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Bearnaise Sauce is wonderful on most types of seafood, and equally as good on meats and poultry.
In his Les Halles Cookbook Anthony Bourdain said something like, “Bearnaise can smell fear.” It’s true! If you haven’t made it before, be confident and pay attention, or the sauce will break on you. Pay careful attention to the bowl the sauce is in, if you need a towel to hold it, it’s probably too hot. You will learn an instinct as to when to pull the bowl from the heat after making it quite a few times.
In my humble opinion the best way to learn this sauce is to really mess it up once, you’ll make it right every time afterward.

Bearnaise Sauce Recipe

2 tsp Tarragon Vinegar
2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
3 Egg Yolks
2 tsp Finely Chopped Tarragon
1/2 Cup Clarified Butter, warm
Kosher Salt & Cayenne Pepper
1 Dash Hot Sauce
A few drops Worcestershire Sauce

Place the vinegar, lemon juice, and egg yolks in the top deck of a double boiler. The water in the lower deck should be hot but not boiling.
Whisk slowly until you see the yolks start to coagulate on the sides. If the pan gets too hot, remove it from the heat for a minute, whisking constantly.
Whisk while cooking, minding the bowl temperature, until the yolks are lighter in color and do not leave yellow streaks when the whisk goes through them. If you see any signs of scrambling, remove the bowl from the heat.
When the yolk/acid mixture is good and thick, remove from the heat, add the Tarragon, and slowly drizzle in the clarified butter, whisking constantly, until incorporated.
Add the hot and worcestershire sauces, and season to taste with the salt & cayenne. I also like to add a squeeze more of lemon juice here also.

If the sauce is a little too thick, you can thin it down with a few splashes of hot water.

Makes about 2/3 Cup

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Here is my version of a Creole Mustard Vinaigrette, which I love for an accompaniment salad for Red Beans & Rice.
Creole Mustard can be found most anywhere these days, Zatarain’s makes a good one which is widely available. If you do need to substitute, use a good quality coarse ground mustard and add a touch of prepared horseradish.

Creole Mustard Vinaigrette Recipe

3 Tablespoons Creole Mustard (I like Zatarain’s)
2 Tablespoons Thinly Sliced Green Onions
2 teaspoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
Cayenne and Kosher Salt to taste

Whisk this up.

While whisking, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of Vegetable or Canola oil until emulsified.

Makes a little over a 1/2 Cup.

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From Nola Cuisine Images – (reedited)

I think I’ve made my affection for Red Beans & Rice abundantly clear, and this soup is just as near and dear to my heart. All of the wonderful flavors of a pot of Red Beans in soup form, fantastic!
I use Pickle Meat in my recipe, because Red Beans without it, standard or in soup form, just isn’t quite right to me without the acidity that the Pickle Meat lends. I also used sliced Andouille, and I just can’t tell you how wonderful that last batch tastes.

Red Bean Soup Recipe

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
1 Cup Onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Bell Pepper, chopped
1/4 Cup Celery, Chopped
1 Cup Andouille Sausage, thinly sliced
1/2 lb Small Red Kidney Beans (soaked overnight or for at least a few hours)
1 Cup Pickle Meat, Cubed
1 Tbsp Fresh Garlic, Minced
10 Cups Chicken Stock (You could certainly use water)
3 Fresh Bay Leaves
1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce
1 Tbsp Italian Parsley, Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup Green Onions, thinly sliced on the bias
Hot Sauce to taste
Worcestershire Sauce to taste

Mix together the Holy Trinity (Onions, Celery, Bell Pepper). Drain the beans.
Melt the butter over medium heat.
Add 3/4 of the Holy Trinity, 1 Tbsp of the Creole Seasoning, turn the heat to medium high. Cook this for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to get some color.
Add the beans and cook stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, or until the liquid from the vegetables is absorbed.
Add the Chicken Stock or Water, Pickle Meat, Andouille, Garlic, Bay Leaves, the remaining Trinity and Creole Seasoning. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let this simmer for 2- 2 1/2 Hours.
After the beans have cooked for two hours, add the Tomato Sauce, Parsley, Hot Sauce, Worcestershire, and 1/2 of the Green Onions. Cook the beans for another half hour. Puree 1/3 of the soup, being sure to avoid any pieces of Andouille, and bay leaves.

As is the case with most soups, if you make this a day ahead, the flavors will be immensely better. Add additional stock or water if necessary, it should not be too thick.

To Serve:
Remove the Bay Leaves. Serve with good crusty French Bread, and your favorite ice cold beer.

Other Red Bean Recipes:

Red Beans & Rice (with Andouille & Tasso)
Red Beans & Rice with Pickle Meat and Fried Pork Chops

Other Soup Recipes:

Pumpkin Soup with Andouille & Tasso
Turtle Soup Recipe

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From Nola Cuisine

I based this on Austin Leslie‘s recipe from the book Creole Feast by Nathaniel Burton, they were absolutely delicious. I recommend par cooking the bell peppers to shorten the baking time.

Creole Stuffed Peppers Recipe in the style of Austin Leslie

2 Sticks Margarine (not butter)
1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
1 Large Rib Celery, finely chopped
4 Sprigs Parsley, Finely Chopped
1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme leaves
1/2 lb Ground Beef
1/2 lb Small Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 Loaf, Stale French Bread (moistened, excess water squeezed out)
3 Eggs
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
1 Large Garlic Clove, minced
2 Large or 3 Small Green Bell Peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and stems carefully trimmed away.

The Topping:
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs
3 Tbsp Margarine, Melted

Preheat an oven to 350º F.

Melt the margarine in a large skillet. Add the onions, celery, parsley, and thyme. Season with a little salt & pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender.
Add the beef and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking up the meat, lightly season again.
Add the shrimp and cook until just cooked through. Remove from the heat.
When cool enough to handle work the bread into the mixture with your hands as you would for meatballs, or meatloaf. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary.
Incorporate the eggs and garlic.
Place the stuffing in a lightly greased oven safe dish, bake for 1½ hours.
Remove the stuffing and chill. If any fat settles on the top remove it.

Mix the bread crumbs with 3 Tbsp melted margarine, season with a little salt & pepper.

Par cook the halved bell peppers in boiling water until slightly tender. Stuff with a generous amount of the filling and top with the breadcrumb mixture.
Broil on low for 15-20 minutes, or until the stuffing is heated through and the bread crumbs are slightly browned.

More on Austin Leslie:

Great Chefs of New Orleans: Austin Leslie
Austin Leslie’s Fried Chicken Recipe

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From Nola Cuisine

This one is for my buddy M.A. Sample over at The Wreckroom, I know it’s one of his favorites; his wife S.A. makes a mean Po’ Boy as well.
I am forever on a quest for a good New Orleans French Bread recipe or substitute, this bread was an okay stand-in to scratch that Po’ Boy itch, but it’s just not the same. As I’ve said in the past, when it comes to Po’ Boys, the bread is really the star of the show. This one wasn’t exact, but somewhat similar, soft on the inside and a nice crisp crust.
There are a few restaurants here in Michigan that could make a half-way decent Po’ Boy, if they just wouldn’t mess with it so much. One place uses Cole Slaw, another puts cocktail sauce on it!!?? Come on man, now you’re just being silly! No Remoulade sauce, no Chipotle mayonnaise, just a dressed Po’ Boy! You’re killing me!
I’ll bet if someone opened a straight up Po’ Boy shop in the right location here in Michigan, they would clean up! The restaurants that serve them here try to make it Gourmet, I just want to grab ’em and shake ’em! It’s called a Po’ Boy, knock it off already! Mayonnaise, Mustard, Shredded Lettuce, Pickles, sometimes Tomato, Filling, hot sauce on the table. Nothing fancy, and the messier the better.
I’ve been experimenting around recently with something I saw Mario Batali use. He used Wondra flour to fry some things, saying it gives a crispier final product. I have to say, I’m sold after the ultra- crispy Shrimp I just fried up. Wondra flour (Gold Medal brand) is found in the baking aisle, it’s what is known as an instant flour, produced to thicken sauces and gravies. You can use just plain old All Purpose flour in place of it in this recipe.
Here is my Fried Shrimp Po’ Boy recipe:

Fried Shrimp Po’ Boy Recipe

1 10-12″ long piece of New Orleans Style French Bread
4 Tbsp Mayonnaise
3 Tbsp Creole Mustard (Zatarain’s makes a good widely available Creole Mustard. I’m actually working on a recipe for Homemade Creole Mustard.)
Pickle Slices
3/4 Cup Shredded Lettuce
Tomato Slices (Optional)
Fried Shrimp for Filling (Recipe below)

Slice the bread in half horizontally, I also like to give it a minute or two in the oven to crisp up the crust.

Spread the Mayonnaise on the inside of the bottom portion of the bread, spread the Creole Mustard on the inside of the Top portion, and a layer of Mayonnaise on top of that. Spread you lettuce on the bottom portion of bread, then your pickles and Tomatoes (if using). Top with the Fried Shrimp, and put the lid on. Cut the Po’ Boy in half if desired.
Serve with an ice-cold Beer (like Dixie, Abita Amber, or your personal favorite) and kettle style Potato chips (like Zapp’s). Put some hot sauce on the table and enjoy.
**Note**I cracked into my remaining Dixie Beer stash for this sandwich, I have 12 left.

Makes 1 Sandwich

Fried Shrimp for a Po’ Boy

2 1/2 Cups Vegetable Oil for Frying
1/2 Cup Wondra Flour
Coating:
1/4 Cup Wondra Flour
1/2 Cup Corn Flour

2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning, in all
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Water
1/2 Pound Peeled & Deveined Medium Shrimp

Heat the oil to 360 degrees in a 2 qt. saucepan.
Season 1/2 Cup of the Wondra flour with 1 Tbsp Creole Seasoning in a bowl.
In another bowl, Mix the egg well with 2 Tbsp of water, and 1 tsp Creole Seasoning.
In another bowl, Mix the Corn flour, Wondra Flour and the remaining Creole Seasoning.

Dredge the shrimp in the seasoned flour, then the egg wash, then the corn/wondra flour mixture. Fry in batches in the 360 degree oil until just golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan, and let the oil come back to temperature before frying another batch.

More Sandwich Recipes at Nola Cuisine:

Roast Beef Po’ Boy with Debris Gravy
The Muffuletta

More Seafood Recipes:

Oysters Bienville
Shrimp Remoulade

Related links:
Po’ Boy Pics at Egullet

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This is a wonderful cocktail for the Christmas Holiday, and especially for brunch, if you’re into that sort of thing. This is kind of an eggless, Egg Nog, and I really like the consistency, not too thick, not too thin. I used to make a whole pitcher of this for our annual Christmas party, but now I just make them to order as I’ve done here. You could also substitute Brandy for the Bourbon. The Recipe:

Bourbon Milk Punch Recipe

2 oz. Good Quality Bourbon (I like Maker’s Mark)
A dash of Vanilla Extract
1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
1 oz. Heavy Cream
2 oz. Whole Milk
1/4 of 1 Egg White

Add the contents to a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Shake until good and frothy. Serve in a frosted glass. Garnish with:

Freshly Grated Nutmeg

Makes 1 Cocktail.

Other New Orleans Cocktail Recipes at Nola Cuisine:

The Sazerac

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From Nola Cuisine

Shrimp Remoulade (pronounced ruma-lahd) is a wonderful first coarse cold appetizer. Any good Remoulade sauce has a full flavored zip that really gets your taste buds jumping for the following courses.
Of course, the most important thing about this dish is the Shrimp. There is nothing worse than bland, overcooked Shrimp, so I’ve included my boiled cocktail shrimp recipe (which is actually more of a technique.)
As far as the best Shrimp Remoulade in New Orleans, I’ll leave that up to you and the comments section, as always, your comments welcomed and appreciated!
One Remoulade Sauce that I had in the city was at Arnaud’s, which is famous for it’s Remoulade variation, called Shrimp Arnaud. Personally, I think their sauce is too heavy on the horseradish, and I’m a guy that likes his horseradish. I prefer a balance of flavors, and all I took away from the Arnaud’s Sauce was nostril flare, but that’s just me.
There are two types of Remoulade sauces in Louisiana, and probably a million recipes for each. One is a white, mayonnaise and mustard based style, similar to the traditional French used for the Bistro classic Celeriac Remoulade.
The other is a red version, the version I prefer, and the one which is below. Make this sauce the day before serving to let the flavors get to know each other. I also like to bring the sauce to cool room temperature, which really brings out more flavor than when it’s right out of the refrigerator. The Recipe:

Remoulade Sauce Recipe

1 Large Rib Celery, Chopped
2 Green Onions, Chopped
1 Garlic Clove, Chopped
1 Tbsp Italian Parsley, Finely Chopped
2 Tbsp Creole Mustard
2 Tbsp Paprika
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Prepared Horseradish
2 tsp Hot Sauce (I use Crystal)
2 Tbsp Ketchup
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper To Taste
1/2 tsp Cayenne or to taste

Combine the above ingredients in a food processor, process until smooth. With the motor still running, slowly drizzle in:

1 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

The emulsion should be fairly thick. Adjust the seasonings and refrigerate overnight.

For the Shrimp, I used a 16/20 Count Shrimp. When cooking Cocktail Shrimp it’s important to leave the shells on, both for flavor and to prevent the shrimp from curling up too much. I don’t cook these long at all, it’s actually more of a steep. This is recipe is for a small portion:

Boiled Shrimp Recipe

1 tsp Mustard Seed
1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns
3 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Cayenne
2 Fresh Bay Leaves
1 Rib Celery Chopped
1 tsp Whole Allspice
5 Whole Cloves
1/2 of 1 Lemon
6 Cups Water

Combine the ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 20-30 minutes. Prepare an ice bath, call it 6 cups ice and 6 cups cold water. Return the liquid to a boil. Add:

12-16 Shrimp (16/20 Ct)

Turn off the heat. Wait 2 minutes (make sure the Shrimp are white all the way through), then remove them to the ice bath. When they’re completely cooled, remove the shell, keeping the tail intact, then devein.

Coat the shrimp in a small amount of the sauce and marinate for about 15-20 minutes.

To serve the Shrimp Remoulade, cover the base of 2 chilled appetizer or salad plates with shredded lettuce. Tastefully arrange the shrimp on top of the lettuce, 6 per plate, and garnish with green onions, thinly sliced on the bias.

Serves 2.

Related Posts:
Homemade Creole Mustard Recipe

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