January 31, 2013

proof whisky, pig skins & po’ boys, Vol. 118



It’s Superbowl weekend and we are spicing up our game with a Big Easy BAM! (www.nfl.com)


the jamba single 1 ½ oz proof whisky • ½ oz lemon juice • ¼ teaspoon cajun seasoning • 3 dashes hot pepper sauce • 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce • 1/8  teaspoon dried thyme leaves • 1 teaspoon finely chopped celery • 1/8 teaspoon finely chopped garlic • 1 tablespoon chopped tomato • 5 oz tomato juice
Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. To serve, rim a glass with lemon and kosher salt, fill with ice and pour.


the jamba pitcher 8 oz proof whisky • 3 oz lemon juice • 1 ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning • ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves • 2 tablespoon finely chopped celery • 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic • ½ cup chopped tomato • 3 ½  cups tomato juice
Add all ingredients to a pitcher and stir. Make in advance and store in fridge to allow flavours to combine. To serve, rim a glass with lemon and kosher salt, fill with ice and pour.

 

Let the girls serve hot dogs and veggie trays at their party. You, on the other hand, need to kick things up a notch, with some good ol’ stick to the ribs Cajun fare.


cajun shrimp po’ boys  (makes 12 small, 6 manly-sized)
cajun mayo 1½ cups mayonnaise • 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme • 1 tsp cayenne pepper slaw 1 cup finely shredded green cabbage • 1 small carrot, shredded • ¼ cup finely chopped sweet pickles shrimp 2 eggs • 3 tbsp water • 6 tbsp all-purpose flour • 1/3 cup cornmeal • ¼ tsp salt • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper • ¼ tsp baking powder • 24 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined • 12 slider or other small soft buns • 4 - 8 cups sunflower oil

mayo To make spicy mayo, combine mayonnaise, thyme, cayenne and salt to taste in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to 1 day. slaw Combine cabbage, carrot, pickles and ½ cup (125 mL) of the spicy mayo, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving, up to 8 hours. shrimp in a bowl, whisk together eggs and water. Add flour, cornmeal, salt, cayenne and baking powder and stir to make a smooth batter. Allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes (it should be fairly thick but not stiff; add a little water to thin if necessary). Pat shrimp dry and dip in batter, letting excess drip off. Carefully drop into hot oil, frying about 4 at a time, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until batter is golden brown and shrimp has curled. Using a slotted spoon, remove from oil and place on lined baking sheet in oven with fries. Repeat with remaining shrimp, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain temperature. Spoon slaw onto bottoms of buns and top each with shrimp. Spread spicy mayo on lids of buns and sandwich. You can sub out shrimp for scallops or chicken.

 

The best part about the next two recipes is that they are both make-ahead. You can leave them in a kettle or pot and your guests can serve themselves. The two recipes share a lot of the same ingredients, so you may want to chose one of the two and just double the batch, depending on the amount of guests you are feeding. 


cajun seafood gumbo 3 slices bacon • ½ cup all-purpose flour • 1 sweet red pepper, diced • 1 medium onion, diced • 1 large stalk celery, diced • 1 large garlic clove, minced • 1 can (796 mL) diced tomatoes • 1 box (900 mL) lower-salt chicken broth • 2 tsp  chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried • 1 bay leaf • ¼ tsp cayenne • 1 pkg (200 g) frozen snow crab • 8 oz (250 g) raw, 41 to 50 count, peeled and deveined shrimp, defrosted • 1 cup corn kernels • ½ cup (125 mL) chopped fresh parsley or 2 green onions, sliced • 3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Cut bacon crosswise into ¼-inch (5-mm) pieces. Place in a soup pot; cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until browned and crisp. Remove from heat. Skim off bacon bits, leaving fat behind. Reserve bacon bits. Return pan to heat; sprinkle in flour. Cook, stirring almost constantly for 5 minutes or until flour starts to turn golden. Then add pepper, onion, celery and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Meanwhile, place tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl; let drain. Mix tomato liquid with broth. When vegetables are cooked, add half of liquid mixture; stir very rapidly until well mixed. Then add remaining liquid; add thyme, bay leaf and cayenne. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If making ahead, soup can be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to a day. Reheat when needed.) Meanwhile, pick out some of the larger bits of crab; reserve for garnish. Remove tails from defrosted shrimp; discard. When simmering time is up, stir in drained tomatoes, shrimp, crab, corn and bacon bits. Increase heat to medium; cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, or until shrimp are pink and gumbo is very hot. Stir in most of chopped parsley or green onions. If a thinner gumbo is desired, stir in splashes of boiling water. Ladle into wide soup bowls. Add a scoop of rice; garnish with a bit of crab. Scatter with remaining parsley and serve with corn muffins or bread.



cajun jambalaya 3 tbsp vegetable oil • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces • 8 oz cooked chorizo sausage, cut into ½ inch pieces • 1 large onion, finely chopped • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped • 1 small sweet red pepper, seeded and finely chopped • 4 cloves garlic, minced • 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves • ½ tsp salt • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper • 6 whole cloves 2 bay leaves • 2 cups long-grain rice • 1 can diced tomatoes • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth • ¼ cup tomato paste • 1 lb (500 g) large (31 to 40 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined • 1/4 cup each finely chopped green onions and parsley • Hot pepper sauce

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). In a large flameproof casserole or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp (25 mL) oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken and sausage in batches for 2 to 4 minutes until browned on all sides (chicken won’t be completely cooked), removing to a plate as each batch browns. Add remaining oil to pot; reduce heat to medium. Cook onion, celery and pepper for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables are softened but not browned. Stir in garlic, thyme, salt, cayenne, black pepper, cloves and bay leaves; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in rice; cook, stirring, for 1 minute until rice is coated with vegetable mixture. Stir in tomatoes (with their juice), broth and tomato paste. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Return chicken and sausage to pot, along with any juices that have accumulated on plate. Bring to a boil; stir well. Cover with lid; transfer to oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until rice is tender and most of liquid has been absorbed. Gently stir in shrimp. Replace lid; return to oven for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes, until shrimp are pink and just firm. Discard bay leaves. Season with salt, cayenne and pepper to taste. Spoon jambalaya into a shallow serving dish; sprinkle with green onions and parsley. Serve at once with hot pepper sauce on the side.


We found some other great cajun and superbowl recipes at Food & Wine

 


If you are throwing a Superbowl party, you may also want to check out Sharp’s ‘How to Throw a Superbowl Party’ feature


Congratulations to Sabrina Greer for winning the bar10der tool! Your delicious drink, 
the proof or dare, will be featured in an upcoming blog. Stay tuned!

 

Weekend Forecast
Saturday: Variable cloudiness and a high of -7 degrees
Sunday: Scattered flurries and a high of -3 degrees





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