Crab Cakes with Creole Honey Mustard Sauce

6 slices white bread, crusts removed 2 eggs 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon dry mustardjavascript:void(0); 1 teaspoon Cajun spice mix, or see directions salt, to taste 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 1 pound crab meat, picked clean 4 green onions, minced 4 slices smoked bacon, cooked, crumbled 2 cups dried bread crumbs, for coating bowl vegetable oil, for frying Creole Honey Mustard Sauce: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon green peppercorns, crushed 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 1 shallot, minced 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard 6 tablespoons mayonnaise 6 tablespoons sour cream 1 tablespoons honey Crabcakes: Tear up the bread slices and grind in a blender or food processor. Add eggs, cream, and lemon juice to form a heavy batter, then remove to a bowl and add all the remaining ingredients except the dried Crab cakes, oil and sauce. Form into small cakes about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Carefully coat them with the dried bCrab cakes Heat a large skillet or saute pan with 1/2 inch of vegetable oil over medium heat and fry some of the cakes until golden brown on both sides. Place in a 200F oven to keep warm. Repeat until all cakes are fried. Makes 24 cakes, serves 12 as an appetizer. Creole Honey Mustard Sauce: In a small non reactive saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and saute the peppercorns, pepper, and shallots for about 3 minutes or until the shallots are translucent. Add the white wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated. Let cool. Add the remaining ingredients and check the seasoning. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Lentil and Smoked Ham Hock Soup With Sweet Potato Wontons

Recipe from Akihiro Moroto, Elmhurst, NY


•1 1/2 cups lentils
•4 ounces smoked ham hocks
•10 cups chicken stock
•1 1/4 cups chopped carrots, peeled, reserve peelings
•2 cups chopped leeks, white part only, reserve green parts
•1/2 cup finely chopped onions, in all, reserve onion peelings
•3 tablespoons chopped garlic, in all
•2 tablespoons fresh thyme, in all
•2 bay leaves, in all
•6 tablespoons olive oil, in all
•salt and black pepper, to taste
•1 cup Princella Cut Sweet Potatoes in Light Syrup
•5 ounces collard greens (use cleaned, frozen chopped greens if fresh are unavailable)
•1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
•1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1 tablespoon cornstarch
•24 wonton skins
•1 egg, beaten
•4 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Cover the lentils with cold water and soak for 3 to 4 hours, reserve in the refrigerator. Prepare ham hock stock by placing the hocks and chicken stock into a 1-gallon soup pot. Add the green part of the leeks and peelings from the vegetables (onions and carrots) to add flavor, add thyme stems and 1 bay leaf. Simmer at medium low heat for 2 hours. Skim the stock of any impurities that rise to the top. The hocks should be fork tender; if not, allow the stock to simmer for a little longer. Take hocks out of pot and allow to cool. Strain the ham stock, using a fine strainer and reserve.

In a separate 1-gallon soup pot, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil at medium heat and sweat 1/4 cup of onions and 2 tablespoons of garlic. Add the chopped leeks, carrots, 1 tablespoon of thyme, and remaining bay leaf. This mixture should not have any color from the sweating process.

Drain soaked lentils, add the lentils into the soup pot, and stir the lentils and vegetable mixture just enough to mix evenly. Cover the lentils with ham hock stock and simmer at medium heat. Periodically skim the soup of impurities that may rise to the top and continue to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the lentils are completely tender. Add in the collard greens to cook until tender. Remove as much of the greens as possible after 10 minutes and reserve. Use a blender (hand-held or stand-up version) to puree the soup until it is smooth. Adjust seasoning of soup if necessary and keep warm.

Drain canned sweet potatoes and lightly rinse with cold water, chop into small cubes. Chop the previously cooked collard greens fine. Take the meat off of the ham hocks and chop fine. In a separate sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil at medium heat and sweat remaining onions and garlic, add dried red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute. Add the collard greens, yams, and ham hocks into the pan and lightly sauté. Season to taste and add the nutmeg. Turn off heat and allow to cool.

Place 24 wonton skins on a cutting board floured with cornstarch. Place 1/4 tablespoon of the potato mixture on the center of each wonton. Using a basting brush, lightly coat the edges of the wonton skins with egg wash. Fold the wonton neatly in half; use your fingers to lightly deflate any trapped air bubbles. Continue this process until all of the mixture or wontons are used.

Bring a gallon of water to boil and cook the wontons for 2 minutes. Use a skimmer to take them out. Pour 1 cup of soup into serving bowl, add 3 wontons and garnish with chopped chives.

Chicken and Andouille Étouffee

Courtesy of Eric Cormier

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
Tony Chachere’s seasoning, to taste
1 pound andouille sausage cut in 1/2-inch slices
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
4 cups hot chicken stock, in all
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onion tops
hot cooked rice for serving

Add 1/2 cup oil to a skillet, preferably cast iron, set over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until a dark red-brown roux is achieved, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and 1 tablespoon Tony’s seasoning. Cook until onions are transparent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

To a very large, clean skillet set over medium-high heat, add remaining oil and chicken. Sautee until chicken is lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add andouille and cook until lightly browned and chicken is cooked throughout, about 7 minutes.

Add roux-vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Slowly add hot stock, stirring constantly, and continue cooking until a stew-like consistency is achieved, about 15 minutes. Correct seasoning with additional Tony’s, if desired. Garnish with parsley and green onions tops. Serve over hot rice.

Stuffed Vidalia Onions

Courtesy of Scott Drago, Arabi, LA

6 large Vidalia onions
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper melted butter or olive oil for basting
1 pound fresh green onion sausage
2 green apples, cored, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2-3/4 cups grated Cheddar cheese
Lemon Butter Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel 2 layers from each onion and cut off approximately 1 inch from stem and root end of onions. Scoop out center of each onion with a sharp knife or melon baller, taking care not to cut through bottoms of onions.

Mince centers and set aside. Place whole onions in a shallow baking dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and baste with melted butter or olive oil. Cover dish and bake for 20 minutes or until onions are tender. Set aside.

Remove sausage from casing, crumble and cook in a skillet set over medium heat until brown. Drain. Return to stove and add minced onion centers, apples, garlic, and lemon zest. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in parsley, pecans, and 3/4 cup cheese. Spoon filling into each onion and top with remaining Cheddar cheese. Bake for 5 to10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with Lemon Butter Sauce.

Lemon Butter Sauce:
Makes about 2 cups
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon shallot, minced
1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth
1 teaspoon lemon zest
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup heavy cream
1 stick butter

Combine olive oil, garlic, shallots, wine, or vermouth, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 4 tablespoons. Add cream and reduce until sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Turn heat to low. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce is thick and butter is melted. Serve with onions.

Foielly Pops (Foie Gras Lollipops)

Chef Phillip Lopez, Rambla, New Orleans

10 paper or wooden lollipop sticks
10 Foie Gras Torchon medallions (recipe follows)
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon strawberry-flavored Pop Rocks candy
5 cups Foie Gras Cotton Candy (recipe below, though any flavor of commercially available cotton candy may be substituted)

Insert lollipop sticks into Foie Gras Torchon medallions. Dust the medallions with strawberry Pop Rocks candy. For each serving, drape 1/2 cup spun Foie Gras Cotton Candy around medallion. Serve to astonished guests.

Note: Paper or wooden lollipop sticks are available in the candy-making section of party supply and craft stores (michaels.com).

Foie Gras Torchon:
1 800-gram lobe grade A Foie Gras (grade A), at room temperature
8 grams orange juice
8 grams white port wine
14 grams kosher salt
4 grams aged sherry wine (preferably Pedro Ximénez)
4 grams raw sugar
2 grams Insta Cure No. 1 (pink salt/sodium nitrite)
11-inch wide, 8-inch long piece synthetic sausage casing

Butterfly foie gras and carefully remove any blood vessels and stringy veins. Set aside in a cool place. In a large bowl, blend orange juice, white port, salt, sherry, sugar, and Insta Cure to form brine. Add foie gras and brine in a boil-safe vacuum bag. Vacuum seal bag. Refrigerate for 12 hours.

Cook cured foie gras in a circulating water bath set at 133°F until internal temperature reaches about 131°F, about 20 minutes. Remove from bag. Cool to room temperature for 10 minutes or until fat begins to congeal. Drain 50 grams of foie gras from bag and reserve for Foie Gras Cotton Candy (recipe follows).

Purée foie gras in food processor or blender. Pour into synthetic sausage casings; tie each end of casing using butcher’s twine. Refrigerate for at least 3 days to age. Once aged, slice into 1/4” thick medallions and reserve cold for lollipop use.


1. The use of a gram scale is necessary to achieve accuracy in this advanced technique (available at globalindustrial.com);
2. Insta Cure No. 1 and synthetic sausage casings available at sausagemaker.com;
3. Circulating water baths (sous vide) and vacuum sealers available at polyscience.com.

Foie Gras Cotton Candy:
100 grams Isomalt sugar
25 grams glucose or light corn syrup
3 grams Sucro (Texturas brand)
2 grams kosher salt
45 grams foie gras (reserved from making Foie Gras Torchon)
3 grams Glice (Texturas brand)
4 grams Moroccan spice (recipe below)

Combine Isomalt, glucose, Sucro, and salt in a sauce pot and cook over high heat to 320°F, using a candy thermometer. Add foie gras and Glice to a sauce pot set over medium heat. Cook to 122°F. Use a probe thermometer to track desired temperature.

When both liquids have reached their desired temperatures, whisk fat mixture slowly into sugar mixture. Take care, as sputtering of sugar will occur. Add Moroccan spice to mixture, whisking constantly to emulsify. The result is a foie gras caramel. Pour mixture onto a sheet pan lined with a nonstick silicone sheet. Cool to harden.

Break into small pieces and grind into a powder using a clean spice or coffee grinder. The result is a foie gras cotton candy sugar. Following manufacturer’s instructions, spin the sugar into cotton candy using a household cotton candy machine.

Notes:
1. Isomalt sugar available at makeyourownmolds.com;
2. Glucose available at thebakerskitchen.com;
3. Texturas brand Sucro and Glice available at latienda.com;
4. Household cotton candy makers available at cottoncandyexpress.com.

Moroccan Spice Blend:
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly ground star anise
2 tablespoons freshly ground cardamom
3/4 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Grind pepper, star anise, and cinnamon, each separately, in a clean spice or coffee grinder. Add cinnamon and sugar and blend thoroughly. Store in an airtight container.

Grilled Parmesan Corn

Courtesy of Tony Chachere’s Seasonings, Opelousas

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley
3 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning

1/4 cup melted butter
12 ears corn

To a bowl add cheese, parsley, seasoning, and butter. Mix thoroughly. Roll each ear of corn in mixture to coat. Wrap each in foil. Grill until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes, turning once after 2 minutes. Remove promptly and leave wrapped until to ready to serve.

Cajun Blackberry Dumplings

Courtesy of Louisiana Cookin’ columnist Frank Davis, New Orleans, LA

4 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup whole milk
2 large whole eggs, well beaten
3-1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
4 cups bottled water
1-1/2 quarts blackberries
whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, milk, eggs, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients and stir, but do not over-mix.

When dumpling batter is ready, combine water, 2 1/2 cups sugar, and blackberries in a large skillet. Cook fruit over a medium heat until mixture thickens. Drop dumpling batter by heaping teaspoonfuls into blackberry sauce mixture in skillet. Cover and cook until dumplings rise.

Test them with a fork to see if they are done. When a fork inserted into dumplings come out clean, remove them from the skillet and continue with the remaining batter.

Serve warm right out of the skillet with the blackberry sauce mixture ladled over. Top each dish with rich dollops of whipped cream or ice cream.

Power Ribs

Courtesy of Chef Carroll “Caro” Thomas, Cajun Power, Abbeville

1 rack pork ribs
Cajun Power Papa’s BBQ Rub
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 jar Cajun Power BBQ Basting Sauce
1 bottle Cajun Power BBQ & Grillin’ Sauce

You can find Cajun POwer products Here: http://www.cajunpowersauce.com/index.cfm

Preheat oven to 275°F. Season ribs with rub. Sprinkle with olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake for 2 hours. Heat outdoor grill or barbecue pit. Remove ribs from foil and place on medium grill or barbecue pit over indirect heat until meat is browned, 20 to 30 minutes, occasionally basting. Serve with additional Grillin’ Sauce.

Louisiana Bread Pudding

1 French Bread Baguette, diced
1 quart half-and-half
6 eggs
1 ounce vanilla
1 stick butter
1 cup raisins
1 cup sugar
1/2-ounce cinnamon
1/4-ounce nutmeg

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 250 degrees until firm. Ten minutes before you remove from the oven; sprinkle sugar on the top of the pudding.

Serve with Lemon Sauce, Whiskey Sauce or Vanilla Sauce.

LEMON SAUCE FOR BREAD PUDDING

1 cup sugar
Juice from 4 lemons
1-ounce vanilla
Corn starch, to thicken
1 cup water
1-1/2 cups heavy cream

Mix all ingredients, except cornstarch, in a saucepan. Bring to aboil. Add cornstarch to thicken. Pour over Bread Pudding.

VANILLA/WHISKEY SAUCE FOR BREAD PUDDING

1 cup sugar
1/4 pound butter
1-ounce vanilla
1/2-quart heavy cream

Mix all ingredients together and simmer. Add cornstarch combined with a water to thicken. Serve over Bread Pudding. To make Whiskey Sauce, add 2-ounces whiskey to above ingredients.

The Ultimate Pan-Fried Chicken

1 3- to 4-pound fryer, cut into 8 pieces
1 quart buttermilk
1/4 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon onion powder
peanut oil
lard

Remove excess fat from chicken pieces and place in a large bowl or container with fitted lid. Add buttermilk to cover, mix in hot sauce and Cajun seasoning, cover and let sit in place in refrigerator 2 hours or overnight.

Beat eggs in a large bowl until pale yellow. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients. Remove chicken from refrigerator and dredge each piece in flour mixture, then egg mixture, and back into flour mixture, dusting off any excess. Set aside on a plate until all pieces are coated. In a large cast-iron pot with a fitted lid, add equal amounts of peanut oil and lard until oil reaches 1/2- inch in depth. Heat oil over medium-high heat until a pinch of flour tossed in the pot sizzles (the oil temperature should be about 350° to 375°F).

Add chicken pieces to pot, but do not overcrowd. Reduce heat to medium, cover pot, and cook 5 to 7 minutes. Turn chicken pieces, cover, and cook an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Remove lid and let the pieces cook 5 minutes more until golden brown. If necessary, cook chicken in batches and keep warm in a 300°F oven until all chicken has been fried.

Place cooked chicken pieces on crumpled paper towels to drain. Serve hot.

New Orleans Devil's Food Cake

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ounce liquid red food coloring
1 ounce beet juice
2 tablespoons natural, unsweetened cocoa
1-1/2 cups unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 8" round cake pans.

Combine the flour, salt and baking soda together. Set aside.

In a separate small bowl, combine food color, beet juice, and cocoa. Set aside.

In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and cocoa mixture, and beat until well blended.

In a large bowl mix together the buttermilk, vinegar and extracts. Add the butter mixture and the flour mixture, alternating between the two until all is incorporated.

Divide mixture between the prepared cake pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire racks before frosting. Note: as shown, frosted with basic chocolate buttercream frosting.

Milk Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

8 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
6 cups confectioners' sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
6 tablespoons whole milk (plus more if needed), room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over boiling water until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and bring to room temperature. Combine the other ingredients with an electric mixer on low speed. When combined, beat at medium speed for two minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the cooled melted chocolate, and beat over medium speed until fully combined and fluffy. Add more milk a teaspoon at a time if the frosting is too dry.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Crabmeat Rémoulade

Recipe by Marcelle Bienvenue for Louisiana Cookin

Rémoulade
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Creole mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions (green part only)
salt, freshly ground black pepper, and hot sauce, to taste
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

Tomatoes
2 pounds green tomatoes, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3/4 cup vegetable oil for deep-frying
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups baby salad greens

Wine Pairings:
Marco Negri Moscato

Rémoulade
Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, onions, parsley, and green onions in a bowl and stir to blend. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Add the crabmeat and gently toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate.

Tomatoes
Season the tomato slices with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and the cornmeal in another shallow bowl. Combine the buttermilk and eggs in another bowl. Dredge the tomatoes first in the flour, coating evenly on both sides, and shaking off any excess flour.

Then dip them in the egg and buttermilk mixture, coating evenly. Then dredge them in the cornmeal, coating evenly and shaking off any excess cornmeal. Add the tomatoes, 3 or 4 at a time, to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side.

Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining tomatoes. To assemble, arrange equal amounts of the greens in the center of 6 salad plates. Top with fried green tomatoes slices and the crabmeat mixture. Serve immediately.

Oyster Brie Soup

1 quart of freshly shucked oysters with liquid
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
2 bunches of green onions, finely chopped
5 stalks of celery, finely chopped
8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped
1 quart of whipping cream
50 ounces of Brie cheese
1 pint of half-and-half
2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
3 to 4 medium-cooked potatoes, diced in 1-inch cubes

In a two-quart pot, poach the oysters in their own liquid. Melt the butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Sauté the green onions, celery, garlic and parsley until translucent. Add the whipping cream.

Peel the bloomy rind off the Brie cheese, cut into small pieces, and add to the skillet. Raise the fire to high to enable the cheese to melt. Once the cheese is melted, lower the fire to a simmer and add the poached oysters with liquid. Add the half-and-half, salt, pepper, and cayenne and cook for 2 to 4 minutes. Add the potatoes, stir, and turn off fire.

Savory Brie Cream Puffs Topped with Sweet & Spicy Louisiana Cane Syrup

Chef Colt Patin, Crawfish Town USA, Henderson

1/4 cup Steen’s cane syrup
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
7 ounces shortening
1 pound Brie, rind removed, cut into 1-inch cubes


Preheat oven to 450°F. In a mixing bowl, combine Steen’s Cane Syrup, cayenne, and black pepper. Set aside. Dissolve salt in water. Set aside.

Place flour and shortening in mixing bowl. Cut shortening into flour until fat particles are the size of peas. Add salted water and mix very gently until the water is absorbed. Do not overwork dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for several hours.

Divide dough into 40 1-inch portions. Flatten each portion and top each with a piece of Brie. Roll dough around the cheese. They will look like doughnut holes.

Bake puffs on a sheet pan until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Brush each with spicy cane syrup and serve.

Servings:
Makes 40 Puffs

Seared Scallops with Spinach, Bacon and Tomatoes

From “Crescent City Cooking” by Susan Spicer

2 strips thick-sliced bacon, preferably applewood-smoked, diced
3/4 pound sea scallops (dry pack, not treated with preservatives), trimmed of tough opaque muscle
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups cleaned fresh spinach
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, or 1 cup whole currant or grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons vinegar, such as apple cider, sherry wine, or red wine
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 200ºF and place a large serving platter in the oven to warm. Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until brown and crisp. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Pour the rendered fat into a small dish and set aside.

Rinse the scallops and pat dry with paper towels. Season them lightly with salt and pepper on one side.

Return the skillet to the stove, over high heat. When it is smoking, pour in the olive oil, then sear the scallops, seasoned side down, for 2-3 minutes, until crusty and light brown. Using a spatula, turn and sear them on the other side for a minute, then remove the scallops from the pan and cover them with foil to keep warm. Return the skillet to the stove, heat for 1 minute, then add the spinach and garlic and a pinch of salt; stir with tongs or a spatula. When the spinach is wilted, remove it from the pan and pour off the excess liquid. Add the tomatoes and shallots to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and bring to a boil. Whisk in the butter and 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and taste for seasoning.

To serve, place the spinach in the middle of the warmed platter. Using tongs, arrange the scallops and tomatoes around the spinach and drizzle with the warm sauce. Garnish with the bacon.

Cajun Babies

CAJUN BABY FILLING

1 stick butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 dozen mushrooms, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pound crawfish
1/4 pound shrimp
1 pint whipping cream
1 pound jalapeno cheese
1 pound lump crabmeat
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup cooked wild rice

CAJUN BABY BREAD FOR STUFFING

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 cups whole milk
7 eggs
5 tablespoons hot melted butter

Sauté onions, celery, bell pepper and mushrooms in butter and cook until wilted. Add flour, continue cooking for 10 minutes. Add crawfish and shrimp and cook for seven minutes stirring occasionally. Blend in whipping cream and cheese. When cheese melts, add lump crabmeat, green onions, parsley and seasonings. Remove from heat and add wild rice.

For bread whisk flour, milk, eggs and butter until smooth. Pour this mixture divided evenly into 10 (8 oz) soufflé dishes. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cut circular hole and spoon filling into each Cajun Baby Bread.

Hush Puppies

There are several stories told how they got their name. Look it up on wikipedia and read the external links provided there.

The oldest story is that hushpuppies originated in the settlement of Nouvell Orleans (later called New Orleans, Louisiana), shortly after 1727. They were created by a group of Ursuline nuns who had come from France. The nuns converted cornmeal into a delicious food that they named croquettes de maise. The making of these croquettes spread rapidly through the southern states.

An African cook in Atlanta is said to have given the name hushpuppy to this food. When frying a batch of catfish and croquettes, a nearby puppy began to howl. To keep the puppy quiet, she gave it a plateful of the croquettes and said, "hush, puppy." Since the name was cut, it stuck. This same story is also attributed to a Creole cook.

Hunters and trappers could be on the trail for days at a time. At suppertime the hunting dogs would get hungry, so the hunters would mix a batter out of cornmeal or flour and cook it in grease on the campfire. Then they would throw the fried dough to the pups, telling them to be quiet, shut up, or "hush."

Confederate soldiers would sit beside a campfire preparing their meals. If they detected Yankee soldiers approaching, they would toss their yapping dogs some of the fried cornmeal cakes with the command "Hush, puppies!"

In the South, the Salamander was often known as a "water dog" or "water puppy." These were deep-fried with cornmeal and formed into sticks. It is said they were called hushpuppies because eating such lowly food was not something a southern wife would want known to her neighbors.

1 cup corn meal
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 onion, grated
1/2 cup chopped green onion tops
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
Oil for frying

Mix all ingredients together until dry ingredients are moistened.

Drop by tablespoons into oil at 375 degrees and fry until golden brown.

Praline Bacon Recipe

1 lb. Good quality thick cut Bacon
4 Tbsp Cane Syrup
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Pecans, toasted and chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a wire rack on a sheet tray. Combine the Pecans and brown sugar. Lay the bacon side by side on the rack, place in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the bacon is sizzling and starting to brown around the edges. The object is for the bacon to cook about 3/4 of the way through before adding the topping.

Push the partially cooked bacon as close together as possible on the rack and brush with the cane syrup, this will give the topping something to grab on to. Cover generously with the Pecan/brown sugar topping. Place back in the oven for about 10 minutes more or until the topping is bubbly and the bacon is good and brown. Let cool.

As the Praline Bacon cools it will set up and have a nice chewy bite to it.

New Orleans Style Beignet Recipe

1 Envelope Active Dry Yeast
3/4 Cup Water (110 degrees F)
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Beaten Egg
1/2 Cup Evaporated Milk
3 1/2 – 3 3/4 Cups Flour
1/8 Cup Shortening
Vegetable Oil for Frying
Powdered Sugar in a shaker or sifter

Combine the Yeast, Water, and Sugar in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (You could also make this in a food processor, or the old fashioned way, by hand). Let this sit until frothy, about 5 minutes, then add the Salt, Egg, and Evaporated Milk. Mix on low speed, then add half of the flour until it starts to come together, then add the shortening. When the shortening is incorporated start adding the remaining flour, a little at a time until most of it is incorporated. At this time I always turn the dough onto a floured bench to finish by hand, just like when I make bread; it’s a touch thing. Knead the dough adding just enough flour as necessary to make a non-sticky, smooth dough. Place the dough into a large oiled bowl, loosely cover and let rise (I made mine last night and let it rise overnight in the refrigerator).

After the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down and turn it onto a floured surface and roll out into a rectangle that is about 1/2″ thick. With a very sharp knife working at a diagonal to the rectangle, cut into 2″ wide strips. Now cut into diamond shapes by making diagonal cuts in the opposite direction. Place the Beignets on a floured baking sheet to let rise about 40 minutes in a warm place (I place them in a barely warm oven).

When the Beignets have risen, heat 2-3 inches of vegetable oil in a large saucepan to 350-360 degrees. Place 2-3 Beignets into the hot oil at a time, being careful not to smash or deflate them. When they are golden brown, flip them over until golden brown on the other side (They go pretty quickly so start checking them right after they go into the oil). Remove to paper towel lined plates to drain. Serve hot topped with plenty of powdered sugar (because the dough doesn’t contain much sugar, you will want a lot!). Best served with Cafe au Lait. Enjoy!

Makes about 2 dozen.

Andouille Stuffed Jalapenos

◦1 teaspoon olive oil
◦2 ounces bulk andouille, finely chopped
◦2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
◦1 teaspoon minced garlic
◦1 tablespoon chopped parsley
◦1/2 cup cream cheese
◦Salt and pepper
◦16 large fresh jalapenos
◦Essence
◦3 cups flour
◦2 egg yolks
◦3/4 cup beer -- (3/4 to 1)
◦1 Pinch baking powder
◦Salt and pepper
◦Oil for frying

Preheat the fryer. In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and render the andouille for 2 minutes. Add the onions and saute for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool. In a mixing bowl, mix the garlic, parsley, and cream cheese together. Mix well. Stir in the cooled andouille mixture. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife, split the jalapenos, starting at the tip, in half, leaving the stem intact. Remove the seeds from the pepper. Stuff 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling in the center of each pepper. Press the pepper together, sealing the cheese mixture completely inside. Season 1 cup of flour with Essence. In a mixing bowl, whisk the yolks and 3/4 cup of the beer. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Whisk in enough flour to form a batter. If the batter is too thick add the remaining beer to thin the batter. Dredge the stuffed peppers in the seasoned flour. Dip the jalapenos in the batter, letting the excess drip off and coating the peppers completely. Gently lay the jalapenos in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the jalapenos from the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season the peppers with Essence.

From: Emeril Lagasse, EMERIL LIVE SHOW #EMIA72 PORK FAT RULES