Louisiana has had its share of famous chefs. Paul Prudhomme paved the way with teaching the ways of Cajun cooking. Fortunately, there is a chef who has stepped up to fill those shoes. Known as Louisiana’s Culinary Ambassador to the World, Chef John Folse continues to teach his style of cooking. Along with numerous cookbooks, he has a cooking show on PBS stations along with a syndicated radio show, Stirrin’ It Up, which is heard nationwide.
I want to share with you today two of his recipes. The first, Baked Garlic Chicken, is a great Sunday meal for the family. A great way to finish off that meal is the second recipe, Cajun Skillet Apple Pie. So grab your recipes, and Let’s head to the kitchen!
Baked Garlic Chicken
Roasted, or baked, chicken seems like a simple dish. It is a benchmark that young chefs are judged. If you like garlic, as I do, you can add more cloves for a more pronounced garlic flavor.
2 young baking hens
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
16 cloves garlic
1/2 pound butter
1 small onion, quartered
1 celery stalk, halved
2 small carrots
Preheat oven to 350℉.
Season baking hens generously inside and out using salt and cracked black pepper. I suggest over seasoning the inside of the cavity since only a small amount of these spices will affect the taste of the hen. Place four cloves of garlic and one eight pound of butter inside the cavity of each hen. Into each cavity, add one half of the onions, celery and carrots. Place the two hens side by side in a deep roasting pan. Rub each breast with remaining butter, and place eight cloves of garlic in the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover and bake for one hour, basting occasionally. Once hens are tender, remove cover and allow to brown, approximately fifteen minutes.
Cajun Skillet Apple Pie
Cast iron cooking is a staple in Cajun culture. They are the best vessel for holding it’s temperature when cooking. Here’s an American Cajun version of apple pie.
Filling:
5 Golden Delicious and 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced thin
1/4 pound Butter
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Vanilla
1/2 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon::
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cornstarch
2 tbsps Flour
Method:
To prepare filling, melt butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple slices, lemon juice and vanilla and cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. In a bowl, mix sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cornstarch and gently stir mixture into apples. Continue to cook until apples are soft but not mushy, approximately 5 minutes.
Topping:
1 1/2 cups all purpose Flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp Sugar
1 1/4 tsps Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup unsalted Butter, chilled
1 cup Half and Half
3/4 tsp Vanilla
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Using 2 knives or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk and vanilla and quickly blend together with a spatula. To assemble the pie, drop heaping tablespoons of biscuit mixture on top of apples, covering most of the center of the mixture. Sprinkle top with remaining sugar and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden. Remove pie from oven and let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.
The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana is preparing students for an life of culinary adventures. He currently has two restaurants, one in Donaldsonville and one in New Orleans. If you happen to find yourself at the New Orleans Airport, he also has a place there where you can sample some true Cajun cooking.
