New Orleans School of Cooking - RECIPES included

Signed up for a group class demonstration and ended up with one other couple for  private cooking lesson!!

Hands on!

Corn & Crab Bisque

Ingredients

1/4 C Flour  -   1/4 C butter  - 1 Quart heavy cream  -  1 C stock  - Joe's Seasoning to Taste

1pound Crab meat (claw) - 2 C chopped green  onion - 24 oz whole corn with liquid - 1 T  parsley (for garnish) - salt to taste

1. Combine mile, heavy cream and stock.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 10-12 minutes.

2.  Make a roux with equal parts of butter and flour to desired color; add in your simmering pot.  Stir in your corn with liquid, crabmeat and simmer for another 5 minutes.

3. Gradually add in half your green onions, salt and Joe's stuff to taste.

*Note   Use the other half of your green onions and parsley for garnish.

Makes 6-8 Servings

While the bisque was simmering and we were getting the ingredients ready 

for the Shrimp Creole we enjoyed 

a bottle of Abita Beer, brewed at a local New Orleans microbrewery.

Shrimp Creole

3 pounds peeled shrimp - 8 T (1 stick) butter - 8T flour - 1 14-16 oz can tomato sauce

TRINITY { 2 C chopped onion, 1 C chopped celery, 1 C chopped green pepper}

1 T garlic - 1 C chopped parsley - 3 bay leaves - 3 C chicken stock or flavored water - 1 T brown sugar - 4 thin lemon slices - Joes' seasoning  to taste - cooked rice - 1 C chopped green onion

1. Saute the shrimp in butter for 2-3 minutes, then remove from pan.  Add the flour and stir over medium heat until lightly browned.

2.  Add TRINITY and garlic and saute the vegetables until they begin to turn transparent.  Add the stock, tomato sauce, bay leaves, brown sugar, lemon slices and Joe's Stuff.  Simmer for about 15 minutes.

3. Add green onion, parsley and shrimp during the last 5 minutes of cooking.  Serve over rice.

Makes 8 servings

A little Creole confection 

to finish off the meal -

 Pralines!

1 1/2 C sugar - 3/4 C light brown sugar, packed, 1/2 C milk, 6T (3/4 stick) butter, 1 1/2 C pecans - 1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients and bring to a "softball stage" (238-240 degrees), stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Stir until mixture thickens (again stirring constantly), becomes creamy and cloudy and pecans stay suspended in mixture.  Spoon out on buttered wax paper, aluminum foil or parchment paper.  If using waxed paper, be sure to buffer with newspaper underneath, as hot wax will transfer to whatever is beneath.

Makes 1-50 Pralines depending on size

What a great way to learn a little history about Cajun and Creole cooking

 and have an awesome meal!!

Day 34