Put extra pepper on it. Now it's Cajun! The Cajun and Creole food thread.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > Put extra pepper on it. Now it's Cajun! The Cajun and Creole food thread.

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HFX: Nov 29, 2004

holttho posted:

The question would ultimately be what level are you trying to achieve and who your audience is. Quality frozen shrimp is exceptional, (ALL decapod seafood is frozen as it arrives to your market, it is impossible to have it any other way unless it is still alive. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.) and the shells and head contribute a bunch of complex flavors, but are by no means required. If you're putting something together for the Paul Prudhomme Cajun/Creole Authenticity Committee, then you might not score high with something that wasn't fresh. But if you are putting together a good meal for a good time with friends, then you will be amazed at how well good frozen options can be. I live in Chicago and have pretty slim choices on fresh non-lobster shellfish year-round. But a good eye** for frozen stuff and you'll be on your way to greatness.

A lot of people want (for whatever reason) to make folks thing that 'frozen' and 'fresh' are opposites on a scale. Not by a long shot. Maybe in 1941 when it took four hundred hours to freeze a bunch of carrots which were then left in a shipping container for nineteen months would quality suffer, but nowadays with IQF stuff going from literally in-the-ground to being cryogenically rock solid in less than an hour, quality and flavor are preserved to an astounding level.

As for stock making, it is wonderfully forgiving. Just toss in whatever healthy scraps you got from your vegetables, any bones, skin, uglies, or carcass from your meats, a bay leaf and some pepper, and you got yourself a stew, baby. Only rule of thumb for a general use stock is to avoid any vegetables that have the word "green' in them. Green peppers, green peas, green lettuce, anything like that; they will utterly dominate the flavor of the stock. And not the way you want. Onion/carrot/celery butts, mushroom stems, all the parts that 'meh, I'd rather not eat' are wonderful in the stock pot. All those chicken neck bones that you'd never eat, but are flavorful and nutritious and $0.29/lb are PERFECT. Toss 'em all in some cold water and bring up to a simmer for a low, lazy afternoon. Don't add salt, as you may need it reduced at a later time and you'd just end up with a salt lick. You can just add salt after reducing.

**When looking for frozen anything, the biggest thing to look for is that each 'thing' is an individual piece. Not a brick or frozen lump. 'Lumpitude' clearly indicates that the product has been thawed and then re-frozen which will have a definite loss in quality. Next time you are in the grocery store, pick up a bag of frozen baby peas. Notice they are all single individuals. That's because they were frozen as individuals, then packaged together. Shrimp is no different than peas.

Of course, if there is freezer burn or weird discoloration, they are immediately rejected. Something they say about fishmongers is that if they are good, they'll let you smell the product. That is true of a fishmonger, but rarely of a mega-mart meat counter minimum wage guy. Try it if you like, but the above will likely serve you the most and the best.

Wonderful post.

# ? Dec 15, 2015 06:27

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# ? May 9, 2024 21:24

I. M. Gei: Jun 26, 2005; CHIEFS

BITCH

holttho posted:

The question would ultimately be what level are you trying to achieve and who your audience is. Quality frozen shrimp is exceptional, (ALL decapod seafood is frozen as it arrives to your market, it is impossible to have it any other way unless it is still alive. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.) and the shells and head contribute a bunch of complex flavors, but are by no means required. If you're putting something together for the Paul Prudhomme Cajun/Creole Authenticity Committee, then you might not score high with something that wasn't fresh. But if you are putting together a good meal for a good time with friends, then you will be amazed at how well good frozen options can be. I live in Chicago and have pretty slim choices on fresh non-lobster shellfish year-round. But a good eye** for frozen stuff and you'll be on your way to greatness.

A lot of people want (for whatever reason) to make folks thing that 'frozen' and 'fresh' are opposites on a scale. Not by a long shot. Maybe in 1941 when it took four hundred hours to freeze a bunch of carrots which were then left in a shipping container for nineteen months would quality suffer, but nowadays with IQF stuff going from literally in-the-ground to being cryogenically rock solid in less than an hour, quality and flavor are preserved to an astounding level.

As for stock making, it is wonderfully forgiving. Just toss in whatever healthy scraps you got from your vegetables, any bones, skin, uglies, or carcass from your meats, a bay leaf and some pepper, and you got yourself a stew, baby. Only rule of thumb for a general use stock is to avoid any vegetables that have the word "green' in them. Green peppers, green peas, green lettuce, anything like that; they will utterly dominate the flavor of the stock. And not the way you want. Onion/carrot/celery butts, mushroom stems, all the parts that 'meh, I'd rather not eat' are wonderful in the stock pot. All those chicken neck bones that you'd never eat, but are flavorful and nutritious and $0.29/lb are PERFECT. Toss 'em all in some cold water and bring up to a simmer for a low, lazy afternoon. Don't add salt, as you may need it reduced at a later time and you'd just end up with a salt lick. You can just add salt after reducing.

**When looking for frozen anything, the biggest thing to look for is that each 'thing' is an individual piece. Not a brick or frozen lump. 'Lumpitude' clearly indicates that the product has been thawed and then re-frozen which will have a definite loss in quality. Next time you are in the grocery store, pick up a bag of frozen baby peas. Notice they are all single individuals. That's because they were frozen as individuals, then packaged together. Shrimp is no different than peas.

Of course, if there is freezer burn or weird discoloration, they are immediately rejected. Something they say about fishmongers is that if they are good, they'll let you smell the product. That is true of a fishmonger, but rarely of a mega-mart meat counter minimum wage guy. Try it if you like, but the above will likely serve you the most and the best.

This is very a informative post, thank you!

How much water should I use if making crawfish stock with ~~2 lbs~~ of frozen crawfish? Or for any amount of any meat? Would 3-4 quarts be too much?

EDIT: Correction: Make that 3 lbs of frozen crawdads! Whole and unpeeled. (and fully cooked if that matters) :getin:

EDIT 2: ... the "fully cooked" part matters, doesn't it?

I. M. Gei fucked around with this message at 12:40 on Dec 15, 2015

# ? Dec 15, 2015 11:18

Phil Moscowitz: Feb 19, 2007; If blood be the price of admiralty,
Lord God, we ha' paid in full!

Dr. Gitmo Moneyson posted:

This is very a informative post, thank you!

How much water should I use if making crawfish stock with ~~2 lbs~~ of frozen crawfish? Or for any amount of any meat? Would 3-4 quarts be too much?

EDIT: Correction: Make that 3 lbs of frozen crawdads! Whole and unpeeled. (and fully cooked if that matters)

EDIT 2: ... the "fully cooked" part matters, doesn't it?

Cooked is ok but take the tail meat out and just boil the shells if you want to use the meat in the gumbo. I mean you don't have to remove the tails but the point of stock is to extract the flavor from the stuff and put it in the water, so the tails aren't going to be very edible if you leave them in.

I use heads and shells leftover from a crawfish boil every year. There's plenty of stock builder in the heads and tails. Your issue will be peeling while frozen which I've never done so you might decide to just throw it all in there and use something else (e.g. shrimp) in the gumbo itself .

As far as how much water, what I always do is put everything in the pot and cover it with water. As mentioned above, stock is forgiving. 4 quarts is fine, and if you have a lot of liquid you can always just reduce it.

# ? Dec 15, 2015 13:35

neogeo0823: Jul 4, 2007; NO THAT'S NOT ME!!

One thing that wasn't mentioned regarding chicken stock(I don't know about doing this for seafood stock, but I assume it can be done) is to roast your chicken and use the roasted leftovers for the stock. Yes, even the drippings left over in the pan. I like to do this because the seasoning that stays stuck to the skin and bones and in the drippings adds a lovely depth of flavor to the stock. I often use 3 carcasses and make like 3 gallons of stock at a time, and will throw a bbq, Cajun, and "regular" herbed chicken carcass in there and get an amazing amber colored stock with hints of smokiness, spice, and all the other little notes from the herbs I used.

Plus, you know, I like roasting chickens and eating the crispy skin off the breasts and thighs when it's done. :staredog:

# ? Dec 15, 2015 14:17

I. M. Gei: Jun 26, 2005; CHIEFS

BITCH

Phil Moscowitz posted:

Cooked is ok but take the tail meat out and just boil the shells if you want to use the meat in the gumbo. I mean you don't have to remove the tails but the point of stock is to extract the flavor from the stuff and put it in the water, so the tails aren't going to be very edible if you leave them in.

I use heads and shells leftover from a crawfish boil every year. There's plenty of stock builder in the heads and tails. Your issue will be peeling while frozen which I've never done so you might decide to just throw it all in there and use something else (e.g. shrimp) in the gumbo itself .

As far as how much water, what I always do is put everything in the pot and cover it with water. As mentioned above, stock is forgiving. 4 quarts is fine, and if you have a lot of liquid you can always just reduce it.

Good point about reducing.

I wasn't really planning on doing anything with the crawfish meats, so I doubt I'm gonna remove the tails. I was gonna just use shrimp in the gumbo, since I really like shrimp. I really hate to waste good crawdads, but the main reason I have these crawfish at all is because I had another bag several months back and tried removing the tails so I could eat them straight out of the bag, but apparently it'd been so long since I last ate crawfish whole that I forgot how to peel them without the entire 'dads shattering in my hands. I guess I need to work on strengthening my grip.

Thanks for all the advice, guys! Sorry to hijack the thread with my stock questions.

Actually, I do have one more question. Does that rule about not using "green" vegetables apply to okra stems? I'd like a little more clarification on that, if possible.

# ? Dec 15, 2015 19:35

holttho: May 21, 2007

Never tried em. I'll have to bust out my "On Food and Cooking" when I get home to see if the culprit flavor compounds found in green beans, peas, etc. is also found in okra. Alternatively, I could just whip up a mini-batch and say 'nuts' to all that book-learnin'.

Of course, if you are making gumbo which has plenty of green peppers and okras in it, then by all means toss them in the stock that is going to be used for the dish. Hell, you paid for them, get your moneys worth! Just don't throw in the white membrane parts of the green peppers. They are bitter and untasty in any preparation. Though if you are going to do it, be mindful that even the stems of okra have some mucilage (the slime). Not nearly as much as the pods proper, but it could over-thicken your dish if you're not careful.

Good stocks are the basis of so many cuisines. They are always worth knowing about. If we had to completely re-invent world cuisine from the ground up, both sausage making and stock/broth/bullion making would come out unchanged. They are both the most logical, efficient, and tasty ways of making the best with what would otherwise be the worst.

# ? Dec 15, 2015 22:27

I. M. Gei: Jun 26, 2005; CHIEFS

BITCH

Is there any reason I shouldn't cut/prep vegetables two days ahead of time for gumbo or stock? I just ordered a new stock pot on Amazon Prime and I'm waiting until it's delivered before I start making the stock.

# ? Dec 16, 2015 06:46

Vulture Culture: Jul 14, 2003; I was never enjoying it. I only eat it for the nutrients.

Dr. Gitmo Moneyson posted:

Is there any reason I shouldn't cut/prep vegetables two days ahead of time for gumbo or stock? I just ordered a new stock pot on Amazon Prime and I'm waiting until it's delivered before I start making the stock.

If you're going to cut them up days ahead of time, freeze them. Bell peppers in particular really don't hold up well in the refrigerator once they've been cut up.

# ? Dec 16, 2015 07:04

I. M. Gei: Jun 26, 2005; CHIEFS

BITCH

Made the stock. Made the gumbo with it. It's gooooood poo poo y'all. :getin:

I ended up having to use red bell peppers instead of green because all my green bell peppers were spoiled. Also I feel like 2 cups of uncooked rice might be a little too much. But apart from that it's great. 8/10 would make again.

I. M. Gei fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Dec 19, 2015

# ? Dec 19, 2015 23:18

for sale: Nov 25, 2007; I AM A SHOPLIFTER

Can somebody fill me in on the deal with pickle meat? I have no experience with this stuff and am not sure i'll be able to find any, but i'm interested. I live in southern California, is there a Mexican or Asian alternative to this?

Is it all created equal? Am i going to make something inedible if I use pickled tongue/etc instead of pickled loin?

# ? Dec 21, 2015 22:03

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

for sale posted:

Can somebody fill me in on the deal with pickle meat? I have no experience with this stuff and am not sure i'll be able to find any, but i'm interested. I live in southern California, is there a Mexican or Asian alternative to this?

Is it all created equal? Am i going to make something inedible if I use pickled tongue/etc instead of pickled loin?

I haven't seen it much out of Louisiana but its just picked pork chunks or whatever best I can remember, hell it mighta been cheek. I'd bet tongue would work great as a replacement. Mainly its just that the vinegar+meat flavors work really well with this type of bean / preparation.

# ? Dec 21, 2015 22:31

holttho: May 21, 2007

It's one of the prime ingredients of red beans and rice, though that is the only recipe I know offhand that uses it. Being a northerner and all.

The recipes are pretty simple to make, and Alton Brown did a decent episode to the whole red beans and rice preparation, which included making pickle pork.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/red-beans-and-rice-recipe.html
http://neworleanscuisine.blogspot.com/2005/04/pickle-meat-or-pickled-pork.html

# ? Dec 21, 2015 22:48

for sale: Nov 25, 2007; I AM A SHOPLIFTER

That IS really easy, i think i'm going to try it out with some tongue or cheek. Thanks for the quick answers.

# ? Dec 21, 2015 23:08

for sale: Nov 25, 2007; I AM A SHOPLIFTER

Just wanted to thank this thread, I never heard of gumbo z'herbs before but used a recipe from this thread last night. I tweaked it a little by using a pressure cooker, ham hocks and kielbasa. At first the taste was kind of underwhelming, but it REALLY perked up after a day in the fridge, the consistency got better and the flavor melded together. Phone picture!

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# ? Dec 23, 2015 00:05

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

for sale posted:

Just wanted to thank this thread, I never heard of gumbo z'herbs before but used a recipe from this thread last night. I tweaked it a little by using a pressure cooker, ham hocks and kielbasa. At first the taste was kind of underwhelming, but it REALLY perked up after a day in the fridge, the consistency got better and the flavor melded together. Phone picture!

Lovely.

Glad it worked for you!

# ? Dec 23, 2015 04:38

the_chavi: Mar 2, 2005; Toilet Rascal

I made John Besh's oyster and duck gumbo for Christmas dinner. We have enough leftovers to keep us for a few days, even with everyone eating a few bowls yesterday and today. Luckily my stepdad was shucking oysters, otherwise my arm would have fallen off. If you can buy fresh shucked oysters + their liquor, I'd highly recommend it.

http://gardenandgun.com/article/anatomy-classic-duck-and-oyster-gumbo

# ? Dec 27, 2015 21:26

The Creature: Nov 23, 2014

My girlfriend's dad is a bit of a hunter and brought me back two ducks. I have duck stock on the stove right now, a decent amount of fat for the roux, and meat for the gumbo (though two of the breasts are curing for prosciutto).

# ? Dec 28, 2015 01:16

the_chavi: Mar 2, 2005; Toilet Rascal

The Creature posted:

My girlfriend's dad is a bit of a hunter and brought me back two ducks. I have duck stock on the stove right now, a decent amount of fat for the roux, and meat for the gumbo (though two of the breasts are curing for prosciutto).

Oh man, if you've got some oysters, do that.

# ? Dec 28, 2015 06:18

Nhilist: Jul 29, 2004; I like it quiet in here

the_chavi posted:

Oh man, if you've got some oysters, do that.

Well said! Actually, I could attach that statement to any point of context. What is the line from that song? Give me oysters and beer for dinner every day of the year, and I'll feel fine.

# ? Dec 28, 2015 17:37

Trebuchet King: Jul 5, 2005; This post...

...is a
WORK OF FICTION!!

So this year was the first time I made hoppin' john for New Year's--my dad always has made a solid, traditional, but still appetizing version with Charleston Gold rice and red field peas. His younger brother experiments every year and takes notes and iterates and gets a little more cuisine-y with it.

I was super intimidated (after years of eating delicious versions made by other people) but this thread gave me some ideas--I used bell peppers, celery, and onion; added some shallot and tabasco and bay leaves, and then seasoned with other spices (cumin, paprika, nutmeg, cayenne). Instead of just red field peas or field peas/black eyed peas I used red field peas and corn (I got that idea from the OP!) and basically thread I just wanted to say thank you for ideas and inspiration! My friends have been enjoying it quite a bit.

# ? Jan 3, 2016 02:50

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Trebuchet King posted:

So this year was the first time I made hoppin' john for New Year's--my dad always has made a solid, traditional, but still appetizing version with Charleston Gold rice and red field peas. His younger brother experiments every year and takes notes and iterates and gets a little more cuisine-y with it.

I was super intimidated (after years of eating delicious versions made by other people) but this thread gave me some ideas--I used bell peppers, celery, and onion; added some shallot and tabasco and bay leaves, and then seasoned with other spices (cumin, paprika, nutmeg, cayenne). Instead of just red field peas or field peas/black eyed peas I used red field peas and corn (I got that idea from the OP!) and basically thread I just wanted to say thank you for ideas and inspiration! My friends have been enjoying it quite a bit.

Thats great.

Sadly I didn't get any worthwhile pics but for New Years Eve this year we shucked 200 oysters and had a bunch raw, chargrilled 50 or so and fried 50 to make fried oyster poboys. I've got 30-40 shucked ones left in the fridge. While I could make gumbo I am kinda wanting to do something else with them. In the past I've made an oyster soup which was in a sort of white sauce / chowder that I picked up from a family member in Manchac, LA. But, I'd kinda like to do something else. Any ideas?

# ? Jan 3, 2016 03:01

Phil Moscowitz: Feb 19, 2007; If blood be the price of admiralty,
Lord God, we ha' paid in full!

Do the smorgasbord, try a bunch of poo poo. Bienville, Rockefeller, Dunbar, on horseback, stuff em in jalape�os, stuff em in baked potatoes like Dooky Chase, oyster stew, ceviche, shooters, fried on slab of ham with hollandaise, fried with buffalo sauce. Do you have the P&J book? Tons of good ideas in there, the best thing to have for all those leftover oysters.

Speaking of P&Js I picked up a box of nice, smaller, clean puppies (about 90) and shucked them for Christmas Eve. None leftover between me, my father in law, and an old fraternity brother of his. Used a couple refinished and sharpened knives I got as a gift:

At one point the bigger knife slipped and went right through my glove and into my palm. Nice 1/4 inch puncture that is healing pretty well (bled pretty well too).

After that I used one of those little wooden blocks, nice tool that I actually recommend if you don't want to risk it.

Phil Moscowitz fucked around with this message at 03:48 on Jan 4, 2016

# ? Jan 4, 2016 03:45

the_chavi: Mar 2, 2005; Toilet Rascal

Phil Moscowitz posted:

At one point the bigger knife slipped and went right through my glove and into my palm. Nice 1/4 inch puncture that is healing pretty well (bled pretty well too).

Ouch! I have a pair of kevlar-lined gloves I wear when I shuck oysters - hurts like a bitch if I stab myself, but there's no blood.

# ? Jan 4, 2016 04:19

I. M. Gei: Jun 26, 2005; CHIEFS

BITCH

Dr. Gitmo Moneyson posted:

I thought about doing a Cajun turkey stuffing with green bell peppers added to the standard celery and onions, plus uncooked andouille sausage, oysters and/or shrimp, and some sort of liquor mixed in (maybe Jack Daniel's). But I'm not gonna be able to cook anything this Thanksgiving, and I have no idea how to proportion all the ingredients, so maybe you guys can do something with this idea. Let me know how it goes.

I'm actually legitimately curious as to whether this would be any good or not. Enough that I might try a batch at some point. My grocery store sells both andouille and boudin sausage; I might try one or both of those with the casings removed and see if it turns out good. Maybe with or without chorizo.

Guys which sausage(s) should I use for my Cajun stuffing recipe? I can do one or two, but if oysters are going in there too then I need to draw the line at that. Otherwise it's just overkill.

I. M. Gei fucked around with this message at 07:06 on Jan 4, 2016

# ? Jan 4, 2016 07:01

THE MACHO MAN: Nov 15, 2007; ...Carey...

draw me like one of your French Canadian girls

I have a gigundo pot of red beans and rice and I love it. I was too lazy to do po boys so I'll probably make some for myself later in the week, maybe gumbo too, and see if I can't gain 15 pounds by Sunday

I wish I had tasso to throw in there

# ? Feb 10, 2016 01:56

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Awesome.

Happy Mardi Gras everybody.

# ? Feb 10, 2016 02:20

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

That Works, I used a slightly modified version of your jambalaya recipe the other day and it was utterly delicious. Thank you!

# ? Feb 11, 2016 21:58

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

drgitlin posted:

That Works, I used a slightly modified version of your jambalaya recipe the other day and it was utterly delicious. Thank you!

Glad to hear it came out good!

# ? Feb 11, 2016 22:34

coyo7e: Aug 23, 2007; by zen death robot

the_chavi posted:

Ouch! I have a pair of kevlar-lined gloves I wear when I shuck oysters - hurts like a bitch if I stab myself, but there's no blood.

For real. I always at least have a michael-jackson-style heavy work glove when I shuck oysters. The knives aren't that sharp so any half-rear end cheap glove from a hardware store is a big help. Stay away from cotton because hot grease + cotton = horrible burns. I xuppose there are probably actually sharp oyster knives out there but I fail to see the point, a letter opener could do the job alright if it didn't break after a half-dozen, and a razor-sharp edge doesn't seem to make any difference in my experience.

Dr. Gitmo Moneyson posted:

I'm actually legitimately curious as to whether this would be any good or not. Enough that I might try a batch at some point. My grocery store sells both andouille and boudin sausage; I might try one or both of those with the casings removed and see if it turns out good. Maybe with or without chorizo.

Guys which sausage(s) should I use for my Cajun stuffing recipe? I can do one or two, but if oysters are going in there too then I need to draw the line at that. Otherwise it's just overkill.

Dry chorizo would be amazing inside a turkey cavity, but andouille would also be good, imho. If you like a fruity stuffing full of raisins and cranberrries and poo poo, I'd lean toward andouille, or a more mexican style wet chorizo.

I have no idea how oysters would work inside stuffing or a turkey however I'm leaning toward :barf:

, probably my personal taste though.

coyo7e fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Feb 12, 2016

# ? Feb 12, 2016 00:53

Shooting Blanks: Jun 6, 2007; Real bullets mess up how cool this thing looks.

-Blade

Oyster stuffing is definitely a thing, but I've never had it myself. Seems strange to me as well.

# ? Feb 12, 2016 01:04

Mushika: Dec 22, 2010

Shooting Blanks posted:

Oyster stuffing is definitely a thing, but I've never had it myself. Seems strange to me as well.

I've never prepared it myself, but I've had some pretty bangin' oyster dressing in my time, but not exactly stuffing. It was always prepared outside of and served alongside the bird. You would think that oysters would work naturally with a rice base, but I've only ever had it with a cornbread base. Also, I'm pretty sure that dressing is one of the few applications that canned oysters are appropriate for (though I wouldn't admit that in public).

# ? Feb 23, 2016 18:05

Trebuchet King: Jul 5, 2005; This post...

...is a
WORK OF FICTION!!

All right, so for Leap Day I'm doing a thing for my marina and making my Louisiana-detour hoppin' john, and we're putting a super hoppy beer on tap, but I'm a little stuck on side options. Gonna do a pork hoppin' john, a vegetarian hoppin' john, and I'm thinking maybe a shrimp hoppin' john too. Greens would be easier than I want to do; been thinking some pickled okra could be nice on the side, so I think I want to stick with the regional thing and come up with some cajun or creole sides.

# ? Feb 26, 2016 01:49

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Trebuchet King posted:

All right, so for Leap Day I'm doing a thing for my marina and making my Louisiana-detour hoppin' john, and we're putting a super hoppy beer on tap, but I'm a little stuck on side options. Gonna do a pork hoppin' john, a vegetarian hoppin' john, and I'm thinking maybe a shrimp hoppin' john too. Greens would be easier than I want to do; been thinking some pickled okra could be nice on the side, so I think I want to stick with the regional thing and come up with some cajun or creole sides.

Maybe smothered okra and tomatoes with some tasso and also some oyster dressing? Big plate of cornbread couldn't hurt either. Thats just the 1st thing off the top of my head.

# ? Feb 26, 2016 03:03

Trebuchet King: Jul 5, 2005; This post...

...is a
WORK OF FICTION!!

It ended up being a moot point; someone else on the entertainment committee pulled the "if you don't let me handle some of this event I'm going to feel guilty as poo poo" card so after some persuading I managed to dial my control freak factor down a bit and let her handle sides/dessert.

That said, I'm totally making note of those for my own personal use--thanks!

# ? Feb 28, 2016 04:39

kirtar: Sep 11, 2011; Strum in a harmonizing quartet
I want to cause a revolution

What can I do? My savage
nature is beyond wild

Would dashi work in place of stock in seafood based recipes? I'm considering being lazy since dashi is really simple and relatively quick.

# ? Mar 11, 2016 07:09

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

kirtar posted:

Would dashi work in place of stock in seafood based recipes? I'm considering being lazy since dashi is really simple and relatively quick.

Hrmmm. I bet it would? It's essentially dried fish powder right?

Maybe dashi with a little white wine or beer depending on the dish you're making?

# ? Mar 11, 2016 16:49

Phil Moscowitz: Feb 19, 2007; If blood be the price of admiralty,
Lord God, we ha' paid in full!

Honestly I've had perfectly acceptable results with Knorr's shrimp or fish bouillon cubes, if you don't feel like making stock. If your supermarket doesn't have them check the "ethnic" section or go to a Latin or Asian supermarket.

E. Not saying don't use dashi, it might work. It just seems to have a distinct flavor that might make things...interesting.

# ? Mar 11, 2016 16:56

kirtar: Sep 11, 2011; Strum in a harmonizing quartet
I want to cause a revolution

What can I do? My savage
nature is beyond wild

That Works posted:

Hrmmm. I bet it would? It's essentially dried fish powder right?

Maybe dashi with a little white wine or beer depending on the dish you're making?

Yeah it's steeping kelp and flakes of smoked/dried/etc fish for a few minutes.

# ? Mar 11, 2016 18:27

THE MACHO MAN: Nov 15, 2007; ...Carey...

draw me like one of your French Canadian girls

I always get excited when this gets bumped, but upset when I see no pics.

Content: top 10 recipes in Prudhomme's LK?

# ? Mar 11, 2016 22:26

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# ? May 9, 2024 21:24

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

Catching a plane to NOLA as we speak. Will check out cookbook / hopefully post pics when I return.

# ? Mar 12, 2016 00:41

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > Put extra pepper on it. Now it's Cajun! The Cajun and Creole food thread.

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