Nola Cuisine

From Wayne Jacobs Smokehouse – LaPlace, Louisiana

Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse and Restaurant
769 West 5th St.
Laplace, LA
985-652-9990

At the bitter end of every trip I make back to Louisiana, I always head to LaPlace for a smoked meat care package to take back north. My stop on the last trip (two years ago, I know, bad blogger) was to Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse, not to be confused with Jacob’s Andouille which is also in LaPlace. (See my post on Jacob’s Andouille here).

Upon arriving at Wayne Jacob’s I was pleased to find out that they also run a restaurant with many of the items on the menu made with the smoked products that they produce!

I was also pleased to see this sign propped up just off the road in front of the establishment:

Unlike Jacob’s Adouille, Wayne Jacob’s does not ship their products because that would mean that they would have to change the way that they produce their meats, that is, the way it has been produced there since 1950. Admirable.

The restaurant was very busy for the lunch rush when I arrived and a little short staffed to boot, but everyone was super friendly.

I ordered a few appetizers to check out some of the fine Charcuterie work that David Rauch does in the back of the house, and I was super pleased that I got to go into the back and say hello to David and get a few photos of him at work! I also got a few shots of the cracklins that were cooling on the back counter before being bagged up!

David Rauch filling the stuffer:

The Hog Cracklin, a thing of southern beauty!

Upon arriving back at my table I found my food waiting for me. Boudin Balls with a Remoulade style dipping sauce (my Boudin Recipe):

Andouille Chips, thinly sliced Andouille which is deep fried and served with Creole Mustard (my Creole Mustard Recipe):

Finally, a wonderfully simple, gelatinous Hogshead Cheese served with Saltine crackers:

After getting my to go package of Andouille and Tasso I went out back to get a shot of the smokehouses:

And of course, as always, a shot of the woodpile:

I stuffed my package into my luggage, and flew back to Detroit. As soon as I got home I tore open that package and sliced off a piece of what is, in my humble opinion, the best Andouille I’ve tasted:

Notice the course grind and the large size of the casing, expertly filled with no air gaps, and lastly perfectly smoked, not overpowering…just perfect.

The Tasso from Wayne Jacob’s (my Tasso Recipe):

I enjoy the Andouille that I produce (my Andouille Recipe) and I also enjoy the one at Jacob’s Andouille. But in my humble opinion, as Andouille goes, the product that David Rauch produces in LaPlace is by far the benchmark.

Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse – LaPlace, Louisiana is a post from: Nola Cuisine

Turkey Bone Gumbo

Danno — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 13:07:55 +0000

From Nola Cuisine

My annual tradition is to make a Turkey Bone Gumbo from the carcass and meat from the Thanksgiving Turkey, and use the leftover dressing in place of the rice! This is such an amazing and unique redoux of the flavors of Thanksgiving! Just try it. You will never ask what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers again!

Here is the recipe:

Turkey Bone Gumbo Recipe

Turkey Bone Gumbo is a post from: Nola Cuisine

Cajun Cochon de Lait from Chef Frank Brigtsen

Danno — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 04:52:16 +0000

A wonderful video on preparing Cochon de Lait from a young Chef Frank Brigtsen!

My oh my do I ever love and miss “Great Chefs”!

Enjoy!

Cajun Cochon de Lait from Chef Frank Brigtsen is a post from: Nola Cuisine

Daube Creole Recipe

Danno — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:12:54 +0000

Daube was introduced to New Orleans by the French Creoles who brought the preparation from their native France, where there are many regional versions of the dish. The Creoles went a step further and created Daube Glace which is a jellied dish served cold for breakfast or brunch.

What makes this dish unique from an ordinary Pot Roast is the larding of the roast with seasoned salt pork which flavors the meat from the inside while it cooks. Be sure and do this the night before cooking!

I use a split pig’s foot in the preparation of Daube Creole for the gelatin and richness that it adds to the sauce, also important for making Daube Glace.

Larded Beef Roast Recipe

5 lb Beef Roast, preferably from the Round
1/4 lb Salt pork fat, cut into thin strips (1/2″ X 3″)
1 Tbsp Parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme, finely chopped
3 Fresh Bay Leaves, very finely chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Spanish Onion, minced
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Freshly Grated Black Pepper

Make 1 inch long incisions about 3 inches deep all over the roast. Toss the salt pork strips with the remaining ingredients.

Fill each incision with some of the seasoned salt pork mixture. Refrigerate overnight.

Daube Creole Recipe

3 Tbsp Lard or Bacon drippings
1 5 lb Larded Beef Round (recipe above)
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
All Purpose Flour for dusting
1 Large Spanish Onion, chopped
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Cup Dry Sherry
2 Quarts Beef Stock
5 Carrots, cut into 1/2″ dice
2 Turnips, cut into 1/2″ dice
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Pork Foot, split
3 Bay Leaves
1 Bunch Fresh Thyme, tied

Season the larded roast very liberally with salt and black pepper and dust lightly all over with the flour. Heat the lard in a large Dutch Oven on high heat. When very hot, sear the larded roast on all sides until very brown. Remove the roast to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, stirring well, making sure to get all of the brownings from the bottom of the pot. When the onion is nicely browned add the tomato paste. Cook for several minutes, browning the paste slightly. Add the sherry and bring to a boil over high heat to cook off the alcohol.

Add the stock, carrots, turnips, garlic, split pig’s foot, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil, then return the roast to the pot, turn the heat down to a simmer.

New England Clam Chowder Recipe

Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

When the roast is tender remove to a cutting board. Turn up the heat and reduce the sauce by half. Remove the pig’s foot, bay leaves, and thyme. Season to taste with salt, black pepper and cayenne. Add the chopped parsley.

Slice the roast in thin slices and cover generously with the sauce. Serve over Creole Boiled Rice or cooked pasta.

Serves 6-8.

Daube Creole Recipe is a post from: Nola Cuisine

Shrimp Remoulade with the late great Chef Warren LeRuth and my late great friend Bill Moran

Danno — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 06:45:30 +0000

I had many great conversations with my late friend, Texas Chef Bill Moran about Warren Leruth, as we were both fascinated by the man. Bill was a food broker during the 60′s and had many meetings with Chef Leruth in his restaurant in Gretna during it’s heyday. He was enamored with Chef Leruth’s scientific precision with recipes. Bill taught me a lot and shared a wealth of incredible stories of his meals and dealings in New Orleans during that time. He & I were enamored with Warren LeRuth because:

After all, Chef Warren LeRuth:

*Invented Oyster and Artichoke Soup which has since become an icon soup in New Orleans
*Formulated the recipes for Popeye’s: Biscuits, Red Beans & Rice and Dirty Rice.
*He did R&D for: Outback Steakhouse, Boston Chicken, Brinker International, Burger King and many other restaurant chains.
*Created Leruth’s “Vanilla Bean Marinade” and “Melipone Mexican Vanilla”. He sold the formula to Ronald Reginald’s, thank God, because it is the best Vanilla on the market, in my humble opinion.
*Created the formula for the “Seven Seas Green Goddess Dressing”

Bill and I planned on doing a Great Chefs of New Orleans bio on Chef Warren LeRuth, as we did for Austin Leslie. We never got around to it.

I miss my friend Bill, I think of him all of the time. Every 4th of July I look for an email that says “Happy Firecracker!”. It never comes anymore. I miss our long drawn out trails of email messages about Roast Beef Po Boys, and how the higher the stack of napkins, the better the Po Boy. I miss his praise on all of my posts, he was my biggest supporter, my cheering squad, because he knew I was trying to preserve some of the old cooking ways.

I talked to Bill for the first time on the phone the day before he died in 2007. I was working on my Parasol’s Roast Beef Po Boy post when the call came in. I told him I was thinking of him, the napkins were piled high and I would save half for him. He liked that. I had no idea how ill he was. I cried when a mutual friend told me he died the next day. We never met in person. I miss you Bill. I’m gonna get that piece about Warren LeRuth done. I’m researching, I wish you could watch these videos! Oh, the culinary conversations we would have about the master at work!

I learn something fundamental every time I watch one of Chef Warren’s videos. There is always something that I thought I knew…but now I realize that I don’t know squat.

Shrimp Remoulade with Chef Warren LeRuth!

Although Bill’s Texas Chef blog is sadly gone his daughter Nicole carries on his legacy at Texas Chef’s Daughter!

My Shrimp Remoulade Recipe!

Shrimp Remoulade with the late great Chef Warren LeRuth and my late great friend Bill Moran is a post from: Nola Cuisine

New England Clam Chowder Recipe at American Gourmand

Danno — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 04:20:33 +0000

From American Gourmand

It’s getting into Soup and Gumbo season again, my favorite time to cook! I just made a batch of one of my absolute favorite soups, New England Clam Chowder!

From American Gourmand

The recipe is featured at the sister site to this one called American Gourmand where I explore recipes, restaurants and cooking outside the realm of Louisiana. I hope you enjoy the new recipe!

New England Clam Chowder Recipe at American Gourmand is a post from: Nola Cuisine

A Trio of Texas Barbecue at American Gourmand

Danno — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 22:52:02 +0000

On my recent buisiness trip to Fort Worth Texas I had the pleasure of visiting three wonderful examples of Texas Barbecue all featured at my newest website American Gourmand!

Angelo’s Barbecue – Fort Worth Texas (read full post)

At Angelo’s the Brisket is the most meltingly tender I have eaten to date:

From Angelo's Bbq – Fort Worth, Texas

Railhead Barbecue – Fort Worth Texas (Read full post)

At Railhead the brisket sandwich is also delicious, with equally incredible Pork Ribs, no sauce required!

From May 13, 2012

Lastly I had the pleasure of visiting Chef Tim Love’s love letter to wood & smoke”

Woodshed Smokehouse – Fort Worth, Texas (read full post)

From Woodshed – Fort Worth, Texas

I will definitely be planning many return visits to Texas! I’m planning on Austin with a side trip to Lockhart in the near future!

Be sure and check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes which provides links to all of the recipes featured at Nola Cuisine! Also be sure to check out the sister site to this one American Gourmand!

A Trio of Texas Barbecue at American Gourmand is a post from: Nola Cuisine

Cochon Restaurant Revisited

Danno — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:05:37 +0000

On my last visit to New Orleans I stopped into Cochon Restaurant, which I had visited a few trips prior and absolutely loved, especially since back then, I was invited back into the kitchen to take some pictures! (Here is the original post, followed by one of my favorite pics from that visit):

Cochon Restaurant

From Nola Cuisine

There were a few dishes that I wished I had tried on my previous dining experience, so I made another go at it. On a side note, Chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski also recently opened a second Cochon Restaurant in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Cochon Lafayette

Donald Link’s book Real Cajun is one of my absolute favorites (My Review):

Here are the dishes that I had a second chance at sampling, well worth the wait! All of these are actually featured in his cookbook as well!

Fried Chicken livers with Pepper Jelly:

Perfectly fried chicken livers on toast points, slathered with housemade Pepper Jelly and finished with a salad of mint leaves and sweet onions.

Wood Fired Oyster Roast:

Cooked in the restaurants wood burning oven, these baked oysters, topped with a compound butter made with Vietnamese Chili sauce among other inredients, were easily my favorite of the appetizers. The plump Louisiana Oysters with the spicy, garlicky butter sauce were absolutely addicting. Definitely one of my new favorite Louisiana Oyster dishes, of which I have many.

I couldn’t resist trying Donald Link’s Boudin, as I was on a bit of a Louisiana Charcuterie hunt on this particular trip. Fried Boudin Balls with pickled peppers and housemade Abita Beer Whole Grain Mustard:

Definitely a great tasting Boudin! I think they’re using chicken liver, instead of the traditional pork. There is also some poblano pepper in the mix:

Video: New Orlean’s best kept secret

Donald Link has a great web show called Taste of Place. Here is his show about Boudin:

Here is my Boudin recipe:

Boudin Recipe

Lastly dessert, Blueberry Buckle with…get this…Hog Cracklin’ Streusel topping! There has to be some kind of award for most creative way to incorporate pork into a dessert, with delicious results!

Of course, I will end this post with a picture of the restaurants woodpile, which is starting to become my signature on the sister site to this one American Gourmand.

Cochon Restaurant Revisited is a post from: Nola Cuisine

Boudin Recipe

Danno — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:12:21 +0000

I did a bit of a Louisiana Charcuterie tour on my last trip to Louisiana with Boudin, Andouille and Hogshead Cheese being the primary focus. When I’m home in the Detroit area and dreaming of Louisiana, Boudin is one of the things I miss most. So I have to make my own.

For my latest batch of Boudin, I used the very minimally processed Cajun Grain Brown Jasmine Rice that I spoke about in an earlier article. I love the texture and real rice flavor that it adds to the finished product!

From Cajun Grain Rice – Kinder, Louisiana

I like just enough liver flavor in my Boudin, without it being over powering, be sure to only use fresh pork liver, and lots of green onions and parsley!

Here is the recipe:

Boudin Recipe

2 1/2 lbs Pork Butt
1/2 lb Fresh Pork liver (not frozen), rinsed
1 Medium Onion, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Bay Leaves
1 Bundle of Fresh Thyme, tied
Water to cover by 2 inches
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
1 tsp Cayenne, or to taste
6 Cups cooked Cajun Grain Brown Jasmine Rice
1 Cup Green Onions, thinly sliced
1 Cup Italian Parsley, finely chopped
Hog Casings (if using)

Cut the pork and liver into 2 inch pieces and place in a Dutch Oven, along with the onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves.

Cover with cold water by 2 inches. Season the water well with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer, skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Simmer for about 1 hour or until the meat is very tender. Remove the bay leaves, and thyme, then strain the solids from the broth, reserve some of the broth.
Run the cooked meat and vegetables (while they’re still hot) through a meat grinder or food mill, or you could chop this by hand.

Combine the cooked rice with the ground meat mixture, green onions, and parsley. Mix thoroughly and season to taste with Kosher salt, black pepper, and Cayenne. Add some of the reserved cooking liquid to make sure that the finished product is very moist, bearing in mind that the rice will absorb much of the liquid as it sits.

Spread the mixture on a sheet pan and place in the refrigerator to cool.

When the mixture is cool, stuff into prepared hog casings, or form into patties or balls for pan frying. Boudin also makes a great stuffing. Here is a pick of my Boudin Stuffed Barbecue Pork Chops!