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Give your Mardi Gras party the taste and feel of New Orleans with some traditional Louisiana cuisine. This impressive collection of Mardi Gras Recipes will add authentic flavor to your Mardi Gras celebration.
Beverages
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Chocolate Doberge Cake |
King Cake Ingredients 1/2 C warm water (100-115° F) 2 T yeast 1/2 C sugar, plus 2 tsp. 3 1/2 - 4 C flour 1 tsp. nutmeg 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. lemon zest 1/2 C warm milk 5 egg yolks 1/2 C butter 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 egg beaten with 1 T milk, for egg wash Instructions Sprinkle yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar over warm water in a small, shallow bowl. Allow to rest for 3-5 minutes, then mix thoroughly. Set bowl in a warm, draft-free place until yeast starts to bubble up and mixture almost doubles in volume, about 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, mix 3 1/2 C flour, 1/2 cup sugar, nutmeg, lemon zest and salt. In mixing bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer or food processor, combine yeast , milk and egg yolks. Gradually add dry ingredients, and softened butter, adding additional flour, as necessary to achieve a medium-soft ball. Knead dough, again adding flour if necessary, until smooth, shiny and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place dough in a covered, buttered bowl , in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. In the meantime, butter a large baking sheet and set aside. When dough has risen, remove and punch down. Sprinkle with cinnamon and form into a cylinder, then twist this cylinder into a circle. Pinch the ends together to complete the circle. Once again, cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Brush with egg wash and bake in a preheated oven 375 40 minutes or until done. cool on a rack. <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
Pecan
Pralines Ingredients 2 cups sugar 1 stick butter 1 cup Pet cream 1 tsp. vanilla pinch of salt ¼ cup sugar 2 ½ pecans Instructions Put cream, 2 cups sugar, ½ of the butter and a pinch of salt in large heavy pot. Bring to boil. At same time put ¼ cup sugar in cast iron pan and caramelize. Put caramelized sugar into boiling milk, sugar pot. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until it reaches soft ball stage. (234 to 240 % at sea level, slightly lower as the altitude gets higher). Add the rest of butter and beat until mixture thickens. Add pecans and vanilla then mix in. Drop by teaspoon on greased surface. They will spread out and flatten. Decorate each with a pecan half. Allow to cool. <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
Creole Bread
Pudding Ingredients 1/2 loaf French bread, day old is best 1 qt half & half 1/2 cup plus 8 tsp sugar 4 whole eggs plus 4 egg whites 4 tsp vanilla 1 cup chopped pecans 1 cup raisins 1 cup chopped apple 1 tsp cinnamon pinch of cream of tartar Instructions Break up the bread and soak in the half & half; add 1/2 cup sugar, 4 whole eggs, 2 tsp of the vanilla, pecans, raisins, apples and cinnamon and mix well. Bake in a well buttered 9 x 12 baking dish for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but not dry, gradually adding the 8 tsp of sugar and stirring in the remaining 2 tsp of vanilla. Spread meringue over the pudding and bake 10 minutes or until golden brown <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
King
Cake
Icing Ingredients 3 C confectioner's sugar 1/4 C lemon juice 3-6 T water 1 tiny 1" baby doll Instructions Mix sugar, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of water until mixture is smooth, adding more water as necessary to achieve a smooth, spread able consistency. cut a small hole into bottom of cake and place baby doll in cake. Spread icing over cake and immediately sprinkle colored sugar in alternating color rows. <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
Crab Cakes ingredients 3/4 pound crabmeat (claw crabmeat is a tasty and inexpensive option for crab cakes) 1 chopped yellow onion 1 chopped red bell pepper 2 chopped ribs of celery 2 teaspoon each of dried basil and dried thyme 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 tablespoon mustard 2-1/2 tablespoons real mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tablespoon Tabasco, Crystal or your favorite Louisiana hot sauce Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste French bread crumbs Egg wash (2-3 eggs, lightly beaten) Flour vegetable oil Instructions Mix crabmeat, vegetable mixture, mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper with enough bread crumbs to hold the cakes. Form 2-3 ounce cakes. Dredge in seasoned flour, egg wash, and seasoned breadcrumbs (sequentially). Pan-fry until golden and finish browning in oven. Serve with a drizzle of remoulade sauce. mix crabmeat, vegetable mixture, mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper with enough bread crumbs to hold the cakes. Form 2-3 ounce cakes. Dredge in seasoned flour, egg wash, and seasoned breadcrumbs (sequentially). Pan-fry until golden and finish browning in oven. Serve with a drizzle of remoulade sauce. <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
Oysters Ingredients Two dozen fresh oysters on the half shell, oyster liquor reserved 4 springs flat-leaf Italian parsley 4 green onions (including the green part) fresh celery leaves fresh tarragon leaves fresh chervil leaves 1/2 cup dried fresh French bread crumbs 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Tabasco or Crystal hot sauce, to taste 2 tablespoons Herbsaint or Pernod (optional) Rock salt or kosher salt Instructions Mince together the parsley, green onions, celery leaves, tarragon and chervil as finely as you possibly can. Take as much time as you need. Mince them more finely than anything you've ever minced in your life. Mix this together with the bread crumbs and the softened butter into a mortar and mix the whole thing together into a smooth paste, but do leave a little texture to it. (You can do this in a blender, a food processor, or a mortar) Season to taste with salt and pepper, Tabasco or Crystal and, if you like, the Herbsaint. Preheat your broiler. Lower the top rack to the middle of the oven. Spread the rock salt (preferable) or kosher salt over a large baking sheet; this will keep the oysters level under the broiler, so that they won't tip over. Moisten the salt very slightly. Plant the shells in the salt, making sure they're level. Place one oyster in each shell, plus a little bit of oyster liquor. Spoon an equal amount of the prepared herb/butter mixture over each oyster. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack and broil until the edges of the oysters have curled and the herb butter is bubbling, about five minutes. Watch carefully to make sure you don't overdo it. Serve immediately. <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
Nicole's
Kickin' Creole Chicken  Ingredients Chicken breast Butter (not margarine) Cajun seasoning Instructions saute 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts in 1 TBL butter over medium heat sprinkle. Your favorite Creole seasoning on one side (heavy or light as you prefer) and cook 5 minutes, turn and season cooked side - cook 5 more minutes. Combination butter and seasoning will "blacken" the chicken. Turn two more times and cook 2 minutes each. Remove to ovenproof pan and finish in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
Crawfish Etouffee ("ay-too-tay")  Serves: 6-8 Ingredients 1/2 cup butter 1 cup chopped green onions 1/4 cup chopped parsley 2 pounds crawfish tails 1 cup crawfish fat, if available or 1 cup butter Salt and pepper to taste 1 teaspoon cornstarch Lemon slices Instructions Melt butter in large skillet or Dutch oven and sauté green onions until tender; about 10 to 15 minutes. Add parsley, crawfish tails, crawfish fat (or butter), and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes. If a thicker gravy is desired, dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of water and add to sauce. Serve over steamed rice and garnish with lemon slices, if desired. Etouffee...a rich gravy served over fluffy white rice. <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
Granny's Gumbo Ingredients 1 chicken or guinea hen, without giblets, cut up 1 to 1-1/2 pounds andouille sausage, sliced about 1/4" thick on the bias (substitute hot or mild smoked sausage not andouille available) fresh Creole hot sausage, browned 4 pounds shrimp, peeled and veined 6 blue crabs, cleaned, broken in half and claws pulled off 2 onions, chopped 1 bunch green onions with tops, chopped 2 bell peppers, chopped 5 ribs celery, chopped several cloves garlic, minced 3 bay leaves 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped Creole seasoning to taste, 1 - 2 tablespoons filé powder Steaming hot long-grain rice Instructions Remove the skin from the chicken and chop into 3-4 inch pieces, making sure to cut through and expose the bones. Brown the chicken parts and bones in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes. Put the chicken in the stockpot with the water and bring slowly to a simmer. Periodically skim off any foam that forms, and if you wish use a skimmer to skim off the fat. Let this simmer for at least three, and preferably four hours. It is this long simmering process that extracts the maximum flavor from the chicken meat and bones, as well as the natural gelatin from the bones. When refrigerated, a good chicken stock will be clear and gelatinous Add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Place the peppercorns, parsley sprigs and dried herbs into a 4-inch square piece of cheesecloth or large tea ball (making what's called a sachet d'epices) and tie it into a little sack; add the sack to the stock (you can tie the sack closed with some twine and tie the long end of the twine to the handle of the pot; this makes the bag easier to retrieve.) Simmer for one more hour, then add the shrimp shells and heads. Simmer an additional 30 minutes. Remember that during the simmering process, it's best not to stir the stock. Strain thoroughly; the best way to do this is to ladle the stock out and pour it through a strainer which has been lined with a couple of layers of damp cheesecloth. If you're using the stock immediately, skim off fat. Otherwise cool the stock right away by placing the container into an ice-water-filled sink, stirring to bring the hot liquid from the center to the sides of the container. Don't put hot stock in the refrigerator; it won't cool enough to prevent possible multiplication of harmful bacteria. To defat the stock easily, refrigerate so that the fat solidifies on the surface, then skim off. Makes about 5 quarts of stock. (Except for the shrimp shells, this is an excellent general-purpose chicken stock. The shells and heads are added at the last minute for the additional seafood flavor for that I like especially for this dish; for general use, though, it's best to make separate chicken or fish stocks. The stock will keep for a few days in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.) Sprinkle the chicken pieces with Creole seasoning and brown in the oven. Slice the sausage and brown, pouring off all the fat. Sauté the onions, green onions, bell pepper and celery if you haven't already added them to the roux, and add to the stock. Add the chicken and sausage(s). Add the bay leaves and Creole seasoning (or ground peppers) to taste and stir. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer; let simmer for about 45 minutes. Keep tasting and adjusting seasonings as needed. Add the okra and cook another 30 minutes or so. Make sure that the "stringiness" from the okra is gone ( or use file instead remember that if you're making a filé gumbo, it should be added to the pot off the fire for its proper thickening action.), add the parsley, crab halves and claws (if you're using them). Cook for another 15 minutes, then add the shrimp (and if you've omitted the hard-shell crabs, add the lump crabmeat now). Give it another 6-8 minutes or so, until the shrimp are just done, turning pink. Be very careful not to overcook the shrimp; adding the shrimp should be the very last step. If there is any fat on the surface of the gumbo, try to skim off as much of it as possible. Serve generous amounts in bowls over about 1/2 cup of hot rice -- claws, shells, bones and all (if you've made the original "rustic" version). Remember that the rice goes in the bowl first. |
Ragin' Cajun
Red Beans & Rice serves 6-8 Ingredients 1 lb. dried red beans 3 1/2 C water or chicken stock 4-6 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 C celery, chopped 2 bay leaves 1 large onion, diced 1/4 cup oil 1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced 3 T fresh parsley, chopped salt, pepper and Tabasco (or your favorite Louisiana hot sauce) to taste 2 C steamed rice Instructions Wash, sort and soak beans overnight, as per package instructions. Drain beans and place in a Dutch Oven with 3 cups cold water. Add garlic, celery, onion, bay leaves and oil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours, adding water as needed and stirring occasionally. Add sausage and parsley and continue cooking for about an hour. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste during the entire process. Serve over steamed rice. <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
Swampy-Seafood-Stuffed Bell Pepper Serves 24 Ingredients 12 bell peppers, with tops cut off and cleaned 2 ribs celery, chopped 2 onions, chopped 1 bunch green onions, chopped 3 cloves whole garlic 1/4 cup cooking oil 1/4 cup butter or margarine 3 pounds white crab meat 3 pounds peeled shrimp, boiled 1 small bunch parsley, chopped 1 (8-ounce) package Mozzarella cheese 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated Salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce to taste 10 slices white bread, soaked in water and squeezed dry Buttered bread crumbs Olive oil Instructions |
Gator's Corn Beef Cabbage Ingredients 6 to 7 LB lean corned beef brisket or round 2 lbs. onions 3 lbs. carrots 1 cup malt vinegar 1 cup Guinness Stout 1 tbsp. coriander seed 1 tbsp. black peppercorns 1 tbsp. mustard seed 1/2 tbsp. dill seed 1/2 tbsp. whole allspice 3 bay leaves 4 lbs. cabbage, rinsed 3 lbs. small red potatoes 1/4 cup mixed fruit jelly 3/4 cup light brown sugar 1/4 cup coarse-grain mustard 2 tbsp. fresh ground horseradish Instructions You will need a 14 to 20 quart stock pot with a tight fitting cover. Coarsely chop enough carrots and onions to make 1 cup each and add to the bottom of the pan. Place the corned beef in the pot with with any liquid from the package, the vinegar, Stout and all of the spices. Add enough water to barely cover the beef and bring to a rolling boil. Cover pot, reduce heat and simmer 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender when pierced with a fork. Cut the remaining onions into wedges. Cut the remaining carrots into 3 inch lengths; halve them lengthwise if large. Cut cabbages in half through the core and then into wedges. Scrub potatoes. Add the onions, carrots and potatoes to the pot with the tender corned beef, arrange cabbage wedges on top, cover and continue to simmer until vegetables and cabbage are tender when pierced, 20 to 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, jelly, mustard and horseradish and mix well. With a slotted spoon remove vegetables to warm serving dishes, cover and keep warm. Using tongs and a slotted spoon, remove beef to a shallow baking pan and cover with brown sugar mixture. Place in a pre-heated 375 degree oven to glaze, about 15 minutes. Remove glazed meat to a cutting board, slice across the grain and place on warm serving platters. |
Dirty Rice serves 6 Ingredients Seasoning mix- 2 teaspoons ground red pepper (cayenne) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves Rest of ingredients 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 2 tablespoons chicken fat or vegetable oil 1/2 pound chicken gizzards ground 1/4 pound ground pork 2 bay leaves 1/2 cup finely chopped onions 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell peppers 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 cups chicken or pork stock 1/2 pound chicken livers ground 3/4 cup uncooked converted rice Instructions Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a large skillet, over high heat, cook the chicken fat, gizzards, pork and bay leaves. Cook until thoroughly browned, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in seasoning mix. Add onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Stir thoroughly. Add butter and stir until melted. Reduce heat to medium and cook about 8 minutes. Add the stock and deglaze. Cook 8 minutes over high heat, stirring once. Stir in chicken livers and cook about 2 minutes. |
Voodoo
Jambalaya serves 10-12 Ingredients 2 ham hocks 4 carrots, diced 3 C chopped onions, divided 3 C chopped celery, divided 2 bay leaves 1 whole chicken (3 lbs), giblets removed 3 T canola or peanut oil 1 green bell pepper 6 green onions, chopped 1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, chopped, reserve the liquid 4 T tomato paste 1/4 C chopped fresh parsley 4-6 cloves garlic 1 tsp. thyme leaves 2 tsp. dried basil 1/4 tsp. cayenne T Worcestershire Sauce 1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced salt, pepper and hot sauce (preferably Tabasco) to taste 2 C uncooked rice Instructions Serves 10-12 Place ham hocks, carrots, 1 1/2 cups onion and 1 1/2 cups celery in a large pot and cover over with water. Cook for about 2 hours then add the chicken and 1 bay leaf. Cover and simmer for about an hour, or until chicken is tender. Allow pot to cool for a bit and remove chicken and ham hocks. Remove the skin and bone and chop meat from chicken and ham hocks. Reserve the stock, you'll need about 3-4 cups of it overall (add water if you need to). In a large Dutch Oven, heat the oil and add remaining onion, and pepper and sauté until tender. Add remaining celery green onions and tomatoes and cook until vegetables are soft. Add the chopped ham and tomato paste and cook until the mixture just begins to brown. Add remaining ingredients, except sausage and chicken. Add 2 cups of the reserved stock. Cook for about an hour. In a hot skillet, brown sausage slices. Add browned sausage slices to Dutch Oven and drain excess grease from pan. Return skillet to heat and add chopped chicken meat. Deglaze with 1 cup reserved stock, then add contents to skillet to Dutch Oven. Add rice, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Watch carefully that your Jambalaya doesn't dry out. You might need to add additional stock or water in order to for the rice to finish cooking. <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
Shrimp Creole Serves: 4-6 Ingredients 1/2 cup oil 1/4 cup flour 2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and veined 1 pod garlic, finely chopped 1/2 cup minced onion 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley 1/2 cup warm water 2 teaspoons salt (or less, to taste) Tabasco to taste 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce Instructions Make a light brown roux using flour and oil. Add shrimp and cook 3 minutes over low heat. Add garlic, onion, green pepper and parsley and sauté 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium and gradually add water while stirring. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and cook for 1 hour. Stir occasionally. Serve over steaming rice. Serves 6. A dish like this can be jazzed up to suit your taste: substitute a can of tomatoes with green chilies for one can of tomato sauce, for a peppery flavor; or increase any of the seasonings according to your taste. |
Stuffed crawfish Heads Ingredients 1/4 cup oil 1/2 cup flour 2 medium onions, finely minced 1 large bell pepper, finely minced 3/4 cup stock or water 2 teaspoons salt Freshly ground black pepper 1-1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 2 large eggs, well beaten 2 cups plain French bread crumbs 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1/4 cup minced green onions with tops 4 tablespoons butter, melted 5 dozen cleaned crawfish heads <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
| THE ROUX: Ingredients 1-1/4 cups flour 1 cup oil or butter if you like it rich Instructions for the roux Blend thoroughly in a thick skillet and cook over medium-high to high heat, STIRRING CONSTANTLY. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BURN IT!! If you see black specks in the roux, you've screwed it up. Dump it out and start over. Keep cooking and stirring until the roux gets darker and darker. It's best to use a very heavy pot or skillet for roux-making, especially cast iron. With a good cast iron Dutch oven or skillet, you can get a beautiful dark roux in only about 20 minutes. New Orleans people tend to like a blond or peanut butter colored roux, so feel free to make it that way. <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
THE STOCK: Ingredients 8 quarts cold water 8-10 pounds chicken parts (backs, necks, etc.) and bones, or a whole chicken, cut up and oven-browned Shrimp shells and heads, reserved from the 4 pounds of shrimp that have been peeled for the final step of the gumbo (the heads are very important!) 8 ounces onions, chopped 4 ounces celery with tops, chopped 4 ounces carrots, chopped 2 heads garlic, cut in half horizontally Sachet d'épices: In a small cheesecloth bag or tea ball, place: 1 teaspoon or so black peppercorns, cracked A few parsley stems 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 1/2 teaspoon dried bay leaves Instructions: mix ingredients in 8 quart pot and boil for 30-40 minutes. When done take out cheesecloth. <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
Remoulade Sauce: Ingredients crab meat onion red bell pepper celery mustard mayonnaise egg Instructions Clean the crabmeat, removing all cartilage and shells. Sauté onion, red bell pepper, and celery until the onion is translucent. Add Worcestershire and hot sauce and herbs to vegetable mixture. Cool the vegetable mixture. <<Mardi Gras Recipes-back-to-top>> |
