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"New Orleans food is as
delicious as
the less criminal forms of sin."
~ Mark Twain, 1884
La Belle Cuisine
Recipe Source:
Commander's Kitchen:
Take Home the True Taste
of New Orleans with More
than 150 Recipes from
Commander's Palace Restaurant
by Ty Adelaide Martin and Jamie Shannon
2000, Broadway Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
 
In our opinion, this new cookbook is a definite "must have". Not
only
is it chock full of the excellent recipes we've come to expect from the
world-renowned Brennan clan of New Orleans, but it also offers a
marvelous collection of
"Lagniappe" tidbits of information and
anecdotes.
From the Introduction...
"New Orleans cooking is like jazz. The world is
fascinated by the possibilities
that can result when good jazz musicians sit together and
'make music'. So it is
with our cooking. When people who care deeply about food use the
ingredients
and techniques of the entire history of New Orleans cooking, the possibilities
are endless."
Amen!
Fish
& Seafood
Catfish
Pecan with Lemon Thyme Pecan Butter
"Trout amandine has nothing
on catfish pecan, nothing. ‘This is just plain
good,’ says Chef Jamie. Dickie Brennan,
my cousin and a big fan of this dish,
says, ‘I’ve never seen an almond tree around
here.’ But pecan trees are every-
where in New Orleans. I have to work hard to beat my
neighbors and my dog
to the pecans from the tree in my front yard. Jamie’s version of
this dish uses|
browned butter and browned pecans surrounding the steaming catfish."
Makes 6 servings
3 cups (10 ounces) pecan halves
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Creole Seafood Seasoning to taste,
or your favorite Creole
seasoning
1 medium egg
1 cup milk
6 catfish fillets, 5 to 7 ounces each (or use
flounder, trout,
bass, or
any thin, smaller,
non-oily
fish), free of bones and scales
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter
3 lemons, cut in half
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 large sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Place half the pecans, the flour, and the Creole seasoning in the
work-
bowl
of a food processor, and process until finely ground. Transfer the
pecan
flour to
a large bowl.
Whisk the egg in a large mixing bowl and add the milk. Season both
sides
of the fish fillets with Creole Seasoning. One at a time, place the fillets in
the
egg wash.
Remove one fillet from the egg wash, letting any excess fluid drain
back
into the bowl. Dredge the fillet in the pecan flour and coat both sides,
shaking off
any excess. Transfer to a dry sheet pan, and repeat with the remaining fillets.
Place a large sauté pan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of
the butter, Heat for about 2 minutes, or until the butter is completely melted and starts
to bubble. Place three fish fillets in the pan, skin side up, and cook for 30 seconds.
Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for another 1 3/4 to 2 minutes, or until the fillets are
evenly browned and crisp. Turn the fish
over and cook on the second side for 2 to 2
1/2
minutes, or until the fish
is firm to the touch and an even brown. The most important
factor in determining the ideal cooking time is the thickness of the fillets you
are
using.
Remove the fish, place on a baking rack, wipe the pan clean with a
paper towel, add another 2 tablespoons of the butter, and repeat with the three remaining
pieces of fish.
When all the fish fillets are cooked, wipe the pan clean and return
the heat
to high. Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter, and, just as the butter
turns brown, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of pecans and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until
the nuts are toasted, stirring occasionally. Put the lemons
face down in the pan, first
squeezing a little juice from each piece. Add
the Worcestershire and the fresh thyme,
season with salt and pepper,
and cook for 30 seconds more, or until the thyme starts to
wilt and
become very aromatic.
Place on fish fillet and a lemon piece on each of six dinner
plates, spoon
some pecan butter around each piece of fish, and use the wilted thyme
to
garnish each plate.
Chef Jamie’s Tips: Creole seasoning is used in
the coating, the egg wash, and directly on the fish fillets to give this recipe its zest.
The amounts are to your taste, but you want to give color and flavor to this recipe. When
making the browned butter with pecans, don’t brown the butter too much or it will become
bitter. The thickness of the fish determines the actual sauté time. If the fillets are
especially thick, you can finish cooking them in the oven to keep from burning the crust.
Stewed Creole
Tomatoes and Shrimp
"This
light, heart-healthy dish is a favorite of Ella Brennan, my mother.
Heart-healthy though
it may be, she loves it because it tastes good. It’s
similar to shrimp
Creole but
without the roux, and it’s a great summer-
time
dish. Serve it over pasta
or boiled
rice."
Makes 4 servings
6 large Creole or vine-ripened tomatoes, cored,
peeled,
seeded,
and coarsely chopped
1 medium sweet onion, in medium dice
3 medium stalks celery, in medium dice
3 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 tablespoon light corn syrup (optional)
1/4 cup white vinegar
10 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds medium or large shrimp,
peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (thyme or
oregano could be used,
too)
Boiled rice or cooked pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or
green onions (optional garnish)
Place the tomatoes, onion, celery, jalapeño, corn syrup, vinegar,
salt and pepper in a large pot over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes,
stirring
occasionally. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 1
hour, checking occasionally
to make sure the mixture is not drying out
or burning (add water if it is).
Add the shrimp and the herbs, and simmer uncovered for 7 to 10
minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp, or until the shrimp are firm and fully
cooked. Adjust seasoning and serve over boiled rice or pasta.
Garnish with parsley or green onions, if desired.
Chef Jamie’s Tips: Try to use vine-ripe
tomatoes, but if you substitute
canned tomatoes, use about a quart of tomatoes with their
liquid.
When you core, peel, seed, and coarsely chop tomatoes, you are preparing
what’s called a
tomato concassée. After removing the core, score an X in
the bottom with
a paring knife,
drop the tomatoes in boiling water a few
at a time for 10 seconds, then cool in cold water
and peel the skin off with
a knife. Cut them in half horizontally, then gently squeeze out
the seeds
and coarsely chop the flesh. If
you can’t get fresh herbs, use a small amount
of dried herbs and add to the
tomatoes at the beginning
of the recipe.
By now, we're sure you're even more of a Commander's Palace fan
than ever before! It follows, then, that you'll want to have a look at
Commander's Palace: a Pictoral Guide to
the Famed Restaurant and Its Cuisine
Part of "The Great Restaurants of the World" series, this this
pictorial
guide to a famous New Orleans restaurant features 75 stunning
color
photos and 15 delicious recipes.
And of course, you're longing for more recipes. No problem, just
click!
Introduction:
Pickled Shrimp
(includes Creole Seafood Seasoning)
Onion-Crusted Fried Chicken Salad with
Blue Cheese Dressing
Beef &
Pork:
Veal Chop Tchoupitoulas
(includes Veal Stock and Creole Meat Seasoning)
Roast Pork Loin with Winter Root Vegetables
Side
Dishes and Vegetables:
Honey-Roasted Mashed Opelousas Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Garlic and Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Cauliflower
Pear Parsnip Purée
Sweet
Stuff!:
Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake
Citrus Pound Cake
Lemon Flan
More Commander's Recipes
A Tribute to Chef Jamie Shannon
Index - Cookbook Features
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