Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 2-24-17

Recipes
Mardi Gras also called Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday refers to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday.
Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten sea- son.
Depending on where you’re from, the fried foods traditionally eaten on Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, range from the sweet — like doughnuts and King Cake — to the savory — like fried Po’Boys.
Mardi Gras is basically synonymous with New Orleans, which is home to some of the best fried foods in the country.
Gumbo Style Chicken Creole
Of all the dishes in the realm of Louisiana cooking, gumbo is the most famous and, very likely, the most pop- ular. Gumbo is often cited as an example of the melting- pot nature of Louisiana cooking.
The name derives from a West African word for okra, suggesting that gumbo was originally made with okra. The use of filé (dried and ground sassafras leaves) was a contribution of the Choctaws and, possibly, other local tribes. Roux has its origin in French cuisine, although the roux used in gumbos is much darker than its Gallic cousins.
1/4 cup oil for frying
1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken breast meat
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, with liquid
1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons Worcester- shire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 dashes hot sauce
Directions: Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until mixture is the color of a copper penny. Reduce heat to low and stir in bell pepper and onion. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.
Add chicken, tomatoes with green chile peppers, mush- rooms, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Stir together, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Shrimp And Sausage Jambalaya
Creole jambalaya originates from the French Quarter of New Orleans, in the original European sector. It was an at- tempt by the Spanish to make paella in the New World, where saffron was not readily available due to import costs. Tomatoes became the substitute for saffron.
1/2 teaspoon Cajun soning, or to taste
1 cup uncooked white rice 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 cups chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound smoked sausage (such as Conecuh(C)), cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
salt to taste
sea-
leaves
1 pound peeled and de-
veined medium (30-40 per pound)
shrimp
Directions: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Stir in the sausage, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery; season with salt and Cajun season- ing. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the rice until evenly coated in the veg- etable mixture, then pour in the tomatoes with juice, gar-
lic, chicken broth, bay leaves, and thyme leaves. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, stir in the shrimp, and cook 10 minutes uncovered until the shrimp turn pink and are no longer translucent in the center. Re- move the pot from the heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Dis-
card the bay leaves before serving.
Shrimp And An authentic Louisiana recipe with a rich and spicy fresh tomato based roux with fresh garlic, bell peppers, celery and onions mixed with crawfish and shrimp. A little time con- suming but well worth it!! Serve over steamed rice with hushpuppies and/or crack- ers on the side."
Cajun Crawfish and Shrimp Etouffe
Etouffee (pronounced: [e.tu.fe] ay-TOO-fay) is a dish found in both Cajun and Creole cui- sine typically served with shellfish over rice. The dish employs a technique known as smothering, a popular method of cooking in the Cajun areas of southwest Louisiana.
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped 2 tablespoons Louisiana- style hot sauce
1/3 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional) 2 tablespoons seafood sea- soning
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup fish stock
1 pound crawfish tails
1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
Directions: Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Gradually stir in flour, and stir constantly until the mixture turns 'peanut butter' brown or darker, at least 15 or 20 min- utes. I use a large fork with the flat side to the bottom of the pan in a side to side mo- tion. This is your base sauce
or 'Roux'. It is very impor- tant to stir this constantly. If by chance the roux burns, discard and start over.
Once the roux is browned, add the onions, garlic, celery and bell pepper to the skillet, and saute for about 5 min- utes to soften. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and fish stock, and season with the
seafood seasoning. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season the sauce with hot pepper sauce and cayenne pepper (if using), and add the crawfish and shrimp. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque.
PAGE 6-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017