Fridays in Cajun country usually mean “frydays” with fried catfish as the star attraction. And this recipe is a revelation on how good this Cajun recipe can be. My catfish is encased in an impenetrable wall of crispness. Every bite explodes with flavor, shatters with a crunch of spice, and gives way to the moist…
Creole Cioppino
Fish soup is as essential to French cuisine as gumbo is to French Louisiana. I love the flavors of briny stock-infused shellfish and finfish swimming in a bowl of herbs and vegetables. In my younger years, I once traveled the length of France searching for the perfect soupe de poisson, and two weeks later I…
Oyster Pastalaya
Here in the South, folks are prone to outbursts of words, phrases, and sayings that anyone outside of our world has a hard time grasping. Seems that over the past few generations, Southerners have developed their own language that defines who we are. As the saying goes, “porches are wide and words are long.” Certainly,…
Shrimp and Zucchini Pirogue
Legendary singer /songwriter Hank Williams brought Cajun music (and food) into the mainstream in 1952 with his song Jambalaya. No doubt you remember the colorful lyrics: Good-bye Joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou My Yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh Son of…
Fried Softshell Crab topped with Crawfish Étouffée
Lately, I’ve gotten lots of questions from folks outside of Louisiana who want to know more about the restaurant scene in South Louisiana. Well, I could write volumes on the subject and still not cover it all. The Faces and Places pages of Acadiana Table are a good start, but I have a continually growing…
Shrimp and Artichoke Fettuccine
This Shrimp and Artichoke Fettuccine has fast become a Louisiana classic. Combining fresh Louisiana seafood with pasta is a popular Cajun recipe throughout Acadiana. There are endless variations, but most favor a white sauce rather than red, and frequently have smoked meat or sausage layering flavor in the dish. There is even a version of…