As you're rolling down Bourbon Street the sights and sounds can become intoxicating-but not nearly as much as the smell of the soulful Cajun cooking that is New Orleans. Check out these five Cajun dishes that scream Louisiana.
Po' Boy
Louisiana practically invented this sandwich! The name originated with feeding striking streetcar workers in 1929. It typically consists of fried shrimp served on a warm crusty roll. Get this sandwich dressed with lettuce and tomato for authenticity.
- Battered and fried shrimp
- 4 French rolls cut and split
- A load of your favorite Creole seasoning
Remoulade sauce
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbls horseradish
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sweet relish
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
- 1 tbls fresh lime juice
Gumbo
This Creole classic is a hearty blend of pork or seafood, rice and okra. What separates this dish from a simple stew is its wide array of spices and savory seasonings (paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, dried thyme, cumin, sage, chili powder, etc.).
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 chopped bell pepper
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 lb. boneless pork loin, sliced thin
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
- Cayenne pepper sauce (to taste)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 12 oz shelled and deveined cooked shrimp
Boudin (Boo-Dahn)
Calling this dish "sausage" will get you thrown out on your Bourbon Street butt in the Big Easy. It's animal casing stuffed with all parts of the pig, including liver, heart and gizzard. Peppers and onions are often thrown in as well.
- 4 lb pork roast
- water for braising and boiling
- 1 lb pork liver
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 large yellow onions, diced
- 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
- 4 tablespoons of your favorite Cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup diced green onions
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- dash of hot sauce
Bananas Foster
This savory blend of fruit, dairy and liqueur brings out the true spirit of New Orleans. It's a popular dessert named after a local business leader, Richard Foster, and a dish great for entertaining (and burning off your eyebrows). Once you add the rum, tip the pan slightly so the alcohol is over direct heat and watch it ignite!
- 1 half stick of butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup favorite banana liqueur
- 1/2 cup rum, preferably dark
- 5 scoops of vanilla ice cream
- 5 sliced bananas
Jambalaya
Andouille sausage, chicken, shrimp, and a whole mess of spices crowns this dish King of Creole! Rice, bell peppers, onions, celery and tomatoes bring it all together into what people from New Orleans really consider a comfort food classic. The word Jambalaya is a compound word, jambon meaning ham in French and aya meaning rice in African.
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 lb andouille sausage, sliced thin
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 3 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce (more if you like it hot!)
- 1 cup white long grain rice
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons Creole seasoning
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 lb medium raw shrimp, deveined
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
If these five dishes don't have you throwing on your beads and dancing in the street I don't know what will. New Orleans cooking is synonymous for being soulful and full of love. Next time you're in Creole country order up some of these Louisiana classics.