TD Recipe Collection Version 7 (with links)

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Raspberry Pepper Sauce

1 cup rasberry preserves
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple juice
1 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS bourbon
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how spicy you want it)

Combine ingredients in saucepan bring to simmer and cook until preserves melt.


Great sauce to be spooned over sliced turkey or pork loins as a gravy.

Looks great!!! Thank you, Rat!!!!

Paul Prudhomme's (Fried) Chicken and Andouille Gumbo



Makes 6 main-dish or 10 appetizer servings

One 2- to 3-pound chicken, cut up
Salt
Garlic powder
Ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
(preferably cayenne)
Vegetable oil for deep frying
About 7 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound andouille smoked sausage
(preferred) or any other good
pure smoked pork sausage such as
Polish sausage (kielbasa), cut
into 1/4-inch cubes
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Hot cooked rice

Remove excess fat from the chicken pieces. Rub a generous amount of
salt, garlic powder and red pepper on both sides of each pieces, making
sure each is evenly covered. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl combine the onions, bell peppers and celery; set aside.
Combine the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper in a paper or plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces and shake until chicken is well coated. Reserve 1/2 cup of the flour.
In a large heavy skillet heat 1 1/2 inches of oil until very hot (375 to 400 degrees F). Fry the chicken until crust is brown on both sides and meat is cooked, about 5 to 8 minutes per side; drain on paper towels. Carefully
pour the hot oil into a glass measuring cup, leaving as many of the browned particles in the pan as possible. Scrape the bottom with a metal whisk to loosen any stuck particles, then return 1/2 cup of the hot oil to the pan.
Place pan over high heat. Using a long-handled metal whisk, gradually stir
in the reserved 1/2 cup flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until roux is dark
red-brown to black, about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let it
scorch or splash on your skin. Remove from heat and immediately add the
reserved vegetable mixture, stirring constantly until the roux stops getting
darker. Return pan to low heat and cook until vegetables are soft, about
5 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the pan bottom well.
Meanwhile, place the stock in a 5 1/2-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Add roux mixture by spoonfuls to the boiling stock, stirring until dissolved between each addition. Return to a boil, stirring and scraping pan bottom often. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in the andouille and minced garlic. Simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, stirring often
toward the end of the cooking time.
While the gumbo is simmering, bone the cooked chicken and cut the
meat into 1/2-inch dice. When the gumbo is cooked, stir in the chicken
and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
To serve as a main course, mound 1/3 cup cooked rice in the center of a
soup bowl; ladle about 1 1/4 cups gumbo around the rice. For an appetizer,
place 1 heaping teaspoon cooked rice in a cup and ladle about 3/4 cup
gumbo on top.

Bacon and Oyster Gumbo

Try this decadent recipe from chef Aaron Burgau at Patois Restaurant in New Orleans. Gumbo comes in so many varieties and this one kicks it up a notch for the holidays by featuring Louisiana oysters and bacon.

2 quarts shucked Louisiana oysters, in liquor
4 quarts unsalted chicken broth
1 pound thick-cut smoked bacon, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
Creole seasoning, to taste
green onions, for garnish

Drain oysters through a fine mesh strainer, straining liquor into a stock pot; cover raw oysters and chill until needed. Place oyster liquor over medium heat; bring to a low boil and simmer until liquid has reduced by half, while skimming away all foam that gathers on the surface.

Add chicken broth, bring to a low boil, remove from heat, and keep warm until needed.

Brown bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat; remove bacon and reserve. Measure ½ cup bacon grease in skillet, adding cooking oil if needed. Add onions to hot grease; sauté until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with flour; stir well to break up any lumps. Reduce heat to medium and cook until dark brown, while stirring often to prevent burning, about 10 to 20 minutes.

Add celery, bell pepper, garlic, and reserved bacon; sauté 5 minutes. Slowly add 1 cup warm broth while stirring vigorously; repeat 3 times until roux has dissolved. Add remaining broth and stir until mixture is well blended. Bring to a low boil over medium heat; reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour, stirring often along bottom to prevent roux from settling. Skim away fat and foam that accumulate on the surface.

Taste gumbo; adjust flavor with Creole seasoning. Add reserved oysters; stir well. Return to a low boil for 2 minutes while stirring; remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Serve gumbo hot, with rice and French bread. Garnish with green onions.

Makes about 1 gallon. Serves 8 to 10.

Nachos Weldon

LINK /

5 Ways to Make a Cajun Roux


Traditional Stovetop Roux

This is the old-fashioned or traditional method for making roux:

In a heavy skillet (I like to use my Cast-Iron Skillet) over medium heat, heat vegetable shortening or oil (or fat of your choice) until hot.

Add flour gradually, stirring or whisking to combine with the shortening or oil.

After adding all the flour, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, about 45 to 60 minutes or until roux ranges from a peanut butter color to a dark brown (red brown or color of milk chocolate) and has a nutlike odor (it will be very thick and pasty).

This process takes some time, depending on how high the heat on your stove is. The slower, the better, but be ready to remove skillet from the heat and stir more rapidly if the roux appears to be getting too hot. If you stop stirring - the flour will burn. Never walk away from your roux. If you see black specks in the roux, you've ruined it. Dump it out and start over. The secret to getting perfect roux is to take your time and stir constantly.


Paul Prudhomme Method (from Louisiana Kitchen)

“The usual proportion of oil to flour is fifty-fifty.

Roux can be made in advance, cooled and then stored in an airtight jar for several days, in the refrigerator or at room temperature. If roux is made ahead, pour off excess oil from the surface and reheat (preferred), or let it return to room temperature before using.

In general, light and medium-brown roux are used in sauces or gravies for dark, heavy meats such as beef, with game such as elk and venison, and with dark-meat fowl such as duck, geese and blackbirds. They give a wonderful, toasted nutty flavor—just the right enhancement—to these sauces and gravies. Dark red-brown and black roux are used in sauces and gravies for sweet, light, white meats such as pork, rabbit, veal, and all kinds of freshwater and saltwater fish and shellfish. In addition, black roux are best to use in gumbos because the darkest roux result in the thinnest, best-tasting gumbos of all; but it takes practice to make black roux without burning them, and dark red-brown roux are certainly acceptable for any gumbo.

You’ll notice that I make exceptions to these general guidelines in some recipes. These exceptions simply reflect my preference for the flavor of a particular roux with the combined flavors of the other ingredients in certain dishes. (For example, I prefer the flavor of a medium-brown roux in Grillades and Grits—a veal dish—and in Sticky Chicken, rather than a darker roux.)

My approach to roux derives from the tradition of Cajun cooks, who view roux as being essentially of two types—medium brown and black; and who also classify meats as basically of two types—heavy, dark, somewhat bitter ones, and light, white, sweet ones. Traditionally, Cajun cooks use light roux with dark meats and dark roux with light meats. This is because they know intuitively, whether they can verbalize it or not, that these particular combinations lead to wonderful-tasting food. Working within this tradition, I’ve developed variations and given you in this book the roux-meat combinations which I think are best. You’ll find that as you gain more experience and skill in making roux, you’ll want to experiment with the endless combinations of roux colors and the flavors of other ingredients you’re using—especially meats—to find those combinations that excite your taste buds the most!

Several words of advice are essential:

1. Cooked roux is called Cajun napalm in my restaurant’s kitchen because it is extremely hot and sticks to your skin; so be very careful to avoid splashing it on you; it’s best to use a long-handled metal whisk or wooden spoon.

2. Always begin with a very clean skillet or pot—preferably one that is heavy, such as cast iron (and never a nonstick type). If possible, use a skillet with flared sides because this makes stirring easier and thus makes it less likely the roux will burn. In addition, use a large enough skillet so that the oil does not fill it by more than one-fourth of its capacity.

3. The oil should be smoking hot before the flour is added.

4. Once the oil is heated, stir in the flour gradually (about a third at a time) and stir or whisk quickly and constantly to avoid burning the mixture. (Flour has moisture in it, and adding it to hot oil often creates steam—another good reason for using long-handled whisks or spoons.)

5. If black specks appear in the roux as it cooks, it has burned; discard it (place it in a heatproof container to cool before discarding), then start the roux over again—c’est la vie!

6. As soon as the roux reaches the desired color, remove it from the heat; stir in the vegetables, which stop the browning process and enhance the taste of the finished dish, and continue stirring until the roux stops getting darker (at least 3 to 5 minutes).

7. While cooking roux (bringing it to the desired color), if you feel it is darkening too fast, immediately remove it from the heat and continue whisking constantly until you have control of it.

8. Care and concentration are essential for you to be successful with this fast method of making roux. Especially the first few times you make a roux, be certain that any possible distractions—including children—are under control. In addition, have all cooking utensils and required vegetables or seasoning mixtures prepared ahead of time and near at hand before you start cooking.”



Oven Method, with Oil

Preheat the oven to 350 to 375 degrees F. Start the roux on the stovetop to get it going, preferably in a cast iron pot, by heating the oil to medium high. Then reduce heat to medium and gradually whisk in the flour, a little at a time, until fully incorporated.
Carefully transfer the pot into the hot oven and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring about every 20 minutes (just set your timer and stir every time it goes off), until the roux turns a deep, dark, chocolate brown.


Oven Method – No Oil (from BooDreaux)

Use those aluminum full-sized pans. Put some foil in bottom. Add 4 cups of flour in it. Place in a 375 degree oven and every 15 minutes or so stir it up. When it gets to the color you want, take it out.


Microwave Method

Use the largest bowl you have that can fit into the microwave because as it cooks, the roux expands. Cook the oil on high for 10 minutes. Stir in the flour until no lumps remain and the mixture is smooth. ...

OR

Mix oil and flour together at the start and microwave for 2 mins, stir, then 1 mins, stir, 1 mins, stir, etc until you get the desired color.

Posted by OTIS2


I give you guys the best onion dip I've ever tasted . A Carthage, Ms favorite, complements of Mrs J. Wright:


World's Tastiest Onion Dip

2 packages Philly Cream Cheese (8 oz each)

1 package Kraft onion soup/dip mix

1 package sour cream (8 oz)

4 beef bouillon cubes crushed

Onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt and garlic powder, all to taste

Method:

Soften the cream cheese. Add sour cream , crushed bouillon cubes and onion dip seasoning. Blend well . Add all other ingredients to taste. Refrigerate for an hour or more and serve with chips or vegetables for dipping. Awesome stuff.

Honky Lips' Chauvin-Style Seafood Gumbo with Smothered Okra

Ingredients
Vegetable Oil, as needed
All-Purpose Flour, as needed
1 Large Onion, chopped
1 Large Bell Pepper, chopped
3 Stalks Celery, halved and chopped
1 lb. (or more) Okra, pre-smothered (directions below)
12 Cups Homemade Shrimp Stock (hot)
1-1/2 lb. 150-200 ct. Shrimp
1-1/2 lb. Lump Crabmeat
2 Bay Leaves
Seasoning: Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Cayenne, to taste
1 Bunch Onion Tops, chopped

Directions
In a cast iron or magnalite pot, add about 1/4 inch of vegetable oil and heat to medium-low. Whisk in the flour. Stir the roux until a dark caramel color has been reached, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Add the onions, bell peppers and celery and raise temperature to medium, cooking until soft (about 20 minutes). Add the shrimp stock, okra, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer for another 30 minutes to an hour, leaving a crack in the lid.

Add the shrimp and crabmeat. Bring back to a simmer and add seasoning to taste. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, shut the fire off and add onion tops. Serve over rice.

Smothered Okra
In a good size heavy bottom pot, bring a little oil to medium-high. Add chopped onion and sliced okra and sautee for about 10 minutes. Next, Add about an inch of water and a small amount of vinegar and back the fire down to low. If you want diced tomatoes now is the time to add them.

Cover the pot and smother for a few hours, periodically adding small amounts of water. Never let the pot dry out. When you are done the okra should be completely broken down into a pourable texture. Also make sure there's no standing water in the pot when you are finished....let any water cook out towards the end.