lunaticsinge.com - Cajun Cuisine from Louisiana Waters

Fried Oyster & Bacon Sandwich - (Makes 1 sandwich)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Peanut or vegetables oil, for frying

6 large raw oysters, shucked

2 slices white bread, toasted

2 teaspoons mayonnaise

5 bacon slices, cooked until crisp then drained

1/2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

1 tomato, cut into 4 very thin slices

1. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Heat 2 inches of oil in a medium saucepan until it reaches 350 degrees F. Toss the oysters in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess, and fry for 3 to 5 minutes, until lightly golden, then drain on paper towels. Don't over-fry them or they will become dried out and a little chewy - you want them to be nice and plump.

2. To assemble the sandwich, spread the toasted bread with mayonnaise, then build upward on one slice starting with the oysters, then bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Top with remaining slice of bread and serve immediately.

Baked Oysters with Hollandaise - (Makes 4 servings)

Oyster Ingredients:

Rock salt, as needed (holds oyster shells level while cooking & serving)

12 large oysters

2 strips bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

Hollandaise Ingredients:

2 egg yolks

12 tablespoons (1 1/12 sticks) butter, melted & warm

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons Herbsaint or other anise-flavored liqueur

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Bread Crumb Topping Ingredients:

1 cup bread crumbs

3 tablespoons butter melted

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Hot pepper vinegar, for garnish (optional)

1. Cover a baking sheet with a thick layer of rock salt. Use an oyster knife to open the oysters and cut them loose from their shells, discarding the top shells. Arrange the oysters on the rock salt.

2. Fry the bacon squares in a skillet over medium heat until they are about three-fourths cooked (they should be light brown, but still moist), then transfer to a plate covered with paper towels. (Alternatively, you can cook the bacon on a baking sheet in a 350 Degree F oven.)

3. Heat a medium pot of water to just below a simmer, then set a metal mixing bowl on top, so that it sits over the water without touching it. Place the yolks in the bowl and whisk together, over the heat, until they form thick, glossy ribbons. (When you lift the whisk the yolks will form a "ribbon" as they drip back into the bowl.)

4. Whisking constantly, slowly add half the warm melted butter, the lemon juice, and Herbsaint, then the remaining butter. (Alternating the ingredients will keep the sauce from getting too tight or too loose, which can cause it to "break.") Season the sauce with salt and cayenne.

5. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the melted butter, Parmesan, salt and pepper.

6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

7. Slip a square of bacon under each raw oyster. Spoon 1 tablespoon of hollandaise over each oyster, then cover the sauce generously with the bread crumbs. Bake until the bread crumbs are light golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Allow the oysters to cool slightly before serving. Top with a dash or two of hot pepper vinegar, if desired.

Southern Fried Shrimp - (Makes 4 to 6 servings)

Ingredients:

2 dozen large shrimp, peeled

1/2 teaspoon plus 1 1/2 tablespoons salt

1/4 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Peanut oil, for frying

1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

2 teaspoons Creole (or whole-grain) mustard (optional - if you want tangier shrimp)

1. Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour with the remaining salt, pepper, and cayenne.

3. Heat 3 to 4 inches of oil in a large pot until very hot, 350 degrees F.

4. Pour the buttermilk (and mustard, if using) over the seasoned shrimp and combine. Working in batches, use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp from the buttermilk and transfer to the seasoned flour. Using a separate dry spoon or your fingers, toss to evenly coat. Carefully slip the battered shrimp into the fryer and fry until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes; drain on paper towel. (Don't overcrowd the fryer with too many shrimp, as this will lower the temperature of the oil and the shrimp won't crisp up as quickly or nicely as they should.)

Chile Roasted Shrimp - (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb. large head-on shrimp

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

3 red jalapeno pepper, stemmed and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup shrimp stock or water

1 tablespoon butter

1. Combine the shrimp with 1/2 cup olive oil and the jalapenos, salt, oregano, pepper, lemon juice, and garlic in a large bowl and toss well to mix. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate shrimp at room temperature for 20 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

2. Preheat the oven as high as it will go, and place the rack in the center of the oven. Place a rimmed backing sheet in the oven for at least 10 minutes so that it gets extremely hot. Very carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and gently spread the shrimp across the pan in one even layer, a little crowding is okay. Roast the shrimp until they turn bright pink, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring only once.

3. Remove the shrimp from the oven and immediately pour the stock or water over them. Finish with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and butter; toss to coat evenly. The heat of the baking sheet should cause the liquids to bubble and reduce slightly. If the sheet doesn't seem quite hot enough, you can transfer the shrimp to a saucepan and place it over medium-high heat, allowing the sauce to reduce for a minute or two.

4. Serve the shrimp and sauce with good bread, cold beer, and plenty of napkins.

Shrimp, Corn, & Tomato Salad - (Makes 8 to 10 servings)

Ingredients:

4 lbs. medium (16 to 20 count) shrimp.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 medium onions, finely chopped

4 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, & finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes

2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

5 cups shrimp stock

2 tablespoons salt

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon round black pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 bunch scallions (white & green parts), finely chopped

1. Peel the shrimp.

2. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking almost constantly, just until the roux is a light peanut butter color and the aroma of the roux starts to fill the room, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic then cook, stirring, for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, corn, stock, salt, bay leaves, basil, thyme, pepper, paprika, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in the peeled shrimp, parsley, and scallions. Bring the stew back to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow stew to stand for 15 minutes to meld flavors, taste and adjust seasoning as desired, and serve.

Crab Cakes with Jalapeno Remoulade - (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb. lump crab meat (not pasteurized)

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, & finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pure chile powder (ancho, New Mexico, or chipotle)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Creole (or whole-grain) mustard

Several dashed of Louisiana hot sauce

1 scallion (white & green parts) finely chopped

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, copped

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3/4 cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed

Jalapeno Remoulade

1. Place the crab meat in a large mixing bowl and carefully pick through for shells, then set aside.

2. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, poblano, garlic, salt, chili powder, black pepper, and cayenne then cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, but not brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

3. Add the crab, the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, scallion, parsley, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs to the vegetable mixture. Using your hands, gently combine the ingredients.

4. Using a 1-cup measuring cup, form the mixture into cakes, packing gently; they should look like hockey pucks, about 2 inches thick with straight sides. Cover the cakes and chill for 20 to 30 minutes, or overnight.

5. When you are ready to cook the crab cakes, place the remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs in a pie tin. Dredge both sides of each cake in the crumbs, shaking off the excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

6. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, fry the crab cakes for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan - fry in batches if necessary, adding more oil if needed. Serve immediately, with Jalapeno Remoulade.

Jalapeno Remoulade - (Makes 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients:

1 small jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, & finely chopped

1 bunch scallions (white and green parts only), thinly sliced

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Juice of 1 lime

1. Whisk together all the ingredients in a mixing bowl; cover and refrigerate until needed.

Summer Crab & Tomato Salad - (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, & finely chopped

Zest & juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

12 mint leaves, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Generous pinch of cayenne pepper

1 lb. jumbo lump crab meat, (not pasteurized)

2 large ripe tomatoes

Sea salt

1. Combine the jalapeno, lime zest and juice, and vinegar in the bowl of a food processor and puree until smooth.

2. Transfer to a medium bowl and fold in the mayonnaise, mint, salt, red pepper flakes, and cayenne.

3. Add the crab to the dressing and gently fold together.

4. Slice the tomatoes a little shy of 1/2-inchthick. Divide the tomatoes among four salad plates and season with salt. Top the tomatoes with equal portions of the crab salad and serve immediately.