Bowl bash (2002)
Eat like a celeb even if you don't have a ticket

By Dale Curry Food Editor (31 January 2002)
© The Times-Picayune. Used with permission.

“They've got $400 Super Bowl tickets and now they want gumbo, muffulettas, jambalaya and crawfish étouffée.
'They just want the Louisiana food because it's not something they get all the
time,' chef Matthew Auck said of the 75,000 people, many of them celebrities,
whom he will feed this weekend.
Auck, executive chef of the Louisiana Superdome and New Orleans Arena, will
serve plated dinners to VIPs including NFL commissioners, handle backstage catering for performing stars, and stock carving and buffet stations throughout
the arena on Friday night. On Sunday, he'll cater private parties in hospitality
rooms and box suites throughout the Dome, plus prepare gumbo and jambalaya
for concession stands.
'One group is adamant about bread pudding,' he said. Others want fresh snapper,
raw oysters and Natchitoches meat pies. Even if you're not attached to a private party, concessions will feed you a lot more than hot dogs. What chef Auck, an employee of Volume Services America, and the concessions' cooks are not
providing, subcontractors such as Mr. B's Bistro, Luther's BBQ and New
Orleans Daiquiris are filling in.
Most Super Bowl fans, however, won't be in the expensive seats on Sunday.
They will be comfortably ensconced in easy chairs at home (many prefer it this
way), or at someone else's home, watching the game on the tube. Just so they
won't feel left out, we compiled some recipes that the VIPs will be munching on
in their pricier environs."

 * * * * * *

"There is cooking going on everywhere. Whether it's tailgating, celebrity
schmoozing or plain old partying at home, everybody's working on menus.
Chefs from throughout the country will congregate here for the Taste of the
NFL, a $400 per person annual party that benefits hunger organizations. Led
by Susan Spicer of Bayona...restaurant, the chefs will cook for thousands of
people Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Spicer is host chef and will prepare Mosca's-style oysters at the fundraiser,
plus entertain the 30 or so chefs at a brunch before the game Sunday. Spicer
is one of the original Taste of the NFL chefs, who pair up each year with
former NFL players to cook and serve at the fundraiser. New Orleans, she
says, is the most popular city.
'I would say it's the top city on their list,' she said, after preparing a list of
restaurants for the chefs to check out while they are here. 'New Orleans is
the best place to have Super Bowl with the Dome downtown.' In about eight
other locations,' she said, 'the logistics of getting to the game often super-
sedes going.'
Meanwhile, premier New Orleans chef Emeril Lagasse is throwing a party
at Emeril's before he and his guests go over to the Dome to watch the game.
'I've been going for the last six years to various Super Bowl events and I've
been doing some tailgating,' Lagasse said. He calls his private pre-game
party 'in-house tailgating and the invitees are mostly friends and TV Food
Network personnel.
He likes to feed crowds in casual settings and is airing his personal tips for
tailgating on his TV show, which will run several times Saturday.
In traveling to Super Bowls, Lagasse said, he sees a real connection between
food, people and the game. Last year in Tampa, 'we mostly kept it simple -- a
lot of different cheeses and fruit, a lot of dips and salads. We set up a table
and put multiple styles of po-boys out with a knife for people to cut.'
At the game Sunday, Superdome box suite ticket holders will have their choice
of two menus while corporate hospitality rooms each have four menus. Highlights
of the box suite menus are shrimp cocktail, barbecued brisket, Cajun green onion
sausage po-boys and maquechoux pasta salad. The upgraded menu also includes
alligator tail strips, blackened chicken, chilled beef tenderloin and barbecued ribs.
In the hospitality rooms, sports fans will dine on similar fare with the added
choices of crawfish étouffée, pork and beef from carving stations, fresh Gulf
red snapper, gumbo ya ya, jambalaya, seafood fettuccine, baked brie, chocolate truffles and assorted tortes and cheesecakes.

* * * * * * * *

Here is Chef Auck's recipe for chicken and sausage jambalaya:

Superdome Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Serves 6 to 8

1 2 1/2-pound chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 tablespoon dried sweet basil leaves
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 cup crushed tomato, canned, or
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons dry roux*
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced into rounds
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1/4 cup chopped green onion

Place whole chicken into an ample pot and cover with water to four inches over top of chicken. Bring to a boil and cook until chicken begins to fall
apart, about 45 minutes. Skim any scum that rises to the surface. When
done, remove chicken and set on a plate to cool. Strain and reserve chicken stock. Allow stock to stand for at least 30 minutes undisturbed so that fat
will rise to the top. Skim fat from the stock and discard. When chicken has cooled enough to handle, pick all meat from the bones and discard skin and bones. Remove as much fat as you can from chicken meat. Reserve meat.
In a four-quart pot, heat oil on high and add onion, bell pepper, celery,
garlic, parsley, basil and Cajun seasoning. Stir well. When the onion
begins to wilt, add crushed tomato and tomato paste.
Mix dry roux with three cups reserved stock until completely blended.
Add mixture to pot and stir until blended. Bring to a boil and reduce heat
to medium low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add sausage and stir well. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Return to high heat and bring to a rapid boil. Add
rice and stir well. Reduce heat to lowest setting, add picked chicken and stir.
Cover and simmer until rice is done (no longer crunchy). Stir and cover
again. Remove from heat and let stand for five minutes. Uncover, add
green onion and stir gently.

*A dry roux is a non-fat roux commonly used in Cajun and Creole cooking.
To make it, heat a well-seasoned black iron frying pan. Add as much flour
as desired and constantly stir until the flour browns to the color of peanut
butter. Do not burn. (Sift if not fine.) Store roux in a tightly sealed jar.

"Emeril Lagasse's tailgating ideas include lots of scrumptious
dips. Here is one that goes with crispy tortilla chips."

Emeril's Hot Corn Dip

Makes 6 cups dip, 12 to 18 servings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups corn kernels (from 4 ears
fresh white or yellow corn)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup mayonnaise
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Tortilla chips, for dipping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees [F].
Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kernels turn deep golden brown, about five minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Add the onions and
bell peppers and cook, stirring often, until the onions are wilted, about two minutes. Add the green onions, jalapeno and garlic and cook, stirring, for
two minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Transfer to the bowl with
the corn. Add the mayonnaise, one-half of the Monterey Jack cheese and
half of the cheddar cheese, and the cayenne and mix well. Pour into an
8-inch square baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake
until bubbly and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot with the chips.

Roast Pork and French Fry Po-boy

Makes one 6-foot sandwich, serving 12 people

"The New Orleans-born French fry po-boy is combined here with slow-
smoked pulled pork in this Emeril Lagasse original. Great for a large
tailgating party. The pork smokes six to eight hours and can be done a
day in advance and reheated."

3  4- to 5-pound pork butts
Emeril's Original Essence
Homemade barbecue sauce, recipe below
8 cups vegetable oil, for frying 10 large Idaho
potatoes, peeled and cut into thin French fries
Salt
1 6-foot-long loaf of French bread *
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups Creole mustard

Place the pork butts in one or two large baking dishes and season evenly
with Essence. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least four hours or overnight.
Preheat an oven or smoker to 225 degrees [F].
Bring the pork to room temperature and place in a large roasting pan,
fat side up. Smoke, or slow cook in the oven until tender and falling apart,
and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. The cooking should take
6 to 8 hours.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
With a knife and fork, or two forks, pull apart the meat into small slices
or chunks. Toss with the barbecue sauce to taste.
In a deep fryer, or large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil to 360 degrees [F]. Add the potatoes in batches and cook until golden brown,
about five minutes, stirring to brown evenly. Remove with a slotted
spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with Essence and salt.
Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Spread the mayonnaise on one half,
and the mustard on the other. Lay the pork along the bottom half of the
bread and top with the French fries. Top with the remaining bread half,
and cut into servings. Serve immediately.

*Substitute three standard po-boy loaves.

Homemade barbecue sauce

Makes 5 cups

4 cups ketchup
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup Steen's 100% Pure Cane Syrup
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Creole or other
spicy whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir to mix well.
Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator
for up to three days.

"Taste of the NFL chefs will cook up everything from homemade potato
chips to barbecue pork pot stickers. Jack McDavid of Jack's Firehouse
in Philadelphia and one of the Taste's participants offers this recipe
that is perfect for a home party where a grill is being used."

Grilled Portobello Pizza with Goat Cheese
and Green Sauce

Serves 4

Green  Sauce
1/4 cup fresh spinach, packed
1/4 cup fresh basil, packed
1 teaspoon tarragon leaves
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon capers
2 garlic cloves, roasted
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Puree all ingredients to form a sauce.

Pizza
4 portobello mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces goat cheese, sliced thin

Rub mushrooms with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place mushrooms
on a grill, rib side down and cook for five minutes. Turn mushrooms and
place green sauce over mushrooms. Add sliced goat cheese. Touch with a
little  more sauce. Close top of grill and smoke for five minutes more.

Susan Spicer's Baked Oysters Italian Style

Serves 4 to 6

1 pint oysters (about 24)
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup (2 ounces) good-quality olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs, such as
rosemary, thyme and sage
1/4 cup grated grana padano or reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees [F]. Pour oysters into a bowl and check for
bits of shell. Butter the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch pie pan and place oysters
in pan. Mix the bread crumbs with all remaining ingredients and distribute
evenly over the oysters, patting a little. Place pan in the hot oven and bake
for about six to eight minutes or until crumbs are brown and bubbling.
Remove from oven and serve immediately. Serve with croutons or
French bread rounds.

Check out:
Game Day Sandwiches
 New Orleans Sugar Bowl Tailgating