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Thriller Recipes – Cajun Cuisine

This week’s Thriller Recipes are Cajun Cuisine. I love authentic cajun food. While New Orleans is one of my favorite dining destinations, it’s good to be able to prepare simple and authentic cajun dishes in your own kitchen. Here are three recipes that never fail to please.

Jambalaya

Cook 6C rice.  Melt 3T unsalted butter in 4Q saucepan over high heat.  Add 4oz andouille sausage and 4oz tasso (or other smoked ham); cook until meat starts to brown, ~4-5 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping pan bottom well.  Add 3/4 lb boneless chicken, cut into bit-size pieces (~2C) and continue cooking until chicken is brown, ~4-5 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping pan bottom well.  Stir in 2 bay leaves, 2T Chef Paul Magic (poultry, beef, or pork & veal), 1/2C sweet onions, chopped, 1/2C celery, chopped, 1/2C green bell pepper, chopped, and 1T minced garlic.  Cook until vegetables start to get tender, ~ 6-8 minutes.  Stir in 1/2C tomato sauce and cook 1 minute.  Stir in 1/2C sweet onion, 1/2C celery, 1/2C green bell peppers, and 1C fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped.  Stir in 1 1/2C uncooked rice and 2 1/2C chicken stock.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer covered over low heat until rice is tender but still crunchy, ~30 minutes.  Remove bay leaves.  Let sit 5 minutes uncovered.  Serve over 1/2 -1 C cooked rice.  Serves 6.

Grilled Spicy Shrimp and Andouille Skewers

Combine ¼ C Creole mustard, ¼ C honey, 2T bourbon, and 1t Tabasco. Set aside.

Preheat the grill to medium-high.  Alternately thread 1 1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp and 18 oz andouille sausage cut into ¾” thick rounds onto soaked wood skewers.  Brush both sides with 3T vegetable oil, and season with 1/2 T Creole seasoning.  Grill skewers until shrimp are pink and cooked through and sausages are browned and hot all the way through, ~2 minutes per side.  Baste the shrimp with the Spicy Bourbon Mustard during the last 30 seconds of grilling.  Serve immediately with the mustard on the side.  Serves 6.

Bread Pudding

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Combine 1Q whole milk, 1/2t cinnamon, 6 eggs, lightly beaten, 3oz melted butter, 1 1/2C sugar, and 2T vanilla extract.  Line a 9×13” pan with 1 loaf Hawaiian bread (stale), 1 1/2C raisins, and 1C pecans.  Cover with the custard mixture and bake until firm when pressed in the center, ~1 hour.  When the pudding is done cool on a wire rack until just warm, ~ 20 minutes.