl with some file', and enjoyed it with a couple pieces of bread. I'll have it again for lunch today.

jimswside wrote:Spent my day yesterday putting together a gumbo for dinner.

Sounds damn good. Any secrets or tips for when I try mine later this month when I have some time? Im thinking if I don't have a ticket for myself I am going to throw a big Cajun bash for the Thursday night bears-Saints game in December and will make a big pot of gumbo to go with some Abita's and hurricanes.

I tried another recipe from the nola cuisine site and was just as pleased with this one as I was the shrimp creole recipe. This great for gameday.

Roast Beef Po’ Boy with Debris Gravy Recipe


Final product

I pretty much followed it to the core except I added thinly sliced kosher pickles and a slice of cheddar on half of my sandwich. These were damn good, great for lunch or dinner. It really tasted up to par with roast beef po boy's I have had from NOLA and NOLA takeout. It was however not quite as good b/c I wasnt in New Orleans at an old school joint listening to some music and enjoying the vibe.

This morning reminded me of the beginning of a really bad novel. “ It was a dark and snowy morning in Chicago…”

I was in a bit of a quandary as to what to make for an office potluck on Monday. We have a big group these days and I was looking for something that would be economical, as well as good.

After some thought and in consideration of the dreariness of the day, I settled on something comforting and warm, a recipe for Jambalaya, the basis for which I had pulled years ago from a mini-cookbook that came within a cast iron dutch oven that I had long ago given away.

It is one of my weekend favorites that would just as well be suited to the football food thread as it is to the Cajun-Creole thread.

A few of notes here:

After having had this made with everything from smoked sausage to wannabe andouille, I have decided that it is best when made with a real hard smoked Cajun andouille. The Thibodeaux brand is locally available at Treasure Island. It’s the real thing, folks. Try it once and you’ll never be tempted to substitute kielbasa in a Cajun or creole recipe again.

Secondly, veering off of the path of authenticity, a few years ago, I was making this dish and was out of long grain rice. I did have a box of Arborio in the pantry, which I used in substitution, and it was fantastic. The fat grains of the Arborio bring a satisfying creaminess to this dish which sets off its moderate spice well.

The recipe calls for shrimp and oysters, as I was making this batch for a make ahead potluck, I opted to leave those two items out of this batch.

Classic Cajun Jambalaya

2 Tablespoons of rendered bacon fat
2/3 cup cubed, smoked ham
½ cup cubed andouille sausage
1 ½ cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
¾ cup chopped bell pepper
1 ½ tbsp minced garlic
½ cup uncooked chicken thighs cut in ½ in cube
1 Tbsp Louisiana Hot Sauce
2 Bay Leaves
1 ½ tsp Oregano
¾ tsp Thyme
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp white pepper
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 16 oz can whole tomatoes crushed by hand
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 Cups uncooked Arborio rice
1 ½ dozen medium shrimp (optional)
1 ½ dozen shucked oysters with liquor (optional)


The ingredients…mostly…there’s no Coffeemate in this recipe!

In a large stock pot, over medium heat, melt the bacon fat and brown the ham and andouille in it until the meat is seared and crisp, about 5-8 minutes, stirring often.


Mmmm. Pork cooked in bacon fat. I must have died and gone to heaven.

Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic and sautee until crisp tender, about 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to high, add the chicken, stirring regularly and cooking until chicken is done, about 5 minutes.


First the Trinity is cooked. Then the chicken thighs are added. This is all about layering flavors.

Reduce the heat back to medium, add the hot sauce, bay leaves, all other herbs and spices, cooking and stirring for three minutes to remove al browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the tomatoes and sauce, cooking for 7-10 more minutes so that the chicken is done,


Simmering the base to bring all of the flavors together.

Add the stock and bring it to a boil. Stir in the rice and return the pot to a boil once again.


The rice is added.

Once the pot reaches a boil, cover the pot and lower the heat to low, allowing the jambalaya to simmer for 20 minutes.

At 20 minutes, add the seafood to the top of the pot (do not stir it in). Then, remove the pot from the flame and allow it to sit covered for another 20 minutes so that the rice will continue to absorb any excess liquid.

Serve warm with chopped green onions as a garnish.


The final product!

Looks gorgeous, Will! If there's no CoffeeMate in the recipe, does that make it vegan jambalaya?

Da Beef wrote:

jimswside wrote:Spent my day yesterday putting together a gumbo for dinner.

Sounds damn good. Any secrets or tips for when I try mine later this month when I have some time? Im thinking if I don't have a ticket for myself I am going to throw a big Cajun bash for the Thursday night bears-Saints game in December and will make a big pot of gumbo to go with some Abita's and hurricanes.

I tried another recipe from the nola cuisine site and was just as pleased with this one as I was the shrimp creole recipe. This great for gameday.

Roast Beef Po’ Boy with Debris Gravy Recipe


Final product

I pretty much followed it to the core except I added thinly sliced kosher pickles and a slice of cheddar on half of my sandwich. These were damn good, great for lunch or dinner. It really tasted up to par with roast beef po boy's I have had from NOLA and NOLA takeout. It was however not quite as good b/c I wasnt in New Orleans at an old school joint listening to some music and enjoying the vibe.

somehow I missed your post, I say the most important things about gumbo are homemade chicken stock, I really liked mine this time with the shrimp heads and shells added. It gave it more depth. Also the roux, mine took 45 mins as I mnetioned, but it was the color of dark chocolate, and made the dish.

that roast beef po' boy looks awesome. I have to give that a try

Made shrimp creole last night for dinner.

I started out with a roux made with oil, bacon fat, and flour, and cooked the roux 20 minutes over medium heat until it was a deep reddish brown color. I then added my chopped celery, onion, garlic, green pepper, & green onion, and sauteed them for 15 minutes. I then added a chicken stock that I infused with 4 lbs of shrimp shells, a can of whole tomatoes chopped, a can of tomato paste, a can of tomato sauce, thyme, salt, pepper, a little gumbo file, and a can of beer. I simmered this mixtire for 1 hour, then added some Shark brand Srirachi sauce, parsley, and the peeled & deveined shrimp. Simmered about 5 minutes, and served over medium grain white rice. We also had a salad, and some warm bread. A perfect meal for a cold winter night.

I guess I'm not as offended by Paulina's andouille as some. I recently purchased some of Paulina's andouille (I've also purchased it in the past) and some of the Thibodeaux brand from Treasure Island (first try). I thought Paulina's was a little smokier, Thibodeaux a little spicier. I slightly preferred the flavor and texture of Thibodeaux but I really liked both quite a bit. I basically just fried up some in a pan and served them with a little creole mustard. I also made a large pot of gumbo . . . perfect for the weather of late.

Another Winter Saturday watching football, and another cajun craving. This time Pork and Sausage Jambalaya.

I only had Kilbasa on hand, an couldnt get to my usual source for Andoullie, so I had to make do. I cubed the Kilbasa, & pork loin. I diced green pepper, onion, garlic, and celery, as well as some green onions and parsley.

I cooked the pork for about 20 mins in the oil, and then added the sausage for about 10 minutes. The bottom of the pan was dark with flavor. I then added the garlic, celery, onion, and green pepper, and sauteed them for about 10 minutes. Next came the 8 cups of stock & 2 tbsp tomato sauce, black pepper, a bay leaf, some thyme, and a splach or two of Crystal. I brought this mixture to a boil, I simmered about 15 minutes, and then added the 4 cups of uncooked rice, the green onion, and parsley. I turned the heat all the way down, and let it cook for about an hour, stirring ever 10-15 mins.

I was pleased with the end result. Topped mine with some jalapenos, and Melinda's, and served it with a sald, and bread and butter.

Finished product:



Pork, sausage, green pepper, onion, garlic & celery:



Pork & sausage:



My knife work:

In anticipation of Fat Tuesday, I pulled out a Chef Paul Prudhomme cookbook, searching for a dish for tonight, and perhaps some leftovers for Tuesday.

I decided on Meatballs in brown gravy served over rice, & served with a side of spaghetti and red sauce(per Chef Prudhomme). I will make a Neoplotian Ragu for the red sauce for the spaghetti. I may turn the leftover meatballs and gravy into meatball Po'boys for Tuesday night as Chef Prudhomme recommends in his cook book.

I will post pics of the preperation of the meatballs as well as the neoploitan ragu later.

Prudhomme has an excellent cookbook with reduced fat recipes that he verified in his kitchen so they actually work. It is entitled 'Fork in the Road'. He browns flour in a frypan and that is used as the basis for a nonfat roux. It actually works.
Of course my standard for creole is Commander's Palace and if you can't be there then they have two cookbooks on the market which are well worth obtaining. Even Commanders has cut down on the fat in its recipes.
After that, the best way to learn is to eat in and around NOLA but as with all things, some of the local ingrediants just do not travel and/or are not that easy to obtain in the MidWest.-Dick

Chef Prudhommes meatballs and gravy were excellent. Probably the best I have made. Juicy, and full of flavor. THe one twist I had never used was wetting the slices of white bread, and squeezing out the water before putting the bread in the ground chuck mixture. I usually use bread crumbs. Also the addition of the Texas Pete peppers in vinegar gave the meatballs a nice kick. I forgot to take a picture of the finished gravy which turned out dark, and rich after making a dark roux from the browned bits, and oil the meatballs were cooked in.

My Neopolitan Ragu also turned out excellent, I used pork necks as my meat choice, along with some diced prosciutto. Simmered for 4+ hours it was thick, and rich.