New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- 4 pounds unpeeled, large fresh shrimp or 6 pounds shrimp with heads on
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup chili sauce
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 lemons, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- French bread
How to Make It
- Place shrimp in a bowl.
- Combine butter and next 12 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until butter melts, and pour over shrimp. Cover and chill 1 hour.
- Place shrimp on a 325 degree grill and cook until pink flipping once.
- Serve with bread and butter
JAMBALAYA
Tield 2 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 3/4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 pound andouille sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1/4 small bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1/2 rib celery, diced
- 1/4 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/4 white onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 4 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1/2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup thinly-sliced okra
- Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- optional garnishes: chopped fresh parsley, thinly-sliced green onions, hot sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat 1/4 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken and sausage and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sausage is lightly browned.
- Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the stock pot.
- Add bell pepper, celery, jalapeño, onion and garlic.
- Sauté for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, rice, Cajun seasoning, thyme, cayenne, bay leaf, and stir to combine.
- Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is nearly cooked through, stirring every 5 minutes or so along the way so that the rice does not burn.
- Add the shrimp, okra, and stir to combine.
- Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through and pink.
- Stir in the chicken and sausage, and remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Taste season the jambalaya with salt, pepper, and additional Cajun seasoning if needed.
- Remove from heat.
- Serve warm with your desired garnishes.
RED BEANS AND RICE
yield: 6-8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, salt-free
- 3 (15-ounce) cans red beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
DIRECTIONS:
- In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, add sausage, and cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes; set aside.
- Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, garlic and Cajun seasoning until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in red beans, chicken stock, hot sauce, bay leaf and sausage; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover; continue to simmer until reduced, an additional 15 minutes.
- Using a wooden spoon, mash beans until slightly thickened, if desired; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, topped with rice and garnished with parsley, if desired.
Mardi Gras King Cake
Servings:16 servings, 2 cakes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ⅔ cup warm water (110 degrees F)
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs for egg wash
FILLING:
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup melted butter
- FROSTING:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
Directions
- Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
- When yeast mixture is bubbling, add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Make Filling:
- Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup raisins. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.
- Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10×16 inches or so). Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the wide side. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. With a sharp knife make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Brush with egg wash.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake. Frost while warm with the confectioners’ sugar blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
French Baguettes
Makes 2 baguettes
Ingredients
- 1 cup water at 100 degrees
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water
Directions
- Place 1 cup water, sugar, and yeast into a bowl and gently stir to dissolve yeast
- Allow mixture to sit until bubbly around 10 minutes.
- Mix flour and salt together.
- In a bowl combine flour mixture and yeast mixture to form a dough. Knead for about two minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in lightly greased bowl.
- Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
- Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 16×12 inch rectangle. Cut dough in half, creating two 8×12 inch rectangles.
- Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 12 inch side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper end. Place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.
- Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 inches, or make one lengthwise slash on each loaf. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of loaves.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.