Getting recipes cooked and photographed

On or around November 11th, my first cookbook, You Can’t Take New Orleans Out Of The Cook, will be rereleased. There are two things that were missing in the first edition, an index and pictures. While the first item is easily remedied, the second takes work.

That is what I have been working on. Cooking and photographing the recipes so that when the book is back out for sale, it will be better than the first time. Here are three of the recipes that I have recently cooked and photographed. The first is a Sunday classic, Fried Chicken. The second, Crab Cakes, put me on the map. Lastly we have dessert, White Chocolate Mousse. Gather up your ingredients, and Let’s head to the kitchen!

Fried Chicken

Popeye’s was invented in the small town of Chalmette, just outside of New Orleans. According to Al Copeland’s daughter Bonnie, they ate chicken every night until the recipe was perfected. Here is my recipe for Popeye’s Spicy Chicken.

Canola oil

2 fryer chickens, cut into 8 pieces each

Creole seasoning

1 cup buttermilk

4 eggs

1/3 cup water

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

2 teaspoons granulated onion

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper.

Preheat large skillet filled with 2 inches of oil to 350 ℉. Wash chicken pieces and pat dry. Sprinkle generously with Creole seasoning. In a medium bowl combine buttermilk, eggs and water: mix well. Mix dry seasonings with flour. Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk mixture and then dredge in flour, shaking off the excess. Fry chicken for approximately 10-15 minutes until brown on both sides. Chicken is done when juice that runs out after poking with a fork is clear. Drain well on paper towels before serving.

Crab Cakes

This is my original signature recipe. This recipe has appeared in numerous magazines and cookbooks. It’s different as it uses no mayonnaise to bind the cake together.

1 pound crabmeat

1 tablespoon butter

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/3 cup green onion, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon Old Bay Seafood seasoning

3/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon fresh basil leaves, chopped

Pick through crabmeat, removing pieces of shells. Set aside. Over medium heat, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Sauté garlic in butter until golden brown. Add green onion and cook until soft. Add parsley and cook one minute. Add crabmeat to pan. Add Old Bay seasoning and mix thoroughly. Add heavy cream and mix well. Add breadcrumbs and mix well. The mixture should not be liquidly. If so add more breadcrumbs. Add salt, pepper and basil and mix well. Allow mixture to cool. Form cakes in hand, making a 2 1/2 -inch circle. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Cook in a 350 ℉ oven for 10 minutes. You may also deep fry them by heating a fryer to 360 ℉. Dip crab cake in mixture of milk and beaten egg, then cover with breadcrumbs. Cook them for 3 minutes or until golden brown.

White Chocolate Mousse

Here is a simple, yet elegant dessert. The first time you make it, you will be pleasantly surprised. So will your dining companions.

8 ounces white chocolate, chopped into very small pieces, or white chocolate chips

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup heavy cream

Chocolate sprinkles

In a large glass bowl, place the chopped white chocolate and set aside. Add the egg yolks and sugar to a small bowl and whisk until pale in color. In a saucepan, over low heat, bring 1/4 cup of the cream to a simmer, and slowly add the cream into the yolk and sugar mixture to temper. Pour the creamy mixture back into pan and stir with a wooden spoon until it coats the back of it. Pour hot mix through a strainer over the bowl with the white chocolate. Stir until completely smooth. In another bowl, whip 1 cup of the cream to almost stiff peaks. Fold half the whipped cream into the white chocolate mix to lighten and then fold in the remaining whipped cream. Spoon the white chocolate mousse into 4 serving cups and refrigerate until set, approximately 1 hour. Top with chocolate sprinkles.

If you enjoy collecting cookbooks, as I do, you will want to add this one to your collection. My last cookbook, Creole & Cajun Comfort Food, has a distinctly New Orleans flair. My first one is a collection of family favorites. You will find recipes that everyone will like in it. I hope you are excited about its’ release as I am.