Fat Tuesday

 

      This holiday is traditionally the final, indulgent celebration before the 40-day fasting season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. It is a global tradition featuring parades, costumes, and rich, fatty foods like king cake, paczki, and beignets, allowing people to feast before the fasting period.  We celebrated early as we will be in Wisconsin visiting friends during the actual holiday.  

      Although not part of any such culture by definition, Barb and I have adopted it as our favorite.  As such we celebrate every year with a traditional meal from this.  All too often it is Crawfish Etouffee, Gumbo, Red Beans n Rice, or Jambalaya.  This year I went with something different.  Kind of a blend of 80s Oklahoma City Molly Murphy's Bacchus Feast and a Low Country Boil.

Fat Tuesday Dinner

1 pack crab or surimi, chopped large

2 pounds raw jumbo shrimp

1 pound crawfish 

1 Tbsp parsley

1 medium yellow onion, quartered

2 heads garlic minced

14 ounces andouille sausage, sliced crosswise into 2-inch pieces

1 pound baby red potatoes (6 to 8), halved

3 ears corn, cut crosswise into 3-inch pieces

3 Tbsp olive oil or neutral cooking oil

4 quarts water

½ cup plus 1 Tbsp Cajun or Old Bay seasoning, divided

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

4 Tbsp salted butter

Tabasco sauce, for serving (optional)

Garlic bread

      Arrange all the crab, shrimp, crawfish rinsed on a plate.  

      Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a 7-quart or larger pot over medium heat until shimmering.  Add 1 quartered medium yellow onion, garlic, and 14 ounces sliced andouille sausage.  Sauté until the onions are softened and the garlic is golden-brown, about 3 minutes.  Add 4 quarts water, increase the heat to high, and cover.  Bring to a boil, 10 to 15 minutes.

      Add 1-pound halved baby red potatoes, 3 ears cut corn, and the Cajun or Old Bay seasoning, and stir to combine.  Cover and cook until the water returns to a boil.  Uncover, adding mushrooms if desired and simmer, adjusting the heat as needed, until the potatoes are fork tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

      Add the crab, shrimp, and crawfish and stir to combine.  Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 3 minutes.  Uncover and reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid.  Drain the seafood and vegetables, then transfer onto baking sheets or directly onto the center of newspaper-lined table.

      Add 4 tablespoons salted butter and 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley to the reserved cooking liquid.  When the butter is melted, stir to combine to make the sauce.  Pour half of the sauce over the seafood and vegetables.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Cajun or Old Bay seasoning.  Serve with garlic bread and the remaining sauce for dipping and Tabasco if desired.

It’s a great party, and anyone who doesn’t enjoy Mardi Gras is not of this world.” 

Franklin Alvarado

Boudin Crescent Ring

      We love Cajun and it is definitely in my 'Wheelhouse Favorites' to prepare.  Down to Earth good food, southern at its best.  This recipe is good any time of year but best prepared for a gathering where folks can tear off a piece and dip.  The type of dipping sauce here is only limited by your imagination.  

      Boudin is not readily available 'up north', but we stock up on our trips south.  

2 pounds boudin

2 packages (8 oz each) Crescent Rolls

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 to 2 jalapeños, chopped (I used chopped green Hatch Chiles)

1 egg

Shredded cheddar cheese for topping

Choice of dip for serving

      Preheat oven to 350°F.  Remove boudin from casings. On a baking sheet or pizza stone, arrange crescent roll triangles in a circle with the wide ends overlapping in the center and points facing outward, creating a sun-burst pattern.  I apologize for my lack of creative dexterity. 

      Spread boudin evenly over only the wide ends of the crescents, leaving the pointed tips bare. Top the boudin with crumbled bacon and chopped peppers.

      Fold the pointed ends of each crescent over the filling toward the center, crisscrossing to create a ring shape. The filling will still be partially visible.

      Lightly beat the egg and brush it over the entire crescent ring. Unfortunately, my ring turned out to be more of a mound.  

      Bake for 10 to 13 minutes at 350°F or until the crescents are lightly golden brown.

In the last 5 minutes of baking, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top and return to the oven until the cheese melts.  Serve warm with dip.  NOTE:  A simple dip here would be something like Queso, Remoulade Sauce, or Creole Mustard Dip.  Again, my presentation is not very aesthetically pleasing, but it is tasty.

  

"Boudin is like snowflakes; no two are alike"

George Graham