Cajun Nite

Cajun cuisine…..the mere thought of it makes me happy!!  The blending of hot sauce with earthy spices is a delight to my palate!  For me, the hotter the better.  This is my comfort food, the food I grew up with. 

I opened my cabinet and reverently pulled out the sacred book - - the cookbook from Commander’s Palace in New Orleans called Commander’s Kitchen.  Commander’s Palace was an icon in my family.  No visit to New Orleans would be complete without a visit to one of the Brennan family’s restaurants.  I could sit for hours perusing the pages, looking at the pictures, imagining the presentation. 

The Man and I invited my gal-pal and her hubby over for dinner.  Interestingly enough, I realized that we’ve had so much fun cooking together that going out for dinner has fallen by the wayside.  It is just so much fun to create a lovely meal and share it with others.  It’s something we really enjoy.

I already had the bread sitting out the night before to get good and dry.  Bread pudding was a staple in my home growing up so I am in the habit of freezing any and all leftover bread for kitchen creations.  This came in handy here!  I deviate from the recipe a bit by pouring the cream and sugar mixture over my bread and let it sit for a few minutes before I put it in the oven so I can ensure all of the bread soaks up the cream and is not dry.  This is the key to good bread pudding--having the bread soak up all of that creamy yumminess so that it melts in your mouth. 

Chicken Etouffet is super simple!  You simply take a heavy gauge stockpot (or le creuset) and bring ½ cup of oil to the smoking point and add chicken (previously dusted with flour, salt, pepper and hit of cayenne) and cook until browned.  You remove the chicken and add a couple of onions, a couple of bell peppers, a couple of jalepenos and 15 cloves of garlic (yes, I said 15).  Sauté the veggies until they are soft and add a bit of flour until the color is a beautiful dark brown.  Add 2 tsp each of thyme and sage and pour water (about 3 cups) into the pot a little at a time.  (This time, I deglazed the pan with white wine and quite honestly, it didn’t work as it detracted from the earthiness of the thyme and sage and tasted a bit bitter).  You add the chicken back in and simmer for about a half an hour.  It’s typically served over rice (although much to my embarrassment, I forgot the rice)…..but it wouldn’t be a dinner party without some kitchen drama!!

I prepared the frozen shrimp by setting them in a colander to defrost a bit and shaking Old Bay seasoning all over them.  The bread pudding is put in the oven just as the doorbell rang.  How I love it when things all work in time - like a symphony.  It makes me feel so June Cleaver-ish!!

Barbeque shrimp is an easy appetizer dish as it takes only a few minutes to prepare (but holy cow is it good!!!!!).  Get a large skillet, heat a tbl olive oil until it smokes, add a large head of garlic (minced - yes, head not clove) and 2 tbl fresh rosemary.  Cook until the garlic is lightly browned (just a minute or two) add the seasoned shrimp (2 lbs), 3 tbl Worchestershire Sauce, and 3 tbl Tabasco. 

I asked my friends the degree of heat they liked in their food - - my girlfriend, being a true soul-sister said, “the hotter the better,” so I obliged with even more Tabasco ( I know, it’s an addiction).  I squeezed a large lemon into the pan then quartered it and put it in the skillet.  Next addition was 1/3ish cup of beer, some salt and pepper and if this wasn’t enough, a stick of butter.  Trust me - - you will have died and gone to heaven - - it’s that good!!!  This is served with lots of bread to dip into the sauce.

We served the Ghost Pines cabernet with the appetizer and the etouffet.  This cabernet is a Lodi cabernet which means it has more fruit forwardness than a typical cabernet and is very round and big.  It was the perfect combination as the fruit forwardness complimented the spice nicely.  The wine and the entrée complimented each other rather than competing with each other.

For dessert, Jeff Wilcox at Vine & Table suggested a Late Harvest Savignon Blanc (similar to an ice wine in sweetness and concentrated flavor).  We chose Errazuriz from Chile.  I was a bit unsure with combining a sweet wine with a sweet creamy dessert, but Jeff assured me it would be fabulous.  Boy was he ever right!!  The combination of the wine’s fresh, fruity and slightly sweet white grape, apple, pear, and apricot flavors blended so well with the decadently creamy bread pudding with hints of nutmeg and allspice.  Fab-u-lous!!! 

Our conversation lingered over the candlelight.  Our bellies were full and our spirits were happy.  Life is good!

Becky Blogs at www.divorced-diva.blogspot.com