Plates & Places: Mardi Gras Cajun Cuisine

Fat Tuesday is next week!!! Laissez les bons temps rouler!!!! And the good times begins with the food. I have just what you need for your Fat Tuesday celebration. Now don't let the number of ingredients in the recipes scare you....ALL of these dishes are so easy to prepare...and so worth it. The flavor is incomparible!

Cajun Jambalaya
Serves:4 servings

Ingredients
• 12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
• 4 ounces chicken, diced
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 3/4 cup rice
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced
• Salt and pepper

Directions
In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

Shrimp Etouffee
Serves:6 to 8 as a main course, or 10 to 12 as part of a buffet

Ingredients
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra flour, optional
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more if desired
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 cup minced green onions, plus extra for garnish
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• 2 to 3 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 1 (8-ounce) can clam juice
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes (recommended: Ro'tel)
• Salt (Cajun seasoning has salt already)
• 2 pounds small or medium shrimp peeled and deveined (recommended: (31/35 size count)
• 1/2 stick butter
• Rice, optional
• Diced green onions, for garnish

Directions
Note: To make roux, use oil instead of butter, because butter burns
Make the roux, mix oil and flour in a large heavy saucepan over low heat. Whisk flour into the oil to form a paste. Continue cooking over low heat and whisk continuously, until the mixture turns a caramel color and gives off a nutty aroma, about 15 to 20 minutes. To the roux, add the onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic and cook over low heat about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are limp. Add the black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, green onions, parsley, and hot sauce to taste. Add 1 can clam juice and the tomatoes with their juice, stir to blend. Add the salt, starting with 1 teaspoon, then add more if needed. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add shrimp and stir. It will take about 3 minutes for shrimp to cook, don't overcook. Remove from heat. Add the butter and stir; the heat from the dish will melt the butter. Transfer the etouffee to a tureen, serving bowl, or if you prefer, over rice. Garnish with the green onions.

SHELLFISH Warning: Consumption of raw or undercooked shellfish may substantially increase the risk of food borne illness.

Here are some more of my favorite Cajun recipes......Authentic Cajun Cuisine. You'll be making LOTS of friends.

Dassau’s Authentic Gumbo (The Best We’ve had!)