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I just finished making a batch of Creole Cream Cheese Ice Cream from my newly finished batch of Creole Cream Cheese; frozen heaven, no kidding. There is no better way to describe it than Cheescake reincarnated as Ice Cream, cold creamy decadence. I used the Commander’s Palace recipe with just a few changes. The only mistake I made in making this was making too small of a batch, this makes about 1 quart. Here it is:

Creole Cream Cheese Ice Cream Recipe

1 Cup Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Whole Milk
2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
6 Large Egg Yolks
2/3 Cup Creole Cream Cheese
1/3 Cup good quality Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche

Combine the Cream, Milk, Sugar, and Vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the mixture just starts to boil, remove from the heat. Put the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl, then temper the yolks with a little of the milk mixture. Combine the two mixtures. then return them to the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook the custard until it coats the back of a wooden spoon, 2-4 minutes, DO NOT BOIL. Strain into a mixing bowl and refrigerate until chilled, at least a few hours (you want it very cold before it enters the ice cream machine). Meanwhile, combine the Creole Cream Cheese and Sour Cream then put them through a fine mesh sieve, mashing them through with the back of a wooden spoon. When the custard is cold, fold in the Creole Cream Cheese and Sour Cream. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve as is or freeze overnight for a firmer ice cream.

Makes 1 Quart (You’ll wish you had doubled it! My Creole Cream Cheese Recipe makes enough for a double batch of Ice Cream.)

This ice cream would go great with a fruit sauce, just like cheesecake; strawberry, cherry, you name it. But I prefer it all by itself.

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Now that I’ve given my basic recipe for Creole Sauce, here are some examples of its versatility within NOLA Cuisine. Keep in mind, my recipe for Creole Sauce is pretty small, 2-3 servings.

Catfish Courtbouillon (COO-B-yawn) Creole Sauce made with Dark Roux and Seafood stock. Simmer the sauce with 4-5 lemon slices, add Catfish cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. For my small recipe I would use about an 8-10 oz. Piece of Catfish. Serve over Creole Boiled Rice.

Grillades & Grits (GREE-yahds) Creole Sauce made with dark roux and beef, veal or pork stock. I use Round Steak 1 lb. cut into 2 inch squares about 1/2 inch thick. Dredge the Grillades in flour mixed with Creole seasoning. Heat about 3 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil in a dutch oven until almost smoking, brown them very well (in batches if necessary). Cover the Grillades with Creole Sauce, add a little water or beef stock to make it slightly thin, the sauce will reduce while cooking. Simmer for about 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Serve over Grits.

Sauce Piquant This is a Cajun sauce which can contain almost any varmint imaginable. Alligator, Turtle, Squirrel, Rabbit, Shrimp, Chicken, Crawfish, et cetera. This is basically Creole sauce which is very, very hot; which makes it a Cajun Sauce. I would add about 1/4 cup hot peppers (Jalapenos if they’re hot ones (they’re not as hot as they used to be), or Serranos) for my small Creole Sauce recipe. Make it with a comparable stock to the main ingredient. Make it similar to the Courtbouillon. I don’t usually use a thickening agent for this sauce, if I do its a Dark Roux. Serve this dish over rice.

Shrimp Creole Make your Creole Sauce with Shrimp stock. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to find heads on shrimp, do so. Simmer the shrimp (about a pound) in the sauce until just cooked through, serve immediately over rice with plenty of sauce.

Creole Choron Sauce This sauce goes great with seafood, particularly Soft Shell Crab. Equal parts Creole Sauce & Bearnaise Sauce mixed together.

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From Nola Cuisine Images – (reedited)

Creole Sauce is extremely verstile in NOLA Cuisine and Louisiana cooking in general. It is the basis for so many dishes, when you come right down to it, with just slight variations for each, so I’m going to try to break this down as I see it, but first things first. My recipe for Creole Sauce. This is a loose recipe, keep in mind everyone has their own, whether they call it Red Gravy, Creole Tomato Sauce, Sauce Piquant (which isn’t exactly the same but darned similar), but they all contain the same basic ingredients:

Tomatoes, Holy Trinity (Onion, Celery, Bell Pepper), Garlic, Some kind of Stock (usually chicken, more on this later), Cayenne, Hot Sauce, Bay Leaf, Seasonings (Salt & pepper or maybe a Creole seasoning, almost always Thyme), Green Onions and Parsley.

These are what I consider the basics for a Creole Sauce. Here is how I make a small batch (it’s usually just my wife and I, so this makes enough for dinner and a little left over for use in another recipe) of basic Creole Sauce:

Creole Sauce Recipe

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Julienned
2 Stalks Celery, Julienned
1 small Bell Pepper, Julienned
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 Can Diced Tomatoes (14 1/2 oz.) or Same amount Fresh from the Garden
Stock to cover, about 2 cups
2 Fresh Bay leaves
Salt, Black Pepper, Thyme (dried), Cayenne, White Pepper all To Taste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Hot Sauce, To Taste (I use Crystal Hot Sauce)
2 Tbsp Flat Leaf Parsley, Chopped
3 Thinly sliced Green Onions
Corn Starch Slurry (2 Tbsp. Corn starch/2 Tbsp Water) or Dark Roux
depending on the dish.
**Note** If you don’t want to use a thickening agent, simply reduce the sauce until it is the correct consistency.

Heat the oil over medium heat, add the Trinity and saute until slightly wilted. Add the Garlic and Tomatoes and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Cover with the stock by 1/2 inch, add Bay Leaves and a small amount of seasoning, bring to a boil; lower to a simmer. If using Roux, add at this point. Not too much, maybe 1-2 Tablespoons. If it gets too thick, add a little more stock or water. It should be loose but not too watery. Simmer about 20 minutes. Add the seasonings and Hot sauce to taste. Add the Worcestershire Sauce, Parsley and Green Onions. If using the slurry, Bring to a boil then add the slurry, a little at a time until it is the right consistency. It should be tight, but not watery. Not too thick, not too thin. Remove the Bay leaves.

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A lot of Acadian and Creole recipes start this way. Roux is the foundation for most dishes in NOLA Cuisine: Gumbo, Crawfish Pie, Courtbouillon (COO-be-yon), Grillades, etc… Making a good Roux is essential! This isn’t the French Roux, I’m talking about here! This is the Acadian Roux, that deep chocolate colored Roux that makes Gumbo what it is! I like cookbooks with some history in them, you know, where the dish came from, the evolution, that sort of thing. Cajun & Creole Cookbooks are great for this, the first recipe I read when I get a new one is ROUX. Usually Chapter One. It’s fascinating how something as simple as cooked flour and fat, can be so different in each cookbook. I don’t always cook my Roux the same, I like to experiment. One thing that I do differently than a lot of cookbooks is, not only do I cook the roux in advance, but I add it after the liquid. I find that I have more control over the consistency of the dish this way, especially if I’m making a huge batch of a Gumbo or Soup. Just remember, only add cold roux to hot liquid, or cold liquid to hot roux. Also, Roux doesn’t come to its full thickening power until it boils, and Dark Roux doesn’t have as much thickening power as a White Roux. If you do make your Roux ahead, it keeps well in the fridge for a long time. Anyway, here is the latest way that I made my roux:

1 Cup Homemade Rendered Lard (Hey, what can I say? Lard has the best flavor! You can use Vegetable Oil though.)
1 3/4 Cup A.P. Flour ( I always gradually add the flour, you may need more or less. It should be thick, but not clumpy)
1 or 2 Bottles of Good quality Beer, like Dixie or Abita (optional)

Heat you lard over Medium Heat until good and hot, while the oil is heating, open a beer. Gradually whisk in your flour until smooth. At this time, I generally switch to a wooden spoon, it gets into the crevices better; take a sip of beer. You want to stir constantly, but not too fast, this is a southern dish. Slow down, have some beer. Picture a streetcar lazily lumbering down St. Charles Avenue. I can remember my mentor Chef watching as I whisked my Roux as if it were a bowl of egg whites. He said, “What are you doing? Let it cook! If you stir too fast, it cools down. It needs to cook!” I always think of that when I make Roux. However, you do want to keep that Roux movin’. If it starts getting too brown as you stir, pull that baby of the burner for a minute, lower the heat a smidge, and For God’s sake, Don’t splash it on your skin, Chef Paul calls it Cajun Napalm, you’ll know what he means if it gets you. I gradually lower the heat as I cook Roux. Anyway, after about 10-12 minutes on the streetcar, the roux will start to look like wet sand, peanut butter colored. Drink some beer (I failed to mention, every shade of brown the roux turns, you should have a gulp of beer). Take it nice and slow, turning the heat down if necessary, opening another beer if necessary. In about 10-12 more minutes, Your Roux will look like milk chocolate. This is where I get off the streetcar, a lot of cooks take it further down the line, but this is my stop. I then let it cool at room temperature for awhile, then cover and chill.

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From Nola Cuisine

Another staple in my kitchen is a good Creole Seasoning. A lot of folks use Tony Chachere’s, or Chef Paul’s, but I like to make my own, it’s easy if you have all the spices on hand, plus you have control over the heat and salinity. One of the many things I like about Paul Prudhomme’s Cookbooks, is that he gives a seasoning mix recipe for each dish. He always uses 3 peppers in every seasoning: Black, White, and Cayenne, because they all touch a different place on your tongue. What I like to do is make a base seasoning which I can add on to for each dish. For instance, if I want a Southwest seasoning, I add cumin, chipotle, and ancho chili powder. You can also omit the salt if you prefer. This is a my basic Creole Seasoning Recipe:

My Creole Seasoning Recipe

1/2 Cup Kosher Salt
1/3 Cup Paprika
1/4 Cup Granulated Garlic
4 Tbsp Onion Powder
1/3 Cup Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 Tbsp White Pepper
2 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
2 Tbsp Dried Thyme
2 Tbsp Dried Basil
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano

Combine all ingredients and place in an airtight jar or plastic container.

Makes about 10 oz.

Be sure and check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes which links to all of the recipes featured on this site!

Related Posts:

Barbecue Rub Recipe
Homemade File Powder Recipe

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Whenever I make this homemade Worcestershire Sauce I let it age for at least 2 weeks before using. You can use it in place of Lea & Perrins or other any other commercial Worcestershire Sauce. It has a unique flavor that is sweeter, thicker, and spicier than the store bought variety. It’s wonderful in marinades! I adapted this recipe from the Commander’s Kitchen Cookbook. Tamarind (or Tamarindo) is a pod fruit native to tropical Africa and not so native to most grocery stores. I’ve found it jarred in paste form in Indian markets and fresh in one really great produce market. The paste is more convenient, but I like working with exotic fresh ingredients, so I’ve used both.

Homemade Worcestershire Sauce

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Medium Onions, Chopped
5 Serrano or Jalapeno Chilies, Chopped
10 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns
2 oz. Anchovy Fillets
4 Cups Water
2 Quarts Distilled White Vinegar
2 Cups Steen’s 100% Pure Cane Syrup
2 Cups Dark Corn Syrup
1 Cup Molasses
1 tsp. Whole Cloves
2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
2 Peeled and Chopped Lemons
3 Tbsp Tamarind Paste
1/2 lb Fresh Horseradish, Peeled & Grated

Combine the Oil, Onions, Chilies, and Garlic in a Heavy Dutch Oven (I pefer Cast Iron), saute until the Onions are slightly softened. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then down to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 3 hours. Strain. Refrigerate.

**If you like, put this in sterilized mason jars, screw on hot lids tightly, and place in a hot water bath, covering the jars by 1 inch. Boil for 15 minutes then remove and let cool. Check the seals, tighten the lids. Keep in a cool, dark place indefinitely. Refrigerate after opening.

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The kind of rice I enjoy with Gumbos, Red Beans, Etouffee, etc., a lot of NoLA Cuisine dishes, is Creole Boilied Rice. I like it because the grains stay seperate from one another, essentially, they let the main dish be the dish. Not that the rice is second fiddle, in fact, if your rice is terrible, it will ruin the whole dish. When I have a pot of Red Beans on the stove, my Rice is as important as my Beans, which means, Very important! I take Red Beans & Rice very seriously. Well, not too seriously, nothing should be too serious, but let’s just say I hold them in high esteem (more on Red Beans later). Anyway, this is a great, simple, Accompaniment Rice. Not great because it’s simple, just great! The simple water/rice ratio is:

1 quart of Boiling water / 1 cup of Rice

The goal here is not to absorb all of the liquid into the rice like most recipes. The goal is to make the rice tender, then drain the rice! Think Pasta. I use Basmati or Jasmine Rice. Here is my recipe!

Creole Boiled Rice

1 quart of Boiling Water
1 Cup Basmati or Jasmine Rice
2 Fresh Bay Leaves (If you have to use dried, do so, but damn….. the fresh are so much better!)
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter (Optional)

Bring the water to a boil with the Bay leaves. Add the salt. Add the rice, stir to make sure the rice doesn’t stick! Do Not Stir again! If you agitate the rice too much, it gets sticky! So give it a good stir, when it comes back to a boil, partially cover it. Cook for about 11 minutes, but taste it, don’t trust me! It should have some bite, but a crunch is bad, Call it Al Dente, like I said, think Pasta. When it’s tender, drain it, pluck out the bay leaves, and if desired, place it into a 400 degree oven with the butter patted on top for about 15 minutes; this helps dry the rice out.

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