In honor of the city that loves and lives to eat, we bring you recipes for po’boys, gumbo, red beans, and étoufée.
Shrimp Po’boy with Spicy Ketchup
A New Orleans specialty, this famed French bread sandwich got its start during the railway strike in 1922. Restaurant owners Bennie and Clovis Martin offered any “poor boy” without work a free meal. Today, you’ll find variations stuffed with fried shrimp, oysters, chicken, and roast beef–all deliciously satisfying.
YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich half)
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 (10-inch) submarine rolls, split
- 2 cups torn curly leaf lettuce
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
PREPARATION
- Prepare broiler.
- Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Combine breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic in a medium bowl, stirring with a fork. Combine oil and shrimp; toss well. Place half of the shrimp in the breadcrumb mixture; toss well to coat. Place breaded shrimp in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining shrimp and breadcrumb mixture. Broil 4 minutes or until shrimp are done.
- Combine ketchup, juice, Worcestershire, chili powder, and hot sauce in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
- Spread 2 tablespoons ketchup mixture over cut sides of each roll half. Place 1 cup lettuce over bottom half of each roll; top with 1/4 cup onion. Arrange 1 cup shrimp on each roll half; top with remaining roll half. Cut sandwiches in half.
Chicken-and-Sausage Gumbo
A symbol of Creole cooking, gumbo is ubiquitous in homes and restaurants across Louisiana. Andouille sausage and file powder make this recipe a classic and, as in any good gumbo, a deep, rich roux thickens the stew.
YIELD: Makes 4 to 6 servings
COOK TIME: 3 Hours
PREP TIME: 55 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 4 skinned bone-in chicken breasts
- Vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 2 quarts hot water
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 4 green onions, sliced
- Filé powder (optional)
- Hot cooked rice
- Garnish: chopped green onions
PREPARATION
- Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until browned. Drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Set sausage aside.
- Cook chicken in reserved drippings in Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes or until browned. Remove to paper towels, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Set chicken aside.
- Add enough oil to drippings in Dutch oven to measure 1/2 cup. Add flour, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 20 to 25 minutes, or until roux is chocolate colored.
- Stir in onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook, stirring often, 8 minutes or until tender. Gradually add 2 quarts hot water, and bring mixture to a boil; add chicken, garlic, and next 5 ingredients. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Remove chicken; let cool.
- Add sausage to gumbo; cook 30 minutes. Stir in green onions; cook for 30 more minutes.
- Bone chicken, and cut meat into strips; return chicken to gumbo, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves.
- Remove gumbo from heat. Sprinkle with filé powder, if desired. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish, if desired.
John’s Creole Red Beans
Monday is the traditional day to serve red beans and rice in New Orleans. It’s said that red beans were perfect for “washing day” (Monday) because they could be left to simmer while the day was devoted to laundry. The cook time for this recipe is three hours. While you may opt to wash a few loads, we prefer relaxing with a good book.
YIELD: Makes 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (16-ounce) package dried red kidney beans
- 1 pound spicy smoked sausage
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Hot cooked rice
- Garnish: chopped green onions
PREPARATION
- Rinse and sort beans according to package directions. Place beans in a Dutch oven; cover with water 2 inches above beans, and let soak 8 hours. Drain beans, and rinse thoroughly; drain and set aside.
- Cut smoked sausage into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
- Sauté sausage in hot oil in Dutch oven over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes or until sausage is golden brown. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. (Store sausage in refrigerator until you’re ready to stir into bean mixture.) Add celery and next 3 ingredients to hot drippings, and sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes.
- Stir in beans, broth, and next 5 ingredients; increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beans are tender. Stir in sausage, and simmer 30 more minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish, if desired.
- Note: For quick soaking, place kidney beans in a Dutch oven; cover with water 2 inches above beans, and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute; cover, remove from heat, and let stand 1 hour. Drain as directed, and proceed with recipe. For testing purposes only, we used Conecuh Original Smoked Sausage, which is spicy.
Crab-and-Shrimp Étouffée
This Cajun stew served over rice gets its rich depth and flavor by starting with a simple roux base that keeps the stew thick and flavorful. Create the roux by mixing flour and butter until it’s caramel-colored, then add your seafood, vegetables, and flavorings.
YIELD: Makes 4 to 6 servings
COOK TIME: 27 Minutes
PREP TIME: 20 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds unpeeled, medium-size raw shrimp*
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14-oz.) can chicken broth
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium Creole seasoning
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 (16-oz.) container fresh crabmeat, drained and flaked
- 5 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
- Garnish: chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
PREPARATION
- Peel shrimp; devein, if desired.
- Melt butter with oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; stir in flour, and cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until caramel colored. Add chopped onion, green pepper, and celery; cook, stirring constantly, 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add minced garlic, and sauté 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken broth, white wine, and next 6 ingredients, and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Add shrimp. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
- Stir in crabmeat; cook, stirring often, until thoroughly heated.
- Spoon shrimp mixture into individual serving bowls. Spoon hot cooked rice on top of shrimp mixture. Garnish, if desired.
*2 (16-oz.) packages frozen unpeeled, raw shrimp, thawed according to package directions, may be substituted.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Tony Chachere’s Lite Creole Seasoning.
Creole Jambalaya
Using Andouille or Cajun-flavored sausage adds a kick to this signature, Louisiana dish. Jambalaya, similar to Spanish paella, is a combination of rice with vegetables, meat, or seafood.
YIELD: Makes 8 servings
COOK TIME: 1 Hour
PREP TIME: 25 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 8 green onions, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 3 cups cubed cooked ham (1 pound)
- 1 pound Cajun-flavored or smoked sausage, sliced
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 5 cups cooked rice
- Garnishes: fresh parsley sprig, chopped fresh parsley
PREPARATION
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; sauté until tender. Add ham, sausage, and next 4 ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
- Stir in rice, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes over low heat. Garnish, if desired.
Brennan’s Bananas Foster
Brennan’s, one of New Orleans’ original restaurants, is famous for its Bananas Foster created by Chef Paul Blangé. The banana-and-rum dessert was added to the restaurant menu in the 1950s and soon became an international favorite.
YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 1/4 cup ice cream, 2 banana pieces, and 2 tablespoons sauce)
INGREDIENTS
- 4 medium bananas
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup crème de banane (banana liqueur)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup dark rum
- 2 cups vanilla low-fat ice cream
PREPARATION
- Peel bananas; cut each banana in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 2 pieces.
- Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, liqueur, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes. Add bananas; cook for 4 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat. Add rum to pan, and ignite rum with a long match. Stir bananas gently until flame dies down. Serve over ice cream.
