Perfect Recipes for Mardi Gras

Tuesday is Mardi Gras day. Here in Arkansas it’s just another day. In the South, it’s a day of parades, family and fun. It’s also a day filled with food.

If you are fortunate to have a friend with a house on the parade route, your food will usually be more that Popeye’s Fried Chicken. With that in mind, I want to share two recipes that are perfect for Mardi Gras day. The first is an appetizer, Green Goddess Louisiana Crab dip. An entree for the gathering would be Chicken, Pork and Andouille Jambalaya. So gather your ingredients, and Let’s head to the kitchen!

Green Goddess Louisiana Crab Dip

Green Goddess dressing has a New Orleans connection. Chef Warren Leruth created Green Goddess dressing for the Seven Seas company. Its’ flavor is a great combination with crabmeat.

1 pound fresh Louisiana lump crabmeat

1 lemon

2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 green onion tops

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

8-ounces cream cheese, softened

1 large shallots, minced:

1 cup packed fresh baby spinach

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

Carefully pick over crab, removing bits of shells. Place in a mixing bowl.

Grate lemon, reserving 1 teaspoon grated rind. Squeeze juice; strain to remove seeds. Combine juice and garlic in a blender; pulse until garlic is finely chopped. Add sour cream and mayonnaise; pulse three or four times until blended. Add green onion tops and basil, salt and pepper, pulse five or six times or until blended, stopping to scrape down sides with a spatula. Pour mixture over picked crab. Add cream cheese and reserved one teaspoon grated lemon rind, mix well.

Remove any long stems from spinach, finely chop and add to dip mixture. Quarter each tomato; cut away and discard the core and seeds. Chop tomato meat, add to dip mixture and mix well. Taste; adjust seasoning. Place in a one-quart container, cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap and chill at least two hours or up to five days. Serve with crackers, fresh sliced bread and your favorite crudités.

Chicken, Pork and Andouille Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a great dish for a large gathering. You can make it with any proteins you have. Here’s one that is sure to please any crowd.

2 tablespoons bacon drippings or canola oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed

1 1/2 pounds pork stew meat, cubed

2 tablespoons granulated onion

2 tablespoons granulated garlic

1 1/2 pounds andouille sausage, sliced

1 bunch green onions

2 large yellow onions, diced

2 cups diced celery

1 large green bell pepper, diced

12 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups chicken stock

1 bunch chopped parsley

Salt and Creole seasoning to taste

5 cups uncooked long-grain rice

In a 7-quart cast-iron Dutch oven, heat bacon drippings over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, cook chicken and pork until dark brown on all sides and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pot, about 30 minutes. Remove to a mixing bowl. Deglaze pan with a little beef stock between batches if necessary. This step is important, as it adds tons of flavor and gives the jambalaya its characteristic brown color. Mix together granulated onion and garlic and season the meat as you remove it from the pan.

Add andouille and sauté for 10 to 15 minutes, until beginning to brown; adding to mixing bowl with pork and chicken.

Remove all but about 2 tablespoons fat from the pan . Thinly slice green onions, separating tops and bottoms. Add bottoms, onion, celery, bell peppers, and garlic; cook, stirring often, until onion is caramelized, about 20 minutes. Do not brown.

Add meats and accumulated pan juices back to pan, add the stock, bring to a full boil, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add parsley and season with salt and Creole seasoning to taste; you need enough salt to season the meat and the rice. Add rice and combine, reduce heat to low. cover, and cook for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, but leave covered otherwise.

Every year, I am asked if I am going back to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. My answer is always the same, no. It has been suggested to me that Searcy put on a Mardi Gras celebration. What do you think? If you like the idea, reach out to me by email; tommy@creolecajunchef.com.