Louisiana’s Date of Statehood – April 30th, 1812
When it comes to flavor, it is hard to beat Cajun cuisine. Whether you are into spicy, rich, fresh, or some combination of the 3, the food of Louisiana has you covered! And, in tonight’s meal, we will explore all of those; spicy seafood jambalaya, fresh citrus salad, and a rich and velvety bread pudding. And, just FYI, I was eating the rum caramel sauce with a spoon before it ever got to the plate. Hurray for Louisiana! BAM!
Tips and Tricks
- When making jambalaya (or any stew, for that matter) it is easier and cheaper to simply used pre-shucked oysters in a tub. They will cook down and you will lose the briny freshness of a raw, freshly-shucked oyster. Save the money and time. Buy the refrigerated tub.
- You can use any kind of crab meat you like, but the best flavor for something like jambalaya is the claw meat. It is also the cheapest kind of crab meat you can buy in the refrigerated tubs.
- Most grocery stores have a half-priced “day old” bread section. This is a great place to get the bread for the bread pudding. You want some bread that is a little drier, so it absorbs the custard.
- You must be careful with grapefruit, as it can interact with many kinds of medications. The salad originally called for 1 grapefruit, but I substituted an additional orange.
Seafood Jambalaya
Serves 6-8
- 1 1/2 lbs. Raw Shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 1 (8 oz.) Tub of Crab Meat
- 1 (8oz.) Tub of Oysters
- 1 Package Smoked Andouille Sausage, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 Cups White Rice, prepared per package directions and set aside
- 1 Small Can Tomato Sauce
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, peeled and chopped
- 1/3 Cup Fresh Parsley, leaves only chopped
- 1/3 Cup Shallots, peeled and chopped
- 1 Small Red Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 1/2 Cups Water
- Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
Step 1: Place a large stock pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the pot is hot, add the 1/3 cup of vegetable oil. When the oil has heated and begins to shimmer, add the chopped yellow onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions just begin the turn a light brown, about 8-10 minutes.
Step 2: Add the shallots, red bell pepper, and garlic powder to the onions and stir to thoroughly combine. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 3: Add the sliced smoke sausage and tomato sauce to the pot and stir to combine. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 4: Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the pot, stir, and increase the heat to medium. Once the pot starts to simmer, cook for 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir the pot occasionally to keep the bottom from burning.
Step 5: After 30 minutes, add the chopped parsley, oysters, shrimp, and crab meat to the pot and stir to combine. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 6: Add the cooked rice, a cup at a time, and stir to thoroughly combine. Once all the rice has been added, cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 7: Once the jambalaya has cooked through, taste and add any salt and pepper, as desired.
Step 8: Serve hot.
Citrus Salad with Creamy Champagne-Orange Vinaigrette
Serve 4-6
Salad
- 2 Large Oranges, peeled and segmented
- 2 Tangerines, peeled and segmented
- 1 Avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into cubes
- 1 Stalk of Celery, leaves and root removed and thinly sliced
- 1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds
- 1 Package of Mixed Salad Greens
Creamy Champagne-Orange Vinaigrette
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 2 Tbs Champagne Vinegar
- 2 Tbs Orange Juice
- 2 tsp Honey
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Step 1: Place all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 2: In individual serving bowl place a handful of salad greens. Top each bowl of greens with equal amounts of orange segments, tangerine segments, and avocado chunks. Sprinkle the almonds over the salads.
Step 3: Serve cold with the creamy champagne-orange vinaigrette on the side.
Louisiana Bread Pudding
Serves 6
Bread Pudding
- 6 Large Eggs
- 2/3 Cup White Sugar
- 2 Cups Whole Milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg
- 1 Large Loaf of French Bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
Sauce
- 2 Sticks of Salted Butter
- 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 1/4 Cup Dark Rum
- 2 Ripe Bananas, peeled and sliced
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degree and grease an 8″ x 8″ pan.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 2/3 cup white sugar, whole milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until smooth and well, combined.
Step 3: Place a single layer of bread cubes in the greased pan. Pour about 1/3 of the custard mixture over the bread and allow it to soak in. Then, place another layer of bread cubes and pour over about 1/3 of the custard mixture. Place another layer of bread and pour the remaining custard mixture over the bread and allow it to be absorbed.
Step 4: Bake the bread pudding for 50-60 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a knife inserted into the middle comes out “sticky” not runny.
Step 5: Once baked, remove the bread pudding from the oven and allow it to rest, undisturbed, for 15-20 minutes in order for the custard to set.
Step 6: While the pudding is cooling, place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the 2 sticks of butter and brown sugar to the pan. Once the butter and brown sugar has melted and begins to bubble, add the rum and stir to combine.
Step 7: Add the sliced bananas to the sauce and stir. Cook until just heated through about 1-2 minutes.
Step 8: Remove the rum caramel sauce from the heat. Divide the bread pudding onto serving plates and cover generously with the warm caramel sauce.
Fun Facts about Louisiana: 1. Louisiana State Capitol Building is the tallest state capital in the United States. The building was inaugurated on May 16, 1931. It is 450 feet tall and has 34 stories. 2. President Thomas Jefferson purchased Louisiana from Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803. The purchase encompassed 530,000,000 acres of territory in North America that the U.S. purchased for $15 million. The purchase doubled the size of the United States. 3. Baton Rouge is the site of an important battle during the American Revolution — the only one that happened outside of the original 13 colonies. US forces forged an alliance with the Spanish forces to take down the British colony here. The decisive victory ended British hold of the Mississippi River. 4. Louisiana leads other U.S. states in the production of crayfish and shrimp. 5. Elvis Presley often went to the Shreveport store of Southern Maid to get some donuts before going to the Louisiana Hayride Show. In fact, he sang the jingle for the brand in 1954. This is the only commercial endorsement he ever did throughout his whole career. 6. The longest bridge over a body of water in the world is across Lake Pontchartrain and is 24 miles long. 7. Louisiana produces 24% of the nation’s salt, the most in the country. 8. The first opera performed in America took place in 1796 in the French Quarter of New Orleans, LA.
Edible U.S. 