Mardi Gras Feast Part Two: The Two Entrées
We about to get Helm's Deep up in here... Up in here...
Part I of this 6’0” Hobbit’s epic Mardi Gras food journey can be found here.
(Author’s note: In the interest of keeping this a bit more simple, as I’m presenting a lot of info here, I’ve created a YouTube channel for all of the video commentary. You should check it out; I can be quite witty at times. I also cook topless a lot, and make inappropriate comments.)
Now, I know that I’ve labeled this “The Two Entrées.” However, I need to talk about the breakfast my wife, Bonnie, made first, and also about the OH MY GOD Remoulade I made. Oh, and the Crispy Andouille Hush Puppies that we had for the first entrée/lunch.
First, the beignets - the official state doughnut of Louisiana. They’ve got to be good if the kidlet keeps requesting them for breakfast in the morning. Again, thank goodness for the chest freezer.
New Orleans Beignets
Full credit for this recipe belongs to Southern Living, BTW
Ingredients
1 (¼-oz.) envelope active dry yeast
1½ cups warm water (105° to 115°), divided
8 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
7 cups bread flour
Vegetable oil
Sifted powdered sugar
Directions
Yeast Mixture: In stand mixer bowl, mix together 1 packet of yeast with ½ cup warm water. Add granulated sugar, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add eggs, salt, evaporated milk, and sugar.
Dough: In a separate bowl, mix together shortening and hot water until melted. Add shortening mixture to yeast mixture along with 4 cups bread flour. Using hook attachment, mix until smooth. Gradually add 3 cups more bread flour, and beat until a sticky dough forms. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, turning dough to grease entire surface. Once complete, cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.
Beignets: Fill Dutch oven with 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil. Heat to 350°F to 360°F. Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness, cut into 2½-inch squares, and fry in oil until browned and puffy (2 minutes each side). Drain on paper towels. Immediately dust with powdered sugar. (I also added some Mike’s Hot Honey to mine, BTW. I call it “Bonnie.” Get it???)
The OMG Remoulade:
Ingredients:
1¼ Cups mayonnaise
¼ Cup mustard
¼ Cup sweet pickle relish
2 Tbsp sweet pickle juice
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 tsp horseradish (I used the extra hot [I like to live dangerously])
1 tsp dill pickle juice
1 tsp hot sauce (again, I use Tapatío)
2 large cloves of garlic, minced and smashed
Instructions:
Mix it all up in a bowl, toss it in the fridge for a few hours. Seriously, that’s it.
Next up is also an internet recipe, also from Southern Living, and may not look like much, but they’ve got it where it counts. I made some special modifications myself.
Millennium Falcon Crispy Andouille Hush Puppies
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
1½ cups self-rising white cornmeal
1 cup diced andouille sausage (I put it through the food processor)
¾ cup self-rising flour
¾ cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 large egg, lightly beaten
⅔ cup lager beer
⅓ cup buttermilk
Directions:
Pour oil to a depth of 3 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 375°F. Stir together cornmeal and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Add egg, beer, and buttermilk; stir just until moistened. Let stand 10 minutes.
Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, drop batter into hot oil, and fry, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels. Keep warm in a 200°F oven.
Now, this whole series of cooks was done on the Monday preceding Fat Tuesday. It’s tradition in New Orleans to have red beans and rice that day.
First things first. You must soak the beans overnight. Even in the slow cooker on high, they will not be done in time for dinner if you don’t.
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients:
1 pound dried red beans
¾ pound smoked ham, plus a hock if you’ve got it (used our leftover New Year’s ham from the freezer)
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
Hot cooked long-grain rice
Hot sauce (again with the Tapatío)
Garnish: finely chopped green onions, finely chopped red onion
Directions:
Soak the beans overnight.
I put the ham on the smoker with hickory for an hour at around 200°-225°. It was already cooked, and it was stored in the… say it with me now… “chest freezer.” Trust me, this will help your food budget.
I put all of the ham, and the celery, peppers, onion, and cloves through the food processor. They essentially liquify over the course of the cook.
Combine first 8 ingredients and 7 cups water in a 4-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 7 hours or until beans are tender. (I know I say five on the video, but this gave us some wiggle room in the schedule and worked better.)
Serve red bean mixture with hot cooked rice, and, if desired, hot sauce. Garnish, if desired.
Stay tuned for the next epic adventures in this series:
Mardi Gras Feast Part Three: The Return of the Seafood
The dessert post: Bananas Foster and King Cake: A Hobbit’s Tale by Kilgore Baggins
Part Five, the finale of my Tolkien food posts: The Carnita-rillion