corn – Hungry for Louisiana

In Louisiana, Easter means boiled crawfish

March 22, 2016

Easter signals ham, lamb and casseroles in other parts of the South, but in Louisiana, boiled crawfish is front and center. In recent years in the state, Holy Week has become the pinnacle of the crawfish harvest, with farmers working double time to meet demand and consumers often having to plunk down deposits to reserve sacks.

My Easter weekend routine likely resembles many of my fellow Bayou State residents: immediate and extended family gathered outside on a (hopefully) warm and clear spring day while sacks of live crawfish wait to be poured into roaring, spiked water.

Boiling crawfish, like so many native dishes, is highly personal — and those who boil have strong opinions on how it should be done…

Cajun, Soups

Chef Jeremy Langlois – bisque of curried pumpkin, crawfish and corn

January 13, 2015

Chef Jeremy Langlois is one of south Louisiana’s shining culinary stars, and he was nice enough to share his recipe for bisque of curried pumpkin, crawfish and corn with me. It’s one of the top sellers on the menu of Latil’s Landing at Houmas House, where he serves as the restaurant’s original executive chef. It’s an amazing place to have dinner.

I featured Chef Jeremy and his bisque in a recent story in 225 Magazine on greater Baton Rouge’s diverse soups. There’s a lot more going on in the Capital City than just gumbo, including this gorgeous bowl, traditional pho and yellow lentil from one the city’s latest Middle Eastern eateries. Check out the story to see the others we included. Recipe follows….

Fresh from the Gulf, Holiday, Soups

Soup, indeed.

December 22, 2014

Shrimp and corn. Artichoke and oyster. Gumbos of all sorts. Cozy soups with memorable ingredients add so much to get-togethers with friends and family this time of year. From casual family suppers to Christmas day lunch to New Year’s Eve dinner, holiday meals invite something luscious and warm.

I love soups right now for so many reasons, not least of which is that there are great seasonal raw materials to work with, including game, fresh seafood, root vegetables and leafy greens. But what I also love about soups is their spontaneity. More often than not, home cooks aren’t following instructions by the book when they get out their stockpots. They’re discerning what ingredients to include and what to leave out, and they’re tasting, adjusting and correcting by feel and by gut. Many are mimicking the soup styles of their forbears, while others are diverging in inventive directions. Whatever the case, soup is one of those from-the-heart dishes meant to inspire and soothe. Now is the perfect time to make some for your friends, family and for yourself.

Here’s an easy version of shrimp and corn.

Shrimp and Corn Soup

Serves 6

¼ cup olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

5 stalks celery with leaves, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup light roux

2 cups homemade shellfish stock, or one 15 oz. can good quality seafood or shellfish stock

2 bay leaves

1 16 oz. package frozen white corn

¼ cup heavy cream

1 ½ cups skim milk

1 pound large headless shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

In a Dutch oven, sauté onion, celery and garlic in olive oil until soft. Whisk in roux, then add stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Continue to whisk until roux is thoroughly incorporated. Add corn and simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Add cream and milk and return to simmer. Add shrimp to hot liquid and watch carefully, ensuring they poach, but do not overcook. This should take about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

When ready to serve, garnish soup with fresh parsley and serve with warm, crusty French bread.