Cajun Recipes!

Here are some of our favorite Cajun recipes! This is by no means a complete compilation!

Red Beans And Rice

Ingredients:
1 lb red kidney beans
5 stalks celery (chopped)
1 bell pepper (chopped)
1 large white onion (chopped, no yellow onions)
5-10 cloves garlic (chopped)
chicken stock/broth
1 ham hock
1 lb andouille sausage (for best results sausage needs to be from LA)
1 lb pork tasso (for best results tasso needs to be from LA)
cayenne pepper (to taste)
Worcestershire sauce (5-10 dashes)
Dried Thyme
2 whole Bay Leaves

Soak 1 pound of red kidney beans over night.

The next day drain the beans. Put the beans in a large stock pot and put enough water to cover beans generously. Boil for 60 minutes.

While boiling, saute the bell peppers, onion, garlic and celery over medium heat. Once the beans are done boiling drain and add sauteed vegetables, ham hock, sausage and tasso. Add chicken stock to cover (if adventurous try a dark beer in place of some of the chicken stock). Add the Worcestershire sauce, a few pinches of thyme and the 2 bay leaves. Stir. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling bring down to a simmer for 2-3 hours. Check the sauce for saltiness (the stock probably salted it enough), if not add salt and also some cayenne to taste. If the sauce isn't thick enough smash some of the beans on the side of the pot and stir them in, and let simmer some more with pot uncovered. Enjoy over white rice!!! And remember that it is always better the next day!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients:

1 Large Onion Chopped

1 Large Bell Pepper Chopped

8 Cloves of Garlic Chopped

4 Stalks of Celery Chopped

3 Links of Andouille Sausage (You can find this at the Shrimp Dock)

0.5-1 lbs Tasso (Seasoned Smoked Pork, You can find this at the Shrimp Dock also)

~ 2 lbs Chicken Legs or Thighs (buy bone-in and skin-on, this adds a lot of flavor!) (We skinned the thighs before cooking, but that is unnecessary)

For the Roux:

1.5 cups of vegetable Oil

2 cups flour

To make the roux combine the oil and flour in a heavy pan or stock pot on the stove, heat on medium high, continue stirring until roux becomes the color of an old penny or chocolate. Most people cook this in a cast iron skillet, but I cook mine in the thickest bottomed stock pot we own. The sides of the pot help the roux not splash up on your while it is extremely hot! At the beginning the flour and oil will make a liquid paste and then as it cooks it will slowly become much thicker. I am guessing this takes about 15-20 minutes. Once the mixture starts to thicken you might want to turn the heat down to medium low. You can also buy roux already made, but we have not been able to find it in Knoxville. You can also make your roux ahead of time and store in a mason jar in the fridge.

If needed, transfer roux to a large stock pot and slowly add onions and 12 cups of water or chicken broth. This will steam and bubble so be very careful (the roux is extremely hot). These first 30 minutes are important because it takes a while for the roux to dissolve into the water; stir often until the roux no longer settles out. After the liquid is added add bell peppers, garlic, and celery. Let this simmer for about 30min, then add all of the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt, cayenne pepper, and basil. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to simmer and continue simmering for a few hours until the chicken almost falls off the bone. I usually skim some of the oil and chicken skin from the top of the pot before eating. Serve with rice.

This is from the "Talk about Good" cookbook, but Mrs. Cindy recommended it to us:

Crawfish Etouffee

1 pound crawfish tails (from Louisiana, sha!)

crawfish fat

1 stick butter

2 T. flour

1/2 of a medium onion, chopped fine

3 T. bell pepper, chopped fine

green onion tops, chopped

parsley, chopped

Tony's to taste (green can of goodness)

2 pods garlic, chopped fine

Melt butter in skillet. Add flour and stir until blended. Add chopped onion, chopped bell pepper, and garlic, and cook until tender. Add crawfish fat, and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add crawfish tails, and cover. Let this cook about 15 or 20 minutes, on low heat, stirring occasionally. Add Tony's, green onion tops & parsley. Simmer a while, covered, until seasonings blend. Serve over rice.

After crawfish fat is added, a little water may be added to the mixture - it is not necessary.

Hurricane Punch

1/2 (64-ounce) bottle red fruit punch
1/2 (12-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 and 2/3 cups light rum
1 and 2/3 cups dark rum

1. Stir together all ingredients.
2. Serve over ice.

Makes 8 1/4 cups.

This is really good, I might try it again with Hawaiian punch. Just remember, it's not called a hurricane because of the lack of alcohol! It is from: http://www.cooksrecipes.com/beverage/hurricane-punch-recipe.html

Tipsy Irish Whiskey Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow or chocolate cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla or French vanilla or chocolate pudding and pie-filling mix
3/4 cup Irish whiskey or bourbon, divided
1/2 cup cooking oil
4 jumbo or extra large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, 1/2 cup Irish whiskey, and oil, add eggs and beat at medium speed of an electric mixer for 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Spoon into a greased and floured 10-inch Bundt or tube pan. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (350 degrees F) for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. When cake is almost done, prepare syrup.

Combine sugar, butter, water, and lemon juice in a small heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil slowly, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1/4 cup Irish whiskey or bourbon.

Turn cake out onto two large sheets of aluminum foil placed together to form the shape of a cross. Let cake cool for 10 minutes, top side up for tube cake and upside down for Bundt cake. Using a skewer or long bamboo pick, make holes all over top and sides of hot cake. Drizzle syrup very slowly over cake, being careful that too much does not run into any cracks on top of cake. Bring foil up around cake and wrap securely. Cake may be served when completely cool, or store in an airtight container overnight. Cake may be wrapped securely in foil and stored in the refrigerator for several weeks or in a freezer for up to six months.

This one is from: http://www.thatsmyhome.com/sweetspot/tipsy-irish-whiskey-cake.htm

Here is the king cake recipe:http://bakingbites.com/2006/02/king-cake/

There is a stripe of black because the Saints went to and won the Super Bowl!!