Real Cajun Cooking - Pure and Simple

Fig Leaf Politics

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:07:45 PST

I have already discussed the idea of not co-mingling politics in this publication. You know? To write mostly about Cajun foods and keeping it simple, informative and entertaining (except maybe just this one time).

It is certainly NOT my intention to offend anyone personally. These are my views and historical observations.

So, with this in mind, I shall begin:

Genesis 3: “... the woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So, she took some of the fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate it … and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.”

Fast forward 2,000 years:

Mark 11: “… Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went over to see if he could find anything on it. When he reached in he found nothing but leaves; it was not time for figs … and Jesus said, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!” The fig tree became withered and his disciples witnessed it.

Fast forward another 2,000 years:

U.S. Congress Bill: H.R. 3200: “…Congress received a health care plan, a voluminous 1,900 page document, which makes it next to impossible for average American voters to understand and comprehend. Democrats are eager to pass the bill before Americans become enlightened about its potential harmful ramifications. [my words]

It’s amazing to me how history repeats itself in similar ways. The U.S. House has managed to pluck some forbidden fruit and is now trying to make the Senate eat it. There are over 1,900 pages (like fig leaves on a tree) hiding something that is suppose to be there, but is not. And, I'll bet that you can probably count all the U.S. Senators, on one hand, who have reviewed the health plan in its entirety and that is very shameful.

So, it seems like fig leaves have been used throughout history as a pejorative symbol for covering-up something which is shameful, or hiding something which is suppose to be there, but is not. The current health plan now in Congress is no exception.

In Genesis 3, fig leaves were used by the first man and woman to hide their ‘nakedness’, and in Mark 11 the fig leaves were hiding something that was suppose to be there, (fruit), but was not.

And now, 2,000 years later, in H.R. 3200, the same thing is happening.

If I were a U.S. Senator (especially one who is a Democrat) I would seek to wither that tree before it is too late, so that no one has to ever eat its fruit.

That's my 7 cents worth (inflation) and I'm sticking to it.

Catch you later. Ahheee!!

Boudreaux and His Mule (audio)

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:20:53 PST

'My Way' by Frank Sinatra

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:59:54 PST

Have you ever had a nostalgic yearning for a great song - a song which completely sets the tone for the way that you feel now - in the moment?

Although Sinatra's song, 'My Way', has been performed by many great artists throughout the years, no one could sing it quite like he could. The words in the song are definitely mine, too.

Skinning and Fileting a Catfish

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:54:13 PST

The reason I filet my catfish this way is because I use the remainder of the fish, after fileting, to make a 'Courtbouillon'.

How to Filet a Catfish

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:09:01 PST

Catfishing with Jacques Gaspard

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:17:12 PST

A lot more time was spent cleaning these cats than catching them. It took 3 men, 4 rods and reels (one broke in half), about 8 ounces of my secret catfish dough bait and 1 hour to catch them. And, it took me more than twice that long to process them. But we had fun!

Too bad we were too busy catching the catfish to catch the catch on film. (wait! ... say that again?)

Well, there's always next time, right?

Enjoy!

Mary Chapin Carpenter - Cajun Music

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:01:28 PST

This is one of my favorite Louisiana songs of all times by Mary Chapin Carpenter. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Kinda gets you in the swing of things, don't it?

Makes me want to go out and wrestle an alligator. Ahheee!!

Cajun Dirty Rice

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:15:16 PST

This meal is so easy to prepare and the taste is absolutely delicious.

1 ½ lbs. ground meat (half pork and half beef)
2 Tbs. oil*
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
½ cup green onion tops, chopped
1 ½ cup cooked rice
1 package beefy onion soup mix
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground meats. Add onions, bell pepper and celery and cook until tender. Next add ½ cup of water, the package of beefy onion soup mix and seasonings. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Finally, add the meat mixture and chopped green onions to the cooked rice; stir and mix well.

This simple dish can become an entire meal in itself.

Enjoy!

A Global Paradigm Shift - Who Would Have Known?

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:47:40 PST

It seems like it was not that long ago when I watched my grandfather sitting on the edge of his old oak rocking chair with his chin steadfastly perched in the open palms of both hands -- elbows affixed firmly on both knees, listening intently, about a foot away from an old Zenith, to the latest top-billing prize-fight to ever hit the air waves. (I'm talking radio here.) This was in the early 1950s.

I just can't imagine how things have changed so much on this planet during these last few decades.

I discovered this vid on YouTube and wanted to share it with you. I'm 60 years old right now, but if I get to live to 77.6 years, (the average life-span of a male in the U.S.), I can expect to see a lot more changes coming this way from over the horizon (according to the trends in this clip) than I've experienced in the last 6 decades put together.

Are we living in the best of times? ... or what?

(I wonder if folks will still be eating seafood gumbo then?)

Well, what can I say except, "shift" happens!

Easy Stove-top Gumbo Roux (video)

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:30:29 PST

Here is a simple roux made with 1 cup of canola oil and 1 cup of all-purpose flour. I attained the chocolate-color in less than 20 minutes. The trick is to keep stirring and watch your heat.

Plastic Bottles and Light Bulbs

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:43:48 PST

Did you know the U.S. trashes over 2 billion plastic bottles every year and that number is growing? And, did you know that less than 12 percent of all the plastic in North America is recycled?

This stuff has been around for a century (literally), and it is not biodegradable. So, that means it could stick around for many more centuries - we just don't know, yet?

Landfills are 'filling-up' and closing in record numbers. We are constantly looking for new places to dump our trash, yet we certainly do not want to live near those nasty dumps, do we?

Did you know that the energy saved by using recycled plastic to shape and manufacture another plastic bottle, instead of making a new one from scratch, can run a 60-watt light bulb for 6 hours. Imagine that!

And imagine how much more light you could harvest if you used those new-fangled compact fluorescent bulbs.

I accidentally stumbled on this informative website last night that I bookmarked for my own future reference which I want to share with you. It is chock-full of informative articles and practical advice about family living, whether it's managing a garden, raising kids, or going through a painstaking divorce, The Professor's House is definitely worth a visit.

You can also find out more information, as I did, about the environmental impact of plastics on our planet.

Hmmm? Let's see? One plastic bottle and a 60-watt light bulb for 6 hours, eh? There are 12 light sockets in my apartment so that means ... I would need? Wait a second! ... I would need? ... let me think. I think I would need around a truck-load to run all the lights in my apartment for about a month.

Catch ya later! Have a great weekend.

PS. Speaking of trash, I thought you might find the following video a little amusing.

Cast-iron Blackened Catfish Filets (video)

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:09:06 PDT

You can find the full written version of this recipe below or you can go to: Cast-iron Blackened Catfish Filets.

Catch ya later! Ahheee!!

Hickory Smoke Brine Formula

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:05:42 PDT

Want to make your next barbecue a huge success? Here is a simple formula you can use to do just that. You will have your dinner guests complimenting you on the wonderful hickory taste of your meal and it is sooo easy to do ... (did I mention that we love 'pure and simple' ways to prepare foods?)

Brine Formula: (for beef, pork or chicken)

distilled water, tepid
sea salt, (or salt without iodine)
1 lb. dark brown sugar
4 oz. Colgin liquid smoke, (natural hickory)
1 fresh uncooked egg, in shell

You will want to combine all of the above ingredients in a non-reactive vessel (glass, plastic, porcelain or stainless steel). I've used the bottom pan of my refrigerator for this from time-to-time and it works well.

In whatever soaking vessel you choose, you will add your meats and enough water to cover it by a couple inches.

Next, remove the meat and set aside a few minutes until you have found out how much salt to add to the brining solution.

You do this by testing it with an uncooked egg. After stirring and dissolving enough salt into the tepid water the raw egg will float to the top. When that happens, remove the egg and put it back in its carton (its job is done), and dissolve the sugar and liquid smoke into solution and re-immerse the meats.

Remember, the longer you let meat soak in the brine solution, the saltier and more smoke-flavored it will become. My aqua-smoke formula, (that's what I like to call it), was used recently to pre-flavor 2 hind-quarters of a feral hog which I slow roasted in an outdoor cooker. I soaked the meat (around 25 lbs.) for about 24 hours to get the required flavor and it came out great.

Be careful not to over do it by soaking the meats (especially chicken) for too long and with too much salt because you can ruin it. The first time I brined 10 lbs. of chicken quarters over night it turned out to be too salty and smoky and had to be tossed.

So, use your own good judgment when it comes to brining your meats. The above formula will produce a taste similar to a smoked store-bought ham - without all the fuss.

Here is a guide which you can personally tweak to suit your own taste:

5 - 10 1bs. of chicken quarters - soak 1 hour
5+ lbs. beef - soak overnight in the refrigerator
5+ lbs. pork - soak 6 - 12 hours or more in the refrigerator

After removing the meat from the brine solution lightly rinse your cuts with regular tap water and pat dry with paper towels before placing them on the barbecue grill. You can proceed grilling your meat in the usual fashion knowing that you are going to enjoy a savory hickory-smoked meal when you are finished (saves you money on buying expensive and special charcoal, too).

Reminder: The number one rule for chicken is less salt and less soaking time. The flesh of chicken is less dense and more stringy (my words) than the flesh of beef or pork and is able to absorb the solution more quickly. Nothing is more embarrassing than having to tell your guests that you screwed-up their meal, right? (I humbly speak from personal experience.)

Enjoy! ... Couchon! Lache pas la pomme! ... Ahheee!

Cast-iron Blackened Catfish Filets

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:47:01 PDT

Ingredients

2 (7 - 12 oz) catfish fillets (8" - 10" in length)
1 measure of DIY Cajun Seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
2 Tbs peanut oil
1/4 lb. butter
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Melt the butter, mix it with half of the dry ingredients and the lemon juice and pour it into a casserole dish. Coat the fillets on both sides well and set aside until you are ready to blacken them.

This recipe calls for a seasoned #10 cast-iron skillet. You can buy 'em for $15 - $20 at your nearest discount department store and they should last several life times if maintained correctly.

In fact, you can find out how to 'season' your own cast iron skillets and pots, similar to the way the Cajuns did it in the old days, by visiting a site I discovered recently called What's Cooking America. Here is an excerpt from one of their informative articles about cast iron cookware:

"The first most common mistake of why people do not like cast iron is that they say everything sticks. If food sticks to your cast iron pan, your pan is NOT seasoned right and you need to re-season it. Cast iron is a natural non-stick surface and if your pan is seasoned correctly it WILL NOT stick!"

Now, I know that some folks will find that hard to believe, but they are telling you the truth. There are a few rules you may have to learn along the way when caring for your cast iron cookware, like not using harsh detergents or chemicals to clean them. Doing that can take the seasoning right off and start the iron to oxidizing and then you find yourself with a rusty pot.

Cast iron cookware users find different methods to keeping their irons in tip-top shape. I've used heat, ice and even salt on occasions to clean my cast iron pots and pans.

Enough of that. What you want to do is to spoon in the 2 Tbsp of peanut oil and let the metal pot get very hot. Peanut oil has a higher flash point than the other oils, like canola and seed oils, so it can take higher temperatures, plus it coats the bottom of the hot skillet better than traditional oils to form a barrier between the iron and the fish.

You will notice when your cast iron skillet gets hot enough to add the fillets by watching for when the peanut oil begins to smoke. When that happens the buttered and seasoned fillets are ready for the pan.

With one hand remove a fillet from the buttered dish and, on both sides, lightly sprinkle half of the remaining dry seasoning with the other hand. Gently lay the catfish fillets onto the hot skillet, leaving room enough for the second fillet and then repeat the process. It's a snap to do when you get the hang of it (kinda like poetry in motion).

Cook on both sides for about 3 to 4 minutes (you only get to flip them once). After that take the cast- iron skillet away from the heat source and allow it to cool for a couple minutes before moving the blackened fillets to the serving dishes.

This meal goes well with a chilled Gulf of Mexico (wild) shrimp salad with Italian croûtons and a light and creamy buttermilk dressing ... and, perhaps to top it off, ... a bottle of fine Beaujolais just for contrast.

"Red wine with fish", you ask?

Well, yes. I've always maintained that if we can blacken a perfectly normal fish, then we can certainly drink red wine to toast the occasion.

Bon Appetit! Ahheee!!

Homemade Habanero Flavored Potato Chips

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:39:53 PDT

Are you tired of paying high-prices for specialty potato chips? Here is a simple way to make you own, on the cheap, by transforming an ordinary russet potato (Fig. 1) into a batch of tasty homemade custom chips (Fig. 2)

This is what you will need:

1 large russet potato, sliced into 1/8" slices
8 ripe habanero peppers, finely chopped
1/2 quart of water
1/4 cup of lemon juice, from concentrate
1/4 cup salt
deep-fat fryer
peanut oil
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by dissolving the salt and lemon juice in the half-quart of water, add the chopped habanero peppers, stir and mix thoroughly. Next, slice the potato and add the slices to the solution and soak for 30 minutes.

Set your deep fryer at 375 degrees F., allow to heat-up, then add your potato slices. Keep an eye on your chips closely. When they have floated to the top and turned into a golden-brown color they are done.

Remove them to a paper towel to soak-up any excess oil. Lightly sprinkle your chips with your choice of seasonings. I like to add finely ground onion powder and cayenne pepper to mine.

Peanut oil makes a much tastier chip, but you can fry them in other oils as well.

Note: You can substitute a less volotile kind of pepper, like jalapenos, if habaneros are too intimidating to the taste buds and palate.

À votre santé! ... (to your health!) Ahheee!!

Lemony Fried Catfish Nuggets

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:20:50 PDT

Ingredients

5 lbs. fresh catfish fillets
1/2 gallon of distilled water
1 pint of lemon juice, from concentrate
1/4 cup sea salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
seasoning
peanut or canola oil

Instructions:

Dissolve the lemon juice and sea salt in the distilled water using a non-reactive container and soak the catfish fillets for no more than 1 hour.

Test the lemon flavor by using part of one fillet. Cut a few nuggets and dredge the wet morsels in your seasoned flour/cornbread mixture then deep fry at 350 degrees F. until golden brown. By testing the first few nuggets for tartness, you will be able to gage the strength of the lemon flavor in your fish and make the necessary adjustments.

If the first 'test' batch is a little too tart for your particular taste, you can lightly rinse the rest of the fillets off in clear running tap water for a few seconds to further dilute the lemony flavor. (Don't over rinse.)

The amount of oil you use to cook your nuggets will depend on you. You will need at least enough oil to fry one side of the nuggets at the time -- which also means you will have to turn them over at the proper time to equally fry them on the other side (around 3 to 4 minutes per side).

I personally like the taste of peanut oil so I use it when I can. During a recent event I used an electric 2 gallon deep-fryer and cooked the catfish nuggets at the stated temperature until they floated to the top. That is when I know they are thoroughly cooked.

Last weekend my friends and I cooked up about 40 lbs. of fresh catfish fillets using a couple of different methods and techniques, including this one.

The lemon-flavored nuggets were the most popular. By preparing the nuggets this way I didn't have to use 'lemon-pepper' to season the fish -- just lemon flavor without the pepper. It is especially convenient for those folks who are spice intolerant. And those who do love spices can add their own after the nuggets are fried. Everyone at the dinner table becomes a winner.

You should try this simple way of preparing your next batch of fish. These Lemony Fried Catfish Nuggets will certainly become a big hit at your next party.

Bon appetit! Ahheee!!

Cajun Song from the Movie 'Southern Comfort'

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:58:21 PDT

Please Read this First

Southern Comfort, the movie, was released in 1981. It became a very popular movie among the Cajuns because it manage to capture and harness that mystical sense of cultural pride and the common bonds shared by the Acadians who live along the swamps and bayous of southern Louisiana. That centuries-old neighborliness does still flourish there today. The bad guys in the movie were eventually defeated in the end and that is something which plays well in my book.

This film clip shows a typical Cajun fais do-do, (pronounced FAY-DOE-DOE), which usually includes the serving of foods like gumbo, bar-b-que, pig roasts, beans, potato salad, ... cold beer ... the list gets larger ... and of course, a boucherie where fresh pork sausage and boudin is made right there on the spot.

In the old days fais do-do celebrations marked special occasions, like anniversaries, mildstone birthdays, and extended family reunions. It is not unusual for hundreds of people to attend such events -- all from one common family tree.

The places which were selected for the events usually included a dance hall of some sort ... possibly an old barn or vacant cabin, ... or under large tents ... and often times near water channels like bayous and edges of the swamp, many of 'em could be similar to the backdrop seen through the eyes of Corporal Harding as he gazes out from inside the dance barn.

In my search for decent Cajun themes in modern movies, I found that this one may have presented a slight overkill about the way Cajuns take care of things, but it didn't lack for good scenery. It was as close to the real thing that I could find, except maybe for this one low-budget film called "Little Chenier" written, produced and directed by Bethany Ashton Wolf and released in 2006.

In my mind it's kind of a toss-up between the two, as far as natural landscape scenery goes, and probably deserves more side-by-side comparisons before a final determination is made.

"Little Chenier" was slightly predictable. The creators of that film used a mildly retarded character, skillfully portrayed by actor Frederick Koehler, as a focal point for their good vs. evil story plot. It was done simply and on the cheap, yet it simply managed to invoke a bit of nostalgia in me which I enjoyed.

The photographers in that piece did an exceptional job with what they had on hand -- a cornucopia of natural swamp scenes which painted the landscape in the area of their filming and to which no artist, if it were a canvas, other than God Himself, could re-create.

It's such a pity there aren't more movies made in Cajun country. Good ones!

All of the graphics and scenes grow freely and naturally in full glory. Everything a movie producer would need is already there like an open book -- just fill in the blanks with good script, actors and cameras and voila! ... you've got another movie. Don't forget the mosquito repellent, tho.

The clip shown here marks a turning point in the movie for the characters of its top billing actors, Keith Caradine and Powers Booth.

After certain members of their squad played a childish prank on the locals it caused all hell to break loose in the Louisiana swamps.

Commanded by a paranoid Corporal Hardin, played by Booth, (and in this scene with a devil-may-care Pfc. Simms), portrayed by Caradine, the military guys suddenly find themselves in the middle of a Cajun hoedown, in hot pursuit by angry men who want to kill them, and the question eventually comes down to how can they escape the threat of immediate danger by pushing forward and forging through an equally dangerous swamp -- will they make it?

As the guards try to find a way out of their unexpected predicament, the story pits a fierce clan of deep-swamp Cajun men against an entire dispatch of weekend warriors carrying only blank cartridges in their weapons. I'll let you guess who wins?

But, it's the ambiance, especially during this particular scene, which I wanted to share with you anyway, because it correctly depicts the festive get-togethers which were so typical of the ones I grew-up around when I was a kid, and not so much the story's content. I hope you enjoy the fais do-do part and the Cajun French song (please don't ask me what the words mean).

A WORD OF CAUTION: For those of you with queasy stomachs, you may want to look away during the final seconds of the clip when a hog is put down for the boucherie.

Written and directed by Michael Kane, David Giler and Walter Hill, along with a cast of talented actors, (Autry, Ward, Coyote, Seales, Smith), this movie strongly accents the message that one should not mess around with Cajuns and their way of life.

Although a bit presumptuous, the movie's timing was alright as it created wonderful fodder for the locals to talk about for generations to come. It evolved into a true Cajun cult classic.

I can almost hear a typical conversation now, ... "there was a movie that was made 'bout us. Yep, it's true! ... just a couple miles south of here ... look over there ... from here you can see that part of the bayou where they did the filming. See the bend by that crooked oak tree over there ... look to the left ...".

But, in the overall grand scheme of things, this film managed to create an image of Acadiana which became a little more noticeable and a tiny bit larger on the world scene than she had prior to its release. So, that was a plus.

At the same time it gave us yet another rare peek into the everyday lives of Cajuns living along the bayous and swamps of south Louisiana. (Did I mention the mosquito spray?)

CYL (catch you later) Ahheee!!

Cacklin Cracklins

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:01:33 PDT

In a microwavable bowl add the following:

chicken skin of 1 med. fryer
salt and pepper to taste

On high, microwave the chicken skin until most of the oil is rendered out.

I usually cook mine for about 10 minutes, drain off the fat, and continue on for another 3 to 5 minutes. Use you own judgment because each oven is different. If you cook the skin for too long it will burn. If you don't cook it long enough it will remain pliable and not crispy as cracklings should be.

If you are preparing a gumbo using powdered gumbo roux you may add the chicken oil (fat) to the gumbo for flavoring and cook it along with the other meats and vegetables, stirring occasionally.

When the gumbo is finished, the oil from the chicken skin will rise to the top. Take a few clean paper towels and soak-up the oil and discard the towels. The roux in the gumbo will have absorbed the wonderful chicken flavor and you can still get rid of the fat.

If you have rendered the chicken skin correctly, without burning it, it will turn into delicious craklings for you and your guests to snack on while your gumbo is brewing. Break it apart and pass it around. It goes great with a couple cold brewskeys. Try it! I bet you will like it.

(I like to add a little cayenne pepper to my cacklin cracklins.)

Ahheee!! C'est bonne!

Cajun Hobo Dinner

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:24:59 PDT

The reason I called this meal a Cajun Hobo Dinner is because I added the vegetable 'trinity' to the meal, i.e., onions, bell pepper and celery, as well as the other vegetables and seasonings outlined in the list below. I wrapped all of the layered ingredients in aluminum foil and cooked the hobo dinners for 45 minutes at 400 degrees F. This is a very simple and gratifying meal to prepare.

Ingredients

ground beef, (1/2 lb. for each meal)
slice of onion
slice of potato
slice of bell pepper
carrot slices
celery slices
DIY Cajun seasoning

It is best to not exceed 1/2 inch on the sliced vegetables so they can have a chance to fully cook during the alloted time (45 minutes).

Of course there are other methods of cooking the same meal at different temperatures. You can prepare this in the oven at 350 degrees F. for about an hour, or you can stack your hobo dinners in a slow-cooking crock pot and cook it for several hours. It's your choice.

Bon Appetit!

My Toot Toot (video)

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:53:28 PDT

Rockin' Sydney Semien,(1938-1998), was a pioneer of Zydeco music in the mid 80s and the songwriter and publisher of the song "My Toot Toot" (slang for 'My Sweetheart').

In this video John Fogerty presents his rendition of the song while Sydney plays the accordion.

The scenes depicted here typifies the joie de vivre (joy of living) and festivities of Cajun life found throughout south Louisiana.

I hope you enjoy this upbeat performance.

Ahheee!!

Boudain (boudin) Balls

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:43:47 PDT

This recipe is a slight departure from my original boudain recipe. I omitted the pork kidneys, pork heart and pork liver (because I couldn't purchase those particular items locally). So, without greatly compromising the original, I used the following ingredients:

4 lbs. pork steak, with fat
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 medium onions, chopped
4 cups cooked long grain rice
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste

In a 5 quart pot add enough water to cover the first 3 ingredients and boil until tender. With a spoon skim and discard the foam which will surface. Drain the liquid and grind everything together, but reserve a couple cups or so of the broth to moisten the boudain dressing later. I use a small meat hand grinder with a 3/8th inch plate.

Next, add the cooked long grain rice, salt, pepper, green onions and parsley and just enough broth to make a moist dressing. Mix together thoroughly in a large bowl and refrigerate over night. Remove from the refrigerator and roll the boudain into ping pong size balls. You can freeze them until you are ready to serve.

The reason I don't make my boudain balls larger than ping pong size is because anything larger has a tendency to stay frozen in the center during frying. Fry the boudain balls at 375 degrees until a golden-brown color is reached (around 5 or 6 minutes).

It is a good idea to thaw the balls out about half-way before frying so they don't lose their solid texture. This makes the process of coating them in the batter and dredging them in flour much easier. I prefer to double batter them by dipping and dredging twice to get a good coating before frying.

There are a variety of batters which you can use. Mine is very simple: beat together 1 egg and about a 1/4 cup of milk. I usually add a little more seasoning to the all-purpose flour, also, to suit my particular taste - like sea salt, dried basil and thyme.

Of course you can always take your boudain balls straight out of the freezer and steam them or cook them up in the microwave. It doesn't take long.

This simple recipe does not call for sausage stuffers or animal casings.

Give it try sometime and let me know how it comes out. If you have any questions post them in the comment section below and I will be happy to answer them.

Note: In the past I've tried substituting pork liver with beef liver, but it seems to conflict ... so, you are probably better off eliminating the liver ingredient altogether. You should still come out with a good tasting boudain.

Enjoy!

With Age Comes Wisdom (audio)

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:54:53 PDT

download audio file. Here is your link to the text version of this story.

With Age Comes Wisdom

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:00:08 PDT

Boudreaux was a 72 year old widower and an avid fisherman. One day while fishing in his pirogue along the bayou near his home he heard the sound of someone's voice. He thought he may have been dreaming because there was no one around.

As he listened carefully he heard it again.

"Pick me up", the voice said.

Boudreaux looked around and saw that it was a frog sitting on a lily pad about a foot away from his boat.

The old Cajun man asked the frog, 'Are you talking to me?'.

The frog said, "Yes, I'm talking to you. Pick me up and kiss me then I will turn into the most beautiful woman you have ever seen in your life and I will make sure all your friends are envious and jealous because I will become your bride".

The old fisherman looked at the frog for a short time. He then reached over and gently picked-up the frog and carefully put the creature in his front shirt pocket.

The frog said to Boudreaux, "Hey! Are you crazy? Didn't you just hear what I told you? I said to kiss me and I will turn into your beautiful bride."

The old man opened his pocket and looked at the frog and said, 'Nah. At my age I would rather have a talking frog.'

With age comes wisdom.

Ahheee!!

If this story inspires you to try frog legs, check out Jacque's recipe, Frog Sauce Piquante

Frog Sauce Piquante

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:00:21 PDT

6 whole bull frogs cut into pieces or 8 bull frog legs
¾ cup oil
8 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 large onion, chopped
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 large can tomato juice
1 small can Rotel tomatoes
Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Make roux, (light color), with all-purpose flour and oil. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato juice, Rotel tomatoes, garlic powder, all seasonings and water and bring to a boil. If too thick add more water. Cook for approximately 1 hour. Add frogs and cook until tender. This dish should be lightly seasoned. Serve over cooked long grain rice.

Spicy Cajun Meatloaf (audio)

ezgumbo@gmail.com (Jacques Gaspard) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:55:56 PDT

download audio file. Here is your link to the text version of this recipe.