Cajun Cooking

[MrBogey]

I figured rather than hijack the hot sauce thread I'd make a new thread about the best damn food in whole US of A.

You see a long time ago back when the French weren't pansies a lot of them got kicked out of Canada by the English and had to live on the land to survive. Knowing how to cook real well because they were French, they put it into good use and could cook a pig so well you'd want to slap a muslim.

Anyways, it's a shame that so few here never grew up having the regular crawfish boil. Good food and good times.

[roche]

Anyways, it's a shame that so few here never grew up having the regular crawfish boil. Good food and good times.

I work with a guy who has a big Crawfish and Gumbo cookout on his birthday and I have never tasted Crawfish like that before. 5 stars.

[Three Hole Puncher]

I figured rather than hijack the hot sauce thread I'd make a new thread about the best damn food in whole US of A.

You see a long time ago back when the French weren't pansies a lot of them got kicked out of Canada by the English and had to live on the land to survive. Knowing how to cook real well because they were French, they put it into good use and could cook a pig so well you'd want to slap a muslim.

Anyways, it's a shame that so few here never grew up having the regular crawfish boil. Good food and good times. Sweet.

Bring it on, ya crazy zydeco listenin', only people ever to make anything French cool bastid.

[MrBogey]

Yea, the boil is really important. You really have to throw in the right stuff. All boils should include potatos and garlic. They got some easy seasonings out that even a retard could make a good boil. But don't rely on the sacks and liquid. Just get the huge tubs of seasoning. Oh, and make sure you purge them right.

The way to eat it and enjoy it is to have no sense of hygeine. Just don't worry about the juice running down your hands or what it is you're sucking or chewing on.

[LiddyRules]

any recipe suggestions?

[Three Hole Puncher]

Yea, the boil is really important. You really have to throw in the right stuff. All boils should include potatos and garlic. They got some easy seasonings out that even a retard could make a good boil. But don't rely on the sacks and liquid. Just get the huge tubs of seasoning. Oh, and make sure you purge them right.

The way to eat it and enjoy it is to have no sense of hygeine. Just don't worry about the juice running down your hands or what it is you're sucking or chewing on. Slow down, slow down... huge tubs of what seasoning?

Purge? Purge what? My colon?

Slowly... details.

[MrBogey]

In a pinch this is a good starter-
http://www.greatcajuncooking.com/tips/crawfishboil.php

You should take a sack of crawfish pour them in a tub and pour the better part of a box of salt over them as you hose them down. The salt forces the crawfish to clean themselves out and you'll generally get a better product out of it. They call that purging.

It's really simple from there. Boil the water with the seasonings in it and throw everything in. Zatarain makes some quick and easy mixes. They come in small tubs that are pretty handy.

And like that guy said, you don't want to eat dead crawfish. You'll be able to identify them because they won't be curled after you cook them.

[Sam_Adams]

I agree it's the best food in the nation as long as you add in fried catfish :P which is just a Southern thing :)

I grew up eating the stuff and I couldn't imagine living somewhere that people don't know what this wonderful stuff is.

[MrBogey]

SE Louisiana (Arabi) gave America Popeye's Fried chicken. Before that all you had was KFC and Church's. I mean, that has to count for something.

[Three Hole Puncher]

In a pinch this is a good starter-
http://www.greatcajuncooking.com/tips/crawfishboil.php

You should take a sack of crawfish pour them in a tub and pour the better part of a box of salt over them as you hose them down. The salt forces the crawfish to clean themselves out and you'll generally get a better product out of it. They call that purging.

It's really simple from there. Boil the water with the seasonings in it and throw everything in. Zatarain makes some quick and easy mixes. They come in small tubs that are pretty handy.

And like that guy said, you don't want to eat dead crawfish. You'll be able to identify them because they won't be curled after you cook them. Okay... I know I can get the Zatarain... I've seen that before, but crawfish? Not happenin'. I'll sub some catfish, I can get that... will that work? How about Cod? I love that friggin' Codfish. Ooops... like a Yankee here. What the fuck do I know from warm water seadfood?

[Sam_Adams]

Okay... I know I can get the Zatarain... I've seen that before, but crawfish? Not happenin'. I'll sub some catfish, I can get that... will that work? How about Cod? I love that friggin' Codfish. Ooops... like a Yankee here. What the fuck do I know from warm water seadfood?

There is no real substitute for crawfish. Sure, you can put shrimp in it's place for gumbo and other dishes, but it's just not the same. They are just different. A crawfish is like a freshwater lobster...that lives in the bayous and swamps :P

[MrBogey]

Ya gotta stick to shellfish. Cooking catfish is a whole other thing.

You can boil crabs, crawfish, and shrimp. That's pretty much it. There's some good hook-ups that can get you crawfish I'm sure. But you'll pay for it.

I haven't seen anyone boil catfish or Cod. I suppose you could do that but that's not something I believe I can co-sign on.

You may want to stick with shrimp as they're easy to get live nationwide. Boiling them is a whole other flavor but still works pretty good.

[MrBogey]

Oh, best way to eat a crawfish is you rip the tail off. It'll come off easy. Suck the fat and juice from the head (no homo) no matter how disgusting it looks or sounds. Then taking the tail bite the meat gently and pinch the very end of the tail where it splits and pull the meat out. It'll take a while but pretty soon you'll be tearing apart the crawfish like a pro and enjoying the hell out of the meat.

[Voss's Tumor]

Okay... I know I can get the Zatarain... I've seen that before, but crawfish? Not happenin'. I'll sub some catfish, I can get that... will that work? How about Cod? I love that friggin' Codfish. Ooops... like a Yankee here. What the fuck do I know from warm water seadfood?

Yeah dude, I'll break it down simple since Bogey's so wrapped up in the idea that everyone shares his level of common sense on the subject that he's missing the obvious questions.

Crawfish are a fresh water shrimp/lobster. In the South, people have huge "Crawfish boils" where they'll literally have a 10+ gallon pot full of boiled corn ears, sausage, potatoes, (etc) and crawfish and it's all boiled in a water with usually a whole jar of some sort of crawfish boil seasoning.

If you can't get fresh crawfish, you can substitute peel and eat shrimp with a lot of success (I've done it), but there really is no substitute for fresh, live crawfish dropped live into the boiling water.

[TreeFortRichard]

Can I tell you I love the history of cooking that exists still to this day in the south...you have BBQ in Texas, Cajun in La, Mississippi has sort of both...I had some incredible local food when I was at Miss State for a week a few years ago. Up north there really isn't such a history of cooking...We have lobster, and chowder and what not, but i think it is the winter forcing everyone inside that halts the cooking, and prevents us from achieving the great food traditions that exist down south. I LOVE good food. I love spicey food. I use
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/2287/images5cproducts5c32578sc4.jpg
In 9 out of 10 meals i cook. I cook things that i think are bland and it blows away peoples tongues. Love my hot stuff.

mMmmm...

[Sam_Adams]

I haven't seen anyone boil catfish or Cod. I suppose you could do that but that's not something I believe I can co-sign on.

Why not? Boiling catfish sounds like some good old fashioned bland Yankee food. Mmmm Mmmm blech!

Down in the South the most common way to cook catfish is by deep frying it to make a crispy meal. And it's LOVELY!

You can also blacken it in a skillet or grill it.

You won't ever find someone down in the South boiling catfish unless they are mentally retarded or five years old, seriously. Well, vietnamese may cook it in a pot with soup or something.

The most common way to fry it is to mix flour and cornmeal together to where the consistancy is more gritty than it is smooth so it will not only stick to the fish but also get crispy from the cornmeal. If you have too much flour then it will just be kind of soggy.

Mix in a pinch of paprika with that as well.

Heal your oil to 350 degrees and slip the fish in. When it is done the fish will be a light golden brown (dark brown means it will be tough) and floats on the surface then it will be done cooking. It will take like ten minutes.

Then take the fish out and lie it down on a plate with a couple layers of paper towels and let it cook for a few minutes and let it soak up the extra oil. Then youre good to go with some hot fresh catfish with some sprinkles of Crystal

[Sam_Adams]

Suck the fat and juice from the head (no homo) no matter how disgusting it looks or sounds.

Well Bogey means that you suck out the guts and crawfish shit from the thorax :action-sm

And down here you don't get crawfish like you do in the North with a side of shrimp of a dish.

Here we have places that do nothing but cook shrimp when they are in season and serve each person a couple pounds of shrimp on big platters.

You just sit there and rip those bugs open and eat them and get messy. And they don't have napkins on the tables. They have rolls of paper towels :action-sm

[MrBogey]

Oh yea sorry I forgot to mention about the freshwater nature of crawfish. Lobster is saltwater and while I'm sure someone tried to be adventurous and cook it as they would a crawfish, I'm sure it failed.

One of the surprising things I've encountered was when I visited Florida and the locals couldn't cook an even halfway decent seafood platter. Realistically quality ingredients are 70% of it but there's no excuse for a semi-tropical coastal people not being able to make a tastey dish.

As far as catfish, Sam has it right. Louisiana(the brand) makes a pretty good ready made mix. Just slap it on and fry it up.

[Voss's Tumor]

The Best Rib Eye in the world... In <5 minutes: (Texas checking in)

Sort of ripped this off from Del Frisco's steak house, but they use ovens that get to like 1300 degrees, so it's a little modified for your household appliances.

Pre-Heat oven to 500 degrees. While it's pre-heating, stick an ALL METAL skillet in the oven so that it pre-heats too. (I can't stress all metal enough, this process will melt almost all forms of plastic or chemical coatings.) The steaks need to be completely thawed, and preferably allowed to rise to at or just below room temperature.

When the oven's at 500, use a pot holder that you really trust and take the pan out and put it on an already hot stove on high. Drop a seasoned rib eye (you will need far less seasoning than you're used to using on steak, and you'll need no marinade. This method retains juice and flavor like no other) on each side for 20 seconds. This sears all the pores of the meat (DO NOT USE A FORK) and locks in the juices.

Stick the whole pan back in the 500 degree oven with the steak(s) in it. Cook for 1:45, take the pan out, flip the steak(s), and put back in for 1:45. (1:30 a side for Rare, 1:45 for medium rare... Basically go up in 10-15 second increments for each level of done-ness)

Pull the pan out and place foil over the steak(s) and allow to sit and cook internally for roughly 2 minutes. This happens naturally, don't apply any heat. I usually put the pan on a towel on the counter or on a stove top that's off.

For seasoning I usually use use a little garlic powder, salt, and lemon pepper. I've never had one person taste this and tell me it wasn't the best steak they've ever had.

Edit for Warning: As with most forms of cooking in the South, all methods used are very dangerous compared to what you're used to in other parts of the country. Don't try anything you see in this thread without taking proper precautions, and until you've got some practice at it, I highly recommend having a fire extinguisher handy. You might think I'm trying to be funny or over-dramatic, I'm not.

In the procedure I just described there will be flaming hot grease and shit flying at you from the pan. Wear an apron or a long sleeved shirt.

[MrBogey]

...I usually use use a little garlic powder, salt, and lemon pepper.

Those 3 ingredients can go a long way in seasoning food.

[Sam_Adams]

:( I'm not the biggest fan of rib eye steak. They are way too fatty for me to enjoy.

[Voss's Tumor]

:( I'm not the biggest fan of rib eye steak. They are way too fatty for me to enjoy.

Watch yourself gun-boy... We sent the redneck mafia after Oprah for such statements... :action-sm

I'm sure you could substitute other cuts of steak (I can see it working well with a NY Strip), but I'd experiment with the cook times because I'm sure a leaner cut will change the chemistry pretty drastically.

[Sam_Adams]

Watch yourself gun-boy... We sent the redneck mafia after Oprah for such statements... :action-sm

I'm a porterhouse kind of fella

[Voss's Tumor]

I'm a porterhouse kind of fella

Porthouse is just a NY Strip and a Fillet Mignon still on the bone you silly bastard! We sell those to tourists who don't realize they just paid a premium for 6 weight ounces of bone! :action-sm

[Sam_Adams]

Porthouse is just a NY Strip and a Fillet Mignon still on the bone you silly bastard! We sell those to tourists who don't realize they just paid a premium for 6 weight ounces of bone! :action-sm

I'm sorry sir but a Porterhouse is the finest steak on a cow. You get the two best cuts of beef all at once. And Porterhouses are a nice hefty chunk of meat. They have to be thicker than the width of a quarter to qualify. I think it's little over 30mm

And when I order them I get a 30oz Porterhouse. So, it's not like the bone weight is that big of a deal :action-sm

[MrBogey]

You know I tried Wright thick cut bacon a few times and thought it was good. But then I came across some Richard's bacon made by the fine folks in Church Pointe. Man, the stuff from Arkansas was garbage next to this. Seriously, I have to give it to Richard's when it comes to cutting a pig. They know their stuff.

[Voss's Tumor]

I'm sorry sir but a Porterhouse is the finest steak on a cow. You get the two best cuts of beef all at once. And Porterhouses are a nice hefty chunk of meat. They have to be thicker than the width of a quarter to qualify. I think it's little over 30mm

And when I order them I get a 30oz Porterhouse. So, it's not like the bone weight is that big of a deal :action-sm

A Porterhouse is a waste of a Fillet Mignon if you ask me. Seared, wrapped in bacon and maybe some shaved Jalapeno while cooking... Soooo many crazy things you can do with that fatty little cut of beef.

Watch yourself man, I know about steak what you know about guns. This could get ugly, fast.

[EvilMonkey71]

For those of you in the NJ area you can check out a crawfish boil in June....I go every year:

http://www.crawfishfest.com/

Great food and great music!

[Sinn Fein]

I'm glad you guys enjoy this stuff... But eating crawfish is never gonna happen for me. I spent far too many years as a child catching them in some creeks and whatnot. They always seemed to be in the most disgusting places.

Again, more power to ya. Enjoy.

[grail]

We're forgetting a few of my favorites.
Andouille
Boudin (Blanc, Noir, and Rouge)
Cracklins
Chittlins
Greens
Whole Hog bbq
Cornbread
Pinto beans
Fried potatos and ramps
Murkels (Morel mushrooms)
Fried sweetbreads with white gravy
Fresh Ham steak and red-eye gravy
Chespeake Bay soft-shell crab

There's also a lot of differences between Creole and Cajun cooking. There's also regional differences in Southern cooking.

Steak, got to go with Ribeye for the marbling. Never have been a fan of the the strip. Second would be the chime and then the filet. Rare. BTW a good sear doesn't seal in the juices. It does however create lots of flavor by caramelizing the sugars on the surface. Never a good idea to poke holes in a perfectly cooked piece of meat. That does provide a point in which the juices can leak out.

[distortion9]

Soooo many crazy things you can do with that fatty little cut of beef.

Watch yourself man, I know about steak what you know about guns. This could get ugly, fast.

I'm all ears...

I have a few 1" thick fillets I'm planning to make tonight, how would you suggest I cook em up (indoors) to a perfect medium? I have a cast iron skillet and like the sound of your last technique.

[mascan42]

eK4umRMJlrs
I gar-on-tee!

I used to love this guy.

[MrBogey]

Yea, cajun and creole are two seperate things. New Orleans is heavy creole while cajun is more a south central louisiana style.

My paternal grandmother was raised out towards cajun country. Though she can't cook. My mom was from Houma so she knows how to make a lot of creole dishes from scratch and was raised on a lot of cajun food.

She loves cajun cottage cheese and hoghead cheese. I can't stand the stuff though.

[MrBogey]

Oh and Justin Wilson wasn't exactly cajun himself. He mastered the art of cajun cooking and put on a great Ville Platte/Lafourche cajun accent. IIRC the guy was raised more towards where I live than actual Acadiana.

[DanaReevesLungs]

I believe Justin Wilson was born in Tangipahoa Parish. He laid down the South Lafourche accent pretty thick, but not too thick b/c if he had no one would be able to understand him. The man could fucking cook though. My dad attended a workshop by Wilson in the 80s and brought a plate back. Holy shit!! Best food I ever ate next to my grandma's.

I go every chance I get to my aunt's house to pick up a tub of some Sauce Picquante. It barely last a week with me.

As far as boiling crawfish, I always use whole onions, mushrooms, garlic, lots of salt and pepper, whole package of cayenne pepper, andouille sausage, corn on the cob, small red potatoes, garlic powder and salt and finally Tabasco. Makes your lips so hot they go numb.

[Voss's Tumor]

I'm all ears...

I have a few 1" thick fillets I'm planning to make tonight, how would you suggest I cook em up (indoors) to a perfect medium? I have a cast iron skillet and like the sound of your last technique.

Basically, a Fillet and a Rib Eye are pretty similar in fatty content, so the searing recipe I put on the first page should work equally as well. I'd probably give it 3 minutes under the foil because of the slightly thicker nature of the cut, but the same basic principals should apply 1 to 1. The only thing to keep in mind is that it takes a bit more hand-eye coordination in dealing with flipping and such of a Fillet because some cuts are like little soft balls and they roll around and shit in the oven if you move the pan too fast.

As far as flavoring? Get some thin metal skewers and try out the thinly sliced fresh jalapeno and bacon wrap around the edges. You literally just wrap the bacon around the circumference of the fillet with the jalapeno slices sandwiched between the bacon and the steak. It's really something you can get creative with depending on your tastes, the bacon fat is going to transfer the flavor pretty well no matter what you put in there.

If you want to get really creative, work on butterflying the steak and putting stuff in it like cheeses or different typed of seafood meats. I know there's an awesome recipe somewhere for crab/lobster meat and cheese stuffed in a fillet, etc.

I, personally, don't have a whole lot of experience with fillets, I've always preferred rib eyes, but I've done the bacon searing thing quite a few times and never was disappointed... Jut not very recently, heh.

[Sam_Adams]

My mom was from Houma so she knows how to make a lot of creole dishes from scratch and was raised on a lot of cajun food.

I lived there ;)

And I love the roads in southern LA. Aside from being under water every time it rains and having roadkill alligators, I love how the roads are mixed with shells and coral instead of stone.

It's a fucking odd place down there though. Great food down there

[distortion9]

Basically, a Fillet and a Rib Eye are pretty similar in fatty content, so the searing recipe I put on the first page should work equally as well. I'd probably give it 3 minutes under the foil because of the slightly thicker nature of the cut, but the same basic principals should apply 1 to 1. The only thing to keep in mind is that it takes a bit more hand-eye coordination in dealing with flipping and such of a Fillet because some cuts are like little soft balls and they roll around and shit in the oven if you move the pan too fast.

As far as flavoring? Get some thin metal skewers and try out the thinly sliced fresh jalapeno and bacon wrap around the edges. You literally just wrap the bacon around the circumference of the fillet with the jalapeno slices sandwiched between the bacon and the steak. It's really something you can get creative with depending on your tastes, the bacon fat is going to transfer the flavor pretty well no matter what you put in there.

If you want to get really creative, work on butterflying the steak and putting stuff in it like cheeses or different typed of seafood meats. I know there's an awesome recipe somewhere for crab/lobster meat and cheese stuffed in a fillet, etc.

I, personally, don't have a whole lot of experience with fillets, I've always preferred rib eyes, but I've done the bacon searing thing quite a few times and never was disappointed... Jut not very recently, heh.

Too late... I fucked them up already. I fucking CAN NOT cook a steak to medium....ever and it's fucking expensive to practice.

The best steak I ever made was a butterflied skirt steak (skirt or flank, I don't remember) loaded up with garlic butter and grilled.....it was fucking ridiculous.

[Sam_Adams]

Too late... I fucked them up already. I fucking CAN NOT cook a steak to medium....ever and it's fucking expensive to practice.

The best steak I ever made was a butterflied skirt steak (skirt or flank, I don't remember) loaded up with garlic butter and grilled.....it was fucking ridiculous.

You're heating your skillet too hot man. Set your stove to like 5 or 6 instead of like 8 or 9.

If you want to sear a steak then bring your skillet to high heat, lie your steak on each side for a good 30 seconds each and then drop your hear immediately.

And if you ever wonder how they grill steaks in steakhouses it's because they don't use one grill if it's a good place. They have one grill burning hot to sear with and then they have another grill cooking on low heat that will cook your steak without burning it and drying it out.

[distortion9]

You're heating your skillet too hot man. Set your stove to like 5 or 6 instead of like 8 or 9.

If you want to sear a steak then bring your skillet to high heat, lie your steak on each side for a good 30 seconds each and then drop your hear immediately.

And if you ever wonder how they grill steaks in steakhouses it's because they don't use one grill if it's a good place. They have one grill burning hot to sear with and then they have another grill cooking on low heat that will cook your steak without burning it and drying it out.

I hear ya, thanks for the tips.

I think I fucked up by covering them with foil while they rested...did em under a broiler 4 minutes first side and 3 on the other....covered them with foil and let rest for 2 minutes = medium/well.....meh.

As soon as I cut into it I was like... motherfucker!


Edit

The dog was really happy at my fuck up....

[Sam_Adams]

I hear ya, thanks for the tips.

I think I fucked up by covering them with foil while they rested...did em under a broiler 4 minutes first side and 3 on the other....covered them with foil and let rest for 2 minutes = medium/well.....meh.

As soon as I cut into it I was like... motherfucker!

Oh, you threw them in the oven. Sorry, I don't oven cook my steak. I don't know shit about doing that.

[stillbornstew]

I use
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/2287/images5cproducts5c32578sc4.jpg
In 9 out of 10 meals i cook. I cook things that i think are bland and it blows away peoples tongues. Love my hot stuff.

mMmmm...

thats just wrong sir. WRONG. try:
http://skiptomylou.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/shrimp-boil-001.jpg

born and raised in new orleans. right before i came out here my family had a 50lb boil. and even that's considered a small crawfish boil, 8 of us polished off the whole thing

[Hudson]

Too late... I fucked them up already. I fucking CAN NOT cook a steak to medium....ever and it's fucking expensive to practice.

The best steak I ever made was a butterflied skirt steak (skirt or flank, I don't remember) loaded up with garlic butter and grilled.....it was fucking ridiculous.
So we know distortion loves the Garlic butter saw!

[Voss's Tumor]

I hear ya, thanks for the tips.

I think I fucked up by covering them with foil while they rested...did em under a broiler 4 minutes first side and 3 on the other....covered them with foil and let rest for 2 minutes = medium/well.....meh.

As soon as I cut into it I was like... motherfucker!


Edit

The dog was really happy at my fuck up....

Dude, the times I posted were actual. I seriously just stare at my watch when I cook steaks since they seriously only need 90 seconds a side in the oven.

3 minutes is double the cook time for medium, 4 minutes is crazy talk. They were screwed before they ever got to the foil.

[NotSoFast]

Mr Bogey, when's the last time you been to The House of Seafood up in Bush? Know of any better buffet places around the area?

Ever been to Murphy's Seafood in Hammond? Pretty good, but no boiled crawfish or buffets. great steaks, though.

[MrBogey]

Whew...it's been years since I went to the House of Seafood. There's another one in the middle of nowhere in Tangipahoa Parish called Whites which was pretty good. Generally I don't hit seafood buffets all that often unless I got a large group of people with me. No dining is more miserable than hitting a buffet alone.

Never been to Murphy's though. Don't travel that much outside of a 10 mile radius except for work.

[stillbornstew]

Whew...it's been years since I went to the House of Seafood. There's another one in the middle of nowhere in Tangipahoa Parish called Whites which was pretty good. Generally I don't hit seafood buffets all that often unless I got a large group of people with me. No dining is more miserable than hitting a buffet alone.

Never been to Murphy's though. Don't travel that much outside of a 10 mile radius except for work.
deanies in metairie is REALLY good.

ever been to middendorf's? it's on 55 heading to hammond from NO, right on lake maurepas (manchac). the shrinp remoulaude salad and BBQ shrimp is just fucking amazing. next time i'm back home (2009) i'll be making a trip. the place is just amazing.

here's some pics from my last crawfish boil.

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/9315/berlincr4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/9315/berlincr4.0091d4d1dd.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=517&i=berlincr4.jpg)

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/5973/berlin2ih9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[DanaReevesLungs]

I hit Middendorf's once on my way to McComb, un-fucking-believably good food. When my wife and I go home to visit we always make a stop at DiMartino's in Terrytown for some muffulettas and if crawfish are in season definitely have a boil. Usually 50 pounds is enough for the 4 of us with enough for bisque and a good-size gumbo left over.

[Awful Me]

I love Red beans and rice with Andouille

Catfish (blackened or fried) with etoufee on it.


Also, if you enjoy a steak cooked anything more than medium rare you should start kissing other men. It's communism to ruin any steak with medium or worse.

[Voss's Tumor]

Also, if you enjoy a steak cooked anything more than medium rare you should start kissing other men. It's communism to ruin any steak with medium or worse.

QFMFT

[NotSoFast]

Funny how all the locals HATE Middendorf's and all the people travelling through love the place. I refuse to eat there. NO seasoning on anything. It's almost like they are cooking Louisiana food specifically for yankees.

For example, their stuffed crabs are about 75% bread crumbs and you get pieces of shell in every bite.

And as far as the steak goes, if you want medium, take it off the heat while it's still rare looking. Steaks continue to cook for about 5 minutes after you put them on the plate.

[BIV]

God damn you people. Yesterday I read the sandwich thread and I was dying for a sandwich. Now I want some Cajun. Do you know how fucking hard it is to get good Cajun food in Seattle? Seattle has some of the best Seafood in the country and the assholes here don't know how to cook it.

Having deep south roots, my dad tried to instill some Cajun sensibility into his sons. Cayenne pepper goes on fish, shellfish and sausage goes in gumbo, Okra is best served sliced into thin circles, breaded and fried in garlic oil.

So share lads, share the secret of gumbo.

And I am taking notes of all the seasonings mentioned here. One of each is going onto my spice rack.

Huh huh, I said Rack.

[BIV]

Oh, and I can help with the steak. Two things I will never cook a steak again without.

First is extra virgin Olive oil. Take a dollop of oil, a little smaller than a quarter, and rub that into the entire steak. Massage the oil in real good.

Second, you spice to taste, but then you need a very light sprinkle of Seasalt. It just adds a little extra yum.

When oven cooking a steak, you have to use a broiler pan and, like someone else said, pull the steak out when it it rare and let it self-cook to almost medium under some foil.

This next trick is going to make some people cringe, but it works great. Once you pull that steak off of the broiler, if you want it seared, throw it on a fully pre-heated George Foreman grill. Slam that lid down and keep it on for less than 60 seconds.

[stillbornstew]

God damn you people. Yesterday I read the sandwich thread and I was dying for a sandwich. Now I want some Cajun. Do you know how fucking hard it is to get good Cajun food in Seattle? Seattle has some of the best Seafood in the country and the assholes here don't know how to cook it.

Having deep south roots, my dad tried to instill some Cajun sensibility into his sons. Cayenne pepper goes on fish, shellfish and sausage goes in gumbo, Okra is best served sliced into thin circles, breaded and fried in garlic oil.

So share lads, share the secret of gumbo.

And I am taking notes of all the seasonings mentioned here. One of each is going onto my spice rack.

Huh huh, I said Rack.
gumbo is easy but time comsuming. can you make a roux?

[grail]

Gumbo starts with the roux and the ingrediant that really makes it gumbo to me is the file' . Really hard to get file' up here. I have to order it online.

Gumbo can also be made with okra as the thickner, but don't try to both a roux and okra. It'll get pasty.

Fried okra, pickles, and green tomatoes make a really tasty snack while your waiting for the gumbo to cook. Wash down with any Abita product.

[Sam_Adams]

Gumbo starts with the roux and the ingrediant that really makes it gumbo to me is the file' . Really hard to get file' up here. I have to order it online.

Gumbo can also be made with okra as the thickner, but don't try to both a roux and okra. It'll get pasty.

Fried okra, pickles, and green tomatoes make a really tasty snack while your waiting for the gumbo to cook. Wash down with any Abita product.

You guys dont have sassafrass trees there? Just harvest some leaves and dry them

[grail]

I haven't found any yet. It's a little cold here in the great white norf.

[stillbornstew]

Funny how all the locals HATE Middendorf's and all the people travelling through love the place. I refuse to eat there. NO seasoning on anything. It's almost like they are cooking Louisiana food specifically for yankees.

For example, their stuffed crabs are about 75% bread crumbs and you get pieces of shell in every bite.

agree to disagree. i drive up there from kenner when i'm home on leave.

[NotSoFast]

That's cool, but I'd sooner have a Fillet O' Fish from McDonald's as go to Middendorf's again.

I've heard lots of good things about Deanie's. I'll have to give it a try soon.

[DanaReevesLungs]

Gumbo starts with the roux and the ingrediant that really makes it gumbo to me is the file' . Really hard to get file' up here. I have to order it online.

Gumbo can also be made with okra as the thickner, but don't try to both a roux and okra. It'll get pasty.

Fried okra, pickles, and green tomatoes make a really tasty snack while your waiting for the gumbo to cook. Wash down with any Abita product.

My mom makes a kick ass crab, shrimp, okra gumbo. Added a lot of water to thin it out, but never too much as to make it bland. She also did a bad ass chicken andouille gumbo. Damn, making me hungry as hell. No places in Florida have anything like this. ;\

BIV...definitely get your hands on some file'. Keep in mind also all you need is a tablespoon of the stuff. Any more than that is too much. And that's for a healthy size pot of gumbo. I wouldn't add file' and okra to the same gumbo as file' also thickens it up.

[stillbornstew]

That's cool, but I'd sooner have a Fillet O' Fish from McDonald's as go to Middendorf's again.

I've heard lots of good things about Deanie's. I'll have to give it a try soon.

the fried seafood platter at deanies NEVER dissapoints. i like the shrimp remoulade also. there's a place in kenner called stingrays on WesEsplanade that serves a crabmeat stuffed catfish w/ shrimp cream sauce thats just decadent. and as the side choose the potato salad made from crawfish boiled taters. its something i think everyone should have once

www.stingraysseafood.com
secure.deanies.com/restaurant.html

[NotSoFast]

Mmmmmmmmm...just had about 8 pounds of freshly boiled crawfish. Seasoned just right. Potatoes, corn, and mushrooms, too.

[Sam_Adams]

Mmmmmmmmm...just had about 8 pounds of freshly boiled crawfish. Seasoned just right. Potatoes, corn, and mushrooms, too.

I'd kick the shit out of my buddy Stewie right now if it would get me a platter of fresh crawfish :action-sm

[stillbornstew]

I'd kick the shit out of my buddy Stewie right now if it would get me a platter of fresh crawfish :action-sm
thats just downright hurtful sammy-kins. :(

[Sam_Adams]

thats just downright hurtful sammy-kins. :(

Stew, you know how good cajun crawfish are. You have to understand that :)

[stillbornstew]

Stew, you know how good cajun crawfish are. You have to understand that :)
of course. but must we really resort to beating up the short guy? :(

i want one of these (ok, not cajun, but very new orleans):
http://bp2.blogger.com/_Wcwv2-mLAFQ/RxbaXScVE_I/AAAAAAAABEI/ASRG8XCUU4I/s1600-h/FJ_Muffaletta1.jpg

[MrBogey]

The other week I went to the crawfish festival in Abita Springs. Had 10lbs of boiled crawfish for 20$. They were nice solid shell crawfish with fat tails. A little bit heavy on the heat but seasoned very well.