FRIED GREEN TOMATOES WITH A CAJUN TWIST

Thursday, November 17, 2005

A few weeks ago, David and I had lunch at Chelsea's, one of my favorite restaurants in Baton Rouge. The atmosphere is very pub-like, but every time I've eaten there, the food has been excellent. On this particular Friday afternoon, I ordered the fried green tomatoes with grilled shrimp. The tomatoes were crisp and light and tangy, just like I like them, and they contrasted so nicely with the sweet, meaty shrimp, and creamy remoulade dressing. The dish was so good that I came home and started trying to figure out how to recreate it. Apparently, I got so excited that I forgot to write down what exactly I did! I will try to describe my process, as best I remember...

One of the vendors at the farmer's market has had green tomatoes the past few weeks; I bought them on Saturday and let them sit in the kitchen window for a few days to soften just a little. A few hours before I planned to start cooking, I sliced the tomatoes, and laid them in a shallow dish of buttermilk. I salted and peppered them well and left them to soak.

When I returned, I mixed up a plate of flour, cornmeal, chopped fresh basil, and seasoning salt (I use equal parts flour and cornmeal). I heated some canola oil in a frying pan, dredged the soaked tomato slices in the flour mixture, and fried them in oil until they turned golden brown, being careful not to let the oil get too hot. They didn't have to cook very long per side, maybe 3 or 4 minutes? I lay the tomatoes on paper towels to drain while I prepared the remoulade sauce.

Remoulade sauce is another one of those recipes that comes in many varieties. I've made it different ways; for this version, I used the leftover cocktail sauce, homemade mayonnaise, a few cloves of garlic, and some spicy cajun mustard, and blended it all up in the food processor. Instead of grilling the shrimp, I used the leftover boiled ones from dinner Monday, so once the sauce was made, my meal was ready to plate. I must confess that my tomatoes and shrimp were not as good as Chelsea's. I think my sauce was a little too strong--maybe too much garlic--and their tomatoes were more flavorful. Next time, maybe I'll get it right...and remember to write down my method!

tagged:  Food and Drink    LEAVE A COMMENT      

BREAKFAST IN A TORTILLA

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Dinners borne out of a near-empty fridge and the end-of-the day exhaustion sometimes turn out to be a disaster. I've been known to throw all sorts of things into an omelet or a quesadilla or onto a pizza crust, and the results are not always as, well, as edible as I would like. Tuesdays often turn out to be the days that such disasters occur because it's late when I get home, I've been in class all day, and even if I've planned a meal for the night, I often just don't have the energy to go through with it.

This meal is the result of exactly those circumstances; I don't remember what we were supposed to have, but I wanted something super fast with ingredients I had on hand. The next time you find yourself staring into your refrigerator, wondering what to make in less than 30 minutes, here's a recipe I highly recommend. If you have: tortillas, eggs, and either a jar of pre-made salsa or a can of tomatoes and a pepper and an onion, you're in great shape. If you have cheese, and some bacon and grits, even better. Here's what I had in my kitchen and how it came together for a fast, satisfying dinner:

Super-Fast Breakfast Tortilla Supper

(these proportions are not exact, but that's the beauty of super-fast cooking--no measuring!)

Tortillas

Eggs for scrambling (I had 4)

Milk (a tablespoon or so?)

Cumin

Chili powder

A yellow onion, diced (you may not need the whole thing)

Cheese of some sort (I used cheddar)

A jalapeno, sliced (seeded if you're sensitive to spicy food)

Diced tomatoes (I used a 14-ounce can, drained)

Note: I started the grits and bacon in the microwave before cooking the eggs, so that everything would be ready at the same time.

Beat the eggs and milk and season with cumin and chili (I like the flavors, so I used a teaspoonful of both). Salt and pepper too, and set aside. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add half of the onion. (Note: if you have salsa already made, you can skip down to scrambling the eggs). Add the jalapeno, and cook until both are very soft. Add the tomatoes, and season with cumin and chili. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the rest of the onion (if you've got salsa, you pick up here). Cook until soft, and then add the eggs, scrambling them until they're cooked as you like. Remove to a plate. Add more oil to the skillet and lay a tortilla flat. Spread the surface with grated cheese. When the cheese begins to melt, spoon eggs down the center of the tortilla. Top with salsa, and fold the sides up and over the eggs. Cook for a minute more, and remove to plate. Repeat until you have enough tortillas for everyone (if you're cooking for several people, keep the cooked ones warm in the microwave). Top with more salsa, and serve with grits and bacon if you've got them. Start to finish: about 20 minutes, and it would have gone faster if I'd had salsa already made!

tagged:  Food and Drink    LEAVE A COMMENT      

SHRIMP BOIL!

Monday, November 13, 2005

I know boiling shrimp is generally a summer tradition. But, the shrimp at the Farmer's Market last week were such a good deal that I had to buy some. And, really, it reached 90 degrees here last week, so if I didn't have a calendar, I might think it was August instead of November.

If I buy shrimp fresh, I really feel like I owe it to the little creatures to eat them in the purest way possible, protecting their sweet delicate flavor as best I can. To me, boiling them is the very best way to get the most unadulterated shrimp flavor. Boiled shrimp is also one of the quickest meals I know--throw together some cocktail sauce, a salad, and some buttered bread, and you're ready to roll up your sleeves and dig in.

Everyone (especially here in south Louisiana) has his or her own favorite method for boiling shrimp. Some people like to use beer; other cooks use lots of different spices. Like most other recipes, I prefer mine simple. Some people object to using prepackaged spice mixtures, but I really like Zatarain's liquid shrimp and crab boil--a tiny bottle lasts forever, and I think the flavor is subtle enough to provide a nice spicy kick without overpowering the shrimp.

Truth be told, boiling shrimp is one of those things you just have to do until you find the flavor combination that suits your taste. I offer my method here, along with my (ultra-simple) recipe for cocktail sauce, but the most important thing about boiling shrimp is not to overcook them. I like to add a lot of ice when they're done and let them soak in the liquid for a few hours, so they soak up the flavor without cooking too long.

Boiled Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce

2 quarts water

1 T. liquid shrimp and crab boil

2 lemons, halved

3 cloves of garlic, halved

1 T. Kosher salt

A handful of black peppercorns

2 pounds shrimp, heads and shells on

In a large stockpot, add shrimp boil, lemons, and garlic to the water. Boil for 15 or 20 minutes. Add the shrimp, and boil for 3-5 minutes. As soon as the shrimp begin to turn pink, remove the pot from the heat. Add ice to cool, and refrigerate.

For sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup

Juice of 1 lemon

4 t. horseradish

Stir to combine. Peel shrimp, dip, and eat!

tagged:  Food and Drink    LEAVE A COMMENT      

Subscribe to WeeklyDish