Cajun Cooking from A to Z
By Steven Domingue
Andouille- Cajun andouille is made of butt or shank meat and fat, and seasoned with salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic, and smoked over pecan wood and sugar cane for up to seven or eight hours.
Boudin- is a treat found only in Southern Louisiana, traditionally made with pork, rice and various vegetables. However, you won't find one central recipe, because each butcher makes boudin a different way. Everyone has their own family recipe. Some are spicier, and some use different meats and flavorings, but the results are always delicious.
Crawfish- While there is no doubt the favorite crawfish recipes among true Cajuns are crawfish boils, crawfish etouffee, crawfish pies and fried crawfish po'boys; the mudbugs can also be seen in seafood gumbos, appetizer selections and even savory deserts, like a crawfish beignet.
Dirty Rice- is a traditional Cajun dish made from white rice cooked with small pieces of chicken liver or giblets, which give it a dark ("dirty") color and a mild but distinctive flavor. Similar to a pilaf, it also includes green bell pepper, celery and onion (the "holy trinity").
Etouffee- in French, the word etouffee literally means "smothered," which is a good way to describe this Cajun dish, as it is basically smothered crawfish over rice. Unlike gumbo, which is made with a dark roux, etouffee is made from a lighter, spicier roux. A proper etouffee will be orange-colored, with a hint of brown. It should be spicy, as its main spice ingredient is cayenne pepper, and saucy enough to form a thick gravy for the rice. However, take note that it is not gumbo, and should not be served like soup. The gravy in etouffee is much thicker than the roux of a gumbo.
File'- is a spice made from dried and ground sassafras leaves. It is used in the making of some types of gumbos and stews. It is sprinkled sparingly over gumbo as a seasoning and thickening agent, giving it a distinctive flavor and texture. Filé was originally an okra substitute when okra was not in season.
Gumbo- The word gumbo comes from an African word for okra, kigombo, which shows how important an ingredient okra was in early gumbo recipes. Gumbo originated in Southern Louisiana, where okra was easy to grow.
Holy Trinity- The holy trinity of cuisine refers specifically to the use originated from the Cajun and Creole cuisines of Louisiana where chopped celery, bell peppers, and onions are the staple base for much of the cooking.
Ingredients- There's an old Cajun saying that says, "With ingredients like these a monkey could cook". This is perhaps a testament to the use of simple yet delicious ingredients that are commonly found in most Cajun cuisine. (i.e. Holy Trinity)
Jambalaya- There are two distinct versions of Jambalaya, Cajun and Creole. Creole jambalaya, as with most Creole dishes contains tomato, which is the primary distinction from Cajun jambalaya. As with many other traditional Cajun dishes, Jambalaya became a popular choice due to the availability of rice in Southern Louisiana. Coupled with the trinity and whatever meats were available at the time, (duck, deer, pork, chicken) jambalaya provided a quick easy dinner.
King Cake- the French tradition of baking a special cake to honor the three kings, "A King's Cake," began in 1311. Today, King Cakes are enjoyed in Louisiana from the Feast of Epiphany until Mardi Gras day. A plastic or porcelain baby is inserted into the cake to symbolize the Baby Jesus. The cake is covered in sugar, specially colored in purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power - these are also the colors of Mardi Gras.
Lagniappe- derived from American Spanish and passed on to English from Louisiana French, the term lagniappe basically refers to "something extra". With regard to Cajun cooking, lagniappe could be anything the chef might have lying around that could be added to the dish.
Maque Choux- is a simple dish that fundamentally contains corn, green bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, and sometimes garlic and celery. The ingredients are first braised in a pot. The vegetables are then left to simmer until they reach a juicy, saturated consistency, with chicken stock or water added as necessary. The dish is finished with salt and a combination of red and black pepper, and some cooks include hot sauce and a bit of sugar for greater complexity.
Nutria- the meat from this rodent is lean and low in cholesterol. While there have been many attempts to establish markets for nutria meat, all documented cases have generally been unsuccessful.
Okra- originally used as a thickening agent for gumbos, this fruit was a very frequently used ingredient in many dishes due to its wide availability in South Louisiana.
Po-Boy- the main distinction between a po'boy and hoagies, subs, and grinders would have to be the bread. Traditional po'boys are made using French bread, which tends to have a crispier crust while remaining nice and fluffy on the inside. Common ingredients in the sandwich include fried shrimp or oysters, sausage, ham, roast beef and usually dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, and mayonnaise.
Q- sorry I got nothin'.
Roux- made using either vegetable oil or lard and wheat flour, roux is a very common ingredient in countless Cajun dishes such as gumbo. There are two basic types of roux, light and dark. Light roux, commonly referred to as "blond roux" is primarily used as a thickening agent in many soups and stews. Dark roux which is the further cooked version, which results in the darker color, provides more flavor but less thickening power.
Sauce Picante'- refers to a spicy tomato based sauce commonly used in Cajun/Creole cuisine. Usually combined with seafood or poultry and served over rice.
Tasso- a version of smoked pork made from the shoulder butt. This cut is typically fatty, though leaner cuts are often used and have a great deal of flavor. The butt, which will weigh 7 to 8 pounds, is sliced across the grain into pieces about 3 inches thick. These are dredged in a salt cure, which usually includes nitrates and sugar. The meat is left to cure briefly, only three or four hours, then rinsed, rubbed with a spice mixture containing Cayenne pepper and garlic, and hot-smoked until cooked through.
Understanding the Process- any true Cajun dish should not contain a lot of anything, except TLC. The biggest misconception about Cajun food is that it should be extremely spicy. Knowing the difference between "seasoned well" and "spicy" goes a long way with this style of cooking. Most dishes will start with the Trinity or a roux and can be tailored to fit anyone's taste. The greatest thing about Cajun food is that it can be anything to anyone.
Varying Spices- there are many people that believe cayenne pepper is the only spice that goes into Cajun food. This couldn't be further from the truth.
White Beans- another Cajun favorite. White beans are a common side dish, often slow cooked and including some type of pork, usually tasso.
X- sorry I got nothin'.
Yes we have dessert too- some of the more common desserts enjoyed are pecan pie, praline candies and sweet potato pie. Although very popular amongst Cajuns, bread pudding and beignets do not originate in the South.
Zapp's Potato Chips- Louisiana's unofficial brand of potato chips. These potato chips are kettle cooked in peanut oil and are offered in a variety of true Cajun flavors such as Spicy Cajun Crawtators, Cajun Dill, and Sour Cream and Creole Onion.
You don't have to be a culinary genius to prepare good Cajun/Creole dishes, but you do need the right ingredients. For those of you interested in crafting some Cajun concoctions of your own, check out Cajun Grocer online. Cajun Grocer offers a huge selection of all things Cajun, and you are sure to find everything you need including tried and true recipes from the Queen of Cajun Cooking, Marcelle Bienvenu.
Check out Cajun Grocer's selection of
Boudin, Crawfish,
Fresh Shrimp and other wide varieties of Cajun Food.
