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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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From Nola Cuisine

As much as I love a well made Oysters Rockefeller, this dish, Oysters Bienville, is my favorite of the baked New Orleans Oysters. I especially love this one as an appetizer for a Christmas meal, it’s richness of flavor is perfect for the holidays.

Although Count Arnaud Cazaname of Arnaud’s Restaurant claimed creation of this dish, his was a recreation of the one he first tasted at Antoine’s, created by Chef Auguste Michel. It is named in honor of Jean de Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, who in 1718, with the help of eighty French exiles, set up a colony near the mouth of the Mississippi river, called La Nouvelle Orleans; now New Orleans. He was also an early Louisiana governor, although he is most well known for being the namesake for this dish. Here is my recipe:

Oysters Bienville Recipe

1 Dozen Oysters, shucked and on the halfshell (PHOTO of these Ersters naked) (How to shuck an Oyster – Quicktime Video)
6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Onion, finely chopped
4 Green Onions, finely sliced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
6 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
2 Cups Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined, chopped
1/2 Cup White Mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Dry White Wine
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
Oyster Liquor, reserved
2 Tbsp Italian Parsley, minced
2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
A few dashes Hot Sauce (I use Crystal)
Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, and Cayenne, to taste
4 Egg Yolks, beaten

Garnish (not meant to be eaten):
1 1/2 Cups Rock Salt
3 Crushed up Bay leaves
1 tsp Whole Cloves
1 tsp Whole Allspice

Shuck the oysters, drain off the liquor into a small container; reserve. Leave the oysters on the half shell, refrigerated.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.

For the sauce:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, saute until the onions turn slightly golden.
Add the flour, stirring well to incorporate. Cook for a few minutes until it gets just a bit of color.
Stir in the shrimp, mushrooms, and a bit more salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the shrimp start to turn pink.
Add the white wine and the cream, cook for 2 minutes.
Add the lemon juice, parsley, and hot sauce. Season to taste with the salt, pepper, and cayenne; remove from the heat.
When the sauce is slightly cooled, stir in the egg yolks, moving quickly to incorporate and keep them from curdling.

For the Oysters:
Mix the Rock Salt with remaining garnish ingredients. Heat in the oven in a seperate pie tin at the same time as the oysters.

Top each Oyster with about 2 Tbsp of the prepared sauce. Place them in a pan that has a thin layer of rock salt in the bottom, this is to keep the oysters steady.
Bake for 10-12 Minutes then turn on the broiler to slightly brown the tops, for 1-2 minutes. The Oysters are finished when the sauce is heated through and the edges of the oysters start to curl.

Place the aromatic rock salt mixture on a large plate or platter. Arrange the Oysters Bienville decoratively around the plate. Serve.

Related Posts:

Oysters on the Half Shell

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I always make a big batch of Turkey Stock before Thanksgiving, for stuffing, gravy etc., and of course for the leftover Turkey Gumbo a day or two after the holiday. I made a huge batch of stock this year, so I made a little Pumkin Soup with a couple of the pie pumpkins that were hanging out on the front porch for decoration. This isn’t your average Pumkin Soup, it’s smoky, and boldly flavored with Louisiana ingredients. This would be a great soup to serve as a starter for Thanksgiving. The Recipe:

Pumkin Soup with Andouille Sausage & Tasso

For the Pumkin:
2 Medium Pie Pumkins, halved top to bottom, scraped out and seeded, then halved again.
3 Tbsp Melted Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning, mixed with:
1/4 tsp Ground Allspice

Preheat an oven to 400º F.
Lay the pumkin on a baking sheet, brush with the butter and season with the Creole Seasoning mix. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until fork tender.
Remove from the oven and while still warm, scoop away the meat from the skin, discard the skin. Set aside.

For the soup:

4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 Cups Diced Andouille Sausage
3/4 Cup Diced Tasso
1 1/2 Cups Diced Onion
3/4 Cup Diced Red Bell Pepper
3/4 Cup Diced Celery
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
Turkey Stock (about 4-6 cups should do it) or Chicken Stock
2 Fresh Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme leaves
Kosher Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Hot Sauce ot to taste

Garnish:
Pepitas (shelled pumkin seeds) toasted
Green Onions, thinly sliced

First:
Add the Andouille sausage, Tasso, and the butter to a dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Don’t brown, the object is to render some fat and flavor.
Add the Trinity (onion, bell pepper, celery) and garlic. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables are very tender. Remove the vegetables and seasoning meats to bowl with a slotted spoon, reserving all liquids in the pot.

Next:
Add the Pumkin to the pot and cover with about 4 cups of the Turkey Stock or covered by 1/2 inch. Add the bay leaves and fresh Thyme. Bring this to a boil, then down to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper; add the Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Simmer this for about 40 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, then puree with an immersion blender.
If the soup is to thick, thin it out with some hot stock. If it is too thin you can thicken it with a little blonde Roux. It should have body, but should not be too thick. I would prefer to start a little thick, then thin out with stock, which is why I only started with 4 cups of stock, you can always add more.

Add the reserved vegetables and seasoning meats. Adjust seasonings.

Serve garnished with the Pepitas and thinly sliced Green Onions.

Serves 4

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