Beryl has created a 16 page Cajun Cooking Recipe Book with 7 of her favorite Cajun recipes plus her favorite desert recipe.

This FREE Cajun recipe eBook is full of photos and how-to videos to make preparing these Cajun dishes for your family a breeze.

We have also created a “Recipe Club” newsletter for  you so that you will get all of our latest Cajun and Southern home-style cooking recipes by email so that you will never miss another easy to make and great tasting  recipe.

Just fill out the form below, and you’ll get instant access to the “7 Nights of Cajun Cooking” recipe book, and you’ll be subscribed to the recipe club newsletter.

Please rest assured that we will never give your email address to anyone else, nor will we pester you with too many emails and pitches.

It will be very easy to “unsubscribe” at any time with a link at the bottom of each and every email we send you.

I hope you enjoy the new “7 Nights” recipe book, and we are working on more great recipes and other goodies for you.

We really appreciate you visiting our website and watching our videos, and hope to hear from you soon.

(Please leave us your comments – good or bad – in the comment box at the bottom of every recipe post.

Thanks again,

Beryl Stokes
Cajun Cooking TV

How to Make Cajun Jambalaya

Cajun Jambalaya with chicken and sausage by Beryl Caillouet Stokes at Cajun Cooking TV. A great Cajun jambalaya recipe does not have to come from a box, a bag or a frozen dinner.

REVISED January 21, 2018

Smaller Cajun Jambalaya in Cast Iron Skillet

2 boneless chicken breasts

2 boneless chicken thighs

1 pound of smoked or fresh sausage, sliced

2 cups long grain white rice

4 cups chicken broth (obtained from boiling the chicken)

1 cup seasoning blend (chopped onion, bell pepper, & celery)

1-2 teaspoons Tony’s Creole Seasoning

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 cup chopped green onions

drizzle of oil

In a 3-quart cast iron pot or skillet, add 6 cups water and bring to a boil.

Place the chicken and boil on medium heat for at least 30 minutes.

Add 1 teaspoon each salt & black pepper.

(This will be your chicken broth, or stock).

Remove the chicken to a plate to cool.

Remove the chicken broth to a glass bowl to cool.

Once the chicken is cooled enough to handle, shred or chop into bite size pieces.

In the same pot, add a tablespoon of canola oil or olive oil and heat to medium.

Add sausage and brown on both sides.

Add the 1 cup onion, bell pepper, celery and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken to brown it as well.

Add the chicken broth.

Toss in the Tony’s Creole Seasoning, salt, pepper, parsley, green onions, and then rice.

Stir well.

Cover and turn the heat down to low (number 2 or 3 on the dial).

Set timer for 15 minutes and do not remove the lid.

After 15 minutes, uncover and lightly move the mixture around lifting from the bottom.

(You’re just making sure nothing sticking to the bottom.)

Add the cover and cook another 15 minutes.

We turned ours down to low at this point because the cast iron pot holds heat well.

Uncover and lightly move around again.

Ready to eat!

This essential Acadian (Cajun) dish is an unfussy and wholesome meal that is considered by some as the comfort food of the South. Jambalaya, a dish mostly associated with the Deep South of Louisiana, is one of the most popular Cajun dishes there is.

There is even a Jambalaya Festival held in Gonzales, Louisiana every Memorial Day weekend since 1967. The Jambalaya Festival celebrates the Cajun traditional cooking, plus the joie de vie (joy of life). What would a festival be without a cooking championship?

Traditional Cajun Jambalaya contains the main ingredient – rice. Then add seasoning vegetables and a variety of other meats like: chicken, pork, ham, sausage, shrimp, crawfish, oysters, etc.

One key difference in Jambalaya and Gumbo is that the rice is cooked in with the meat rather than a sauce poured over rice. Think of the Spanish version of Paella.

Got a party or tailgating to do? It’s quite common to see a giant cast iron pot of Cajun Jambalaya at social events and gatherings. I’ve been to so many wedding receptions where the main dish served was Jambalaya. Often we see organizations trying to raise funds by selling Jambalaya plates.

Cajun Jambalaya is a great and economical way to feed a crowd or large group of people. It’s a complete meal all in one pot. There’s even a chain of restaurants in the area called The Jambalaya Shoppe. Guess what their main dish is? Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya.

How to make Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya from the Cajun Recipes at Cajun Cooking TV is easy and simple cooking.

Prep: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Yield: 8-10 people

Cajun Jambalaya Ingredients

1 whole fresh chicken cut up (boiled for 1 hour and then the meat pulled from the bones)
1 pound smoked sausage (1/4 inch slices)
4 cups long grain white rice
7 cups chicken stock
1 (10 ounce) package Seasoning Blend (or 2 cups of Cajun Trinity)
Salt
Tony’s Creole Seasoning
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
1 bunch chopped green onions
1/8 cup canola oil

Cajun Jambalaya Essentials

8-10 quart cast iron or non-stick pot

Begin by heating oil in a cast iron pot on medium heat.

Brown sausage until brown on both sides.

Add in the chicken and Seasoning Blend.

Cook for 5-10 minutes.

Pour in 7 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Season with salt and Tony’s Creole Seasoning – 1 teaspoon each. A little more if you like it spicy. Just be careful in case the sausage is already spicy.

Add the green onions and parsley.

Let boil 10-15 minutes to develop flavor.

Add in 4 cups rice. Stir well to blend all ingredients.

Cover tightly and reduce heat to low – #2 or #3 on my stove.

Cook for 15 minutes exactly. It is critical to not remove the lid until time.

At the 15 minute mark, remove the lid and use a flat spatula to lift the rice off the bottom in a few spots. Be careful not to actually stir.

Put the lid back on and cook another 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and remove pot from burner to prevent it from continuing to cook.

Cajun Jambalaya Serving Suggestions

Serve in a bowl garnished with chopped green onions and parsley. Often served with white beans and/or a mixed greens salad and hot rolls.

“O Jambalaya, a crawfish pie, and file’ Gumbo. Tonight I’m gonna see ma’Cher ami o…. We gonna have fun on the bayou.”

How to Make Chicken Stock for Jambalaya

Beryl

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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Please Follow Us On Facebook for Daily Updates and New Recipes:
https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/

The Cajun Cooking TV show airs on local Baton Rouge, Louisiana channel WLFT MeTV channel 30.1 and on Cox cable channel 117 on Tuesday mornings at 10 am.

You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810

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Catfish Po Boy Sandwich

Catfish Po Boy Sandwich Recipe.  Catfish Po-Boys are a staple in Cajun and South Louisiana cuisine; especially in New Orleans.  “Po Boy” is a familiar term used to describe a submarine sandwich served on long French bread rolls.

They are typically filled with some sort of fried seafood or any other hot sandwich meat; like hot roast beef or hot sausage.

Why do they call them PoBoys?

The most common story tells of streetcar workers on strike in 1929.  A local restaurant owner and former streetcar conductor would bring the workers sandwiches.  Employees from the restaurant referred to the workers as “Poor Boys”.

Of course with our Louisiana slang they became known as PoBoys.

One thing for sure Po Boys are here to stay.  Here in Baton Rouge, there are several restaurants that serve wonderful versions of the Po Boy.

Many people in South Louisiana have at least one Po Boy a week for lunch.  I know that I do.  My favorite is a Catfish Po-Boy dressed.  Enjoy!

This particular Saturday night, we made Shrimp Po Boys and Catfish Po Boys – give it a try!

Catfish Po-Boy Sandwich Ingredients

2-3 Catfish filets (cut thin)

Corn flour or a Shrimp and Fish Fry mix

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning)

1-2 eggs

Milk

Canola or vegetable oil

French bread or po-boy rolls

Shredded lettuce

Tomatoes (thinly sliced)

Sliced dill pickles

Yellow mustard, Creole mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, cocktail sauce or Tartar sauce (your preference)

The Seafood: 

Prepare catfish by cutting into strips somewhat like chicken tender strips.

Seafood Batter: 

Prepare the egg wash by breaking an egg into a mixing bowl.

Whisk in some milk (maybe a cup).

Squeeze in a wedge of lemon or lime juice.

In another mixing bowl, pour in the corn flour.

Add ½ cup of flour, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 tablespoons Tony’s.

Stir altogether well.

The Oil: 

Using a heavy bottom deep pot, skillet, or electric fryer, pour in fresh canola or vegetable oil.

Always be careful to leave 2-4 inches from the top to leave room for the oil to bubble up.

Optimal temperature is  375 degrees.

An electric fryer either has an automatic temperature setting or a button to help you.

If you are using a regular pot and do not have a thermometer, drop a small amount of the frying batter into the oil.

If it bubbles up quickly, the oil is ready.

Note: Oil and water DO NOT MIX! Keep water away from the hot oil. If you pour water on the oil, the mixture will explode. If the oil smokes or catches fire, cover it with a pan lid or cookie sheet. You can use baking soda to put out any grease fires, but be careful that you don’t spread the flames around.

Battering Seafood: 

Using your left hand, drop several pieces of catfish in the egg wash and cover completely.

Pull out and drop in the corn flour mixture.

With your right hand, toss the seafood around to fully coat with corn flour.

Shake off excess and place on a platter.

Continue this process until all catfish is coated.

Deep Frying: 

Once the oil is properly heated, carefully drop catfish into the oil.

Be careful not to overcrowd the pan.  Seafood should freely move around.

Seafood will be ready in just a couple minutes.  It should be golden brown and probably will be floating to the top of the oil.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain excess oil on layers of paper towels.

Catfish Po-Boy Sandwich Serving Suggestions

Prepare French bread or po boys by splitting open and spreading butter on the inside.

Toast in the oven.

Then, add desired amount of catfish, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayonnaise.

Some people prefer mustard, cocktail sauce or tartar sauce.

Fold it altogether and cut in half for easy handling.

Oh man – that’s some good eating Cher!

Shrimp Remoulade Salad

Shrimp Remoulade Salad, or Shrimp Salad with Remoulade sauce dressing, is featured at many a South Louisiana restaurant.  Also called simply Shrimp Remoulade, the dressing invented in France can be similar to a French dressing with an olive oil, ketchup, and yellow mustard base and the addition of horseradish or a white dressing with a mayonnaise base and the horseradish.

Remoulade is a popular condiment that can be used as a dipping sauce for seafood, meat, or chicken or a salad dressing.  A popular fast food restaurant in Baton Rouge, serves chicken fingers with Remoulade dipping sauce.

In tonight’s Cajun recipe, we made a Shrimp Remoulade Salad served over endive lettuce and mixed greens.  The Shrimp Salad could also be served as an appetizer with one Boiled Shrimp on a round water cracker or Melba toast.

Give it a try and see how you like it.  Bon Appetite!

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients for Shrimp Remoulade Salad

Boiled Shrimp Recipe

1 1/2 – 2 pounds of large shrimp (peeled and de-veined)
1 medium sweet onion (cut in quarters)
2-3 stalks celery (cut into several pieces)
Salt
Lemon or lime juice
Liquid Shrimp and Crab Boil (substitutes are cayenne pepper or Old Bay Seasoning)

3 Bay leaves

In a 6 quart pot or larger, fill with water leaving several inches to allow for all the ingredients.

Add in all the ingredients except the shrimp.

Bring water to a rolling boil.

Add shrimp.

Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat.

Let sit to soak up the flavor about 1-2 minutes.

Drain and put ice on or run cold water over the shrimp to stop the cooking process and cool down faster for salad.

Set aside.

Remoulade Sauce Recipe

1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup vegetable oil or olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 chopped celery
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
3 tablespoons Creole mustard
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
Dash of sea salt, Tony’s Creole Seasoning and black pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

In another mixing bowl with the shrimp, pour half of the dressing and mix well.

Chill for 1 hour prior to serving.

Serving Suggestions for Shrimp Remoulade Salad

Serve Shrimp Salad over a bed of lettuce greens, cut in half Endive or Romaine lettuce.  Drizzle more dressing on top.

As desired, add boiled eggs, sliced cucumbers, Roma tomatoes, green olives, etc.

How to Make Crawfish Bisque

Crawfish Bisque Recipe from the Cajun recipes at Cajun Cooking TV.  Essentials in Cajun cooking are the use of fresh crawfish tails when in season and we only use fresh Louisiana crawfish tails.  A bisque is a rich, creamy soup usually made with shellfish; especially lobster.  We just used a much smaller kind of lobster – the Louisiana crawfish.

Crawfish Bisque (some folks call it crawfish stew) consists of a rich sauce accompanied with stuffed crawfish bodies or crawfish balls.  For this recipe we made both.  This was so good we could not stop eating it.

Crawfish Bisque Ingredients: For the Crawfish Balls

1 (1-pound) bag of fresh crawfish tails (can substitute shrimp or crab if needed)

1 cup chopped onionss

1 cup chopped green peppers
1/4 parsley flakes
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
Cajun seasoning (like Tony’s Creole Seasoning)

Crawfish Bisque Cooking Directions: For the Crawfish Balls

Blend all the above ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Remove to a mixing bowl.

Form into small meatballs.

If you have access to crawfish bodies, just stuff the bodies with the mixture.

Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes on a baking sheet.

Crawfish Bisque Ingredients: For the Crawfish Bisque

4 cups Cajun Trinity (or frozen seasoning blend – onions, bell pepper, celery)
2 sticks butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups Chicken Stock
1 (10-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Cajun seasoning (like Tony’s Creole Seasoning) to taste
1 (1-pound) bag of fresh crawfish tails (substitute shrimp or crab if needed)
1 cup rice

Crawfish Bisque Cooking Directions: For the Crawfish Bisque

Saute’ Cajun Trinity in 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large 6 quart pot.

Make a Roux in a flat bottom stainless steel skillet or cast iron skillet.

Melt the butter and gradually add in flour and continue to stir with a flat edged spatula until dark brown color.

Transfer roux to the Cajun Trinity pot.  Stir well.

Add chicken stock, tomato sauce, minced garlic, crawfish tails and seasoning to taste.

Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium-low (#3).

Stir occasionally and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.

Make 1 cup rice according to package directions.

Add the stuffed crawfish and/or crawfish balls.

Simmer another 5-10 minutes.

Crawfish Bisque Serving Suggestions

Serve crawfish bisque over rice and garnish with chopped green onions and chopped parsley.

Bon Appetite!

How to Make Crab Cakes

Crab Cakes are an easy and very popular crabmeat dish in South Louisiana as well as the New England area.  Crab Cakes are so versatile for serving too.  They are wonderful by themselves with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce.  Or, served on a bun like a Po-Boy sandwich.  Or, even on top of Fettucine Alfredo.  Yum Yum!  This is definitely one of our best Cajun recipes. We better get to cooking up this good bunch of groceries.

Ingredients for Louisiana Crab Cakes (Serves 4)

1/2 pound fresh white crabmeat
2 cups finely chopped Cajun Trinity (can use frozen or fresh seasoning blend)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil olive
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Tony’s Creole Seasoning
2 cups bread crumbs
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Creole mustard
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Canola oil for frying

Lemon

In a skillet, saute’ the Cajun Trinity in butter and olive oil until well done.

Add minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and Tony’s.

Move to a mixing bowl and stir in 1 cup bread crumbs.  Add mayonnaise and creole mustard.  Mix well.

Fold in crabmeat, blending well.  Add more mayo if too dry.  The mixture should be sticky enough to form patties.

Divide the mixture evenly to form 4-5 patties (like a hamburger patty).

Place on a platter and chill at least 30 minutes to an hour.

In a small bowl make an egg wash by whisking 1 egg and 1/2 cup milk.

Add in a dash of lemon juice if you like.

In another bowl, pour in 1 cup bread crumbs.

Then, in a deep skillet, pour in enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.

Heat on medium heat.

Take the crab patties out of the refrigerator.

Dip each patty through the egg wash then dip through the bread crumbs coating the outside of the patty completely.  Place on a clean platter.

Once the oil is properly heated, carefully place the patties in the skillet and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Flip each Crab Cake over and fry another 2-3 minutes.  Each side should be golden brown.

Don’t go to far from the stove – 2 minutes passes real fast.

Remove Crab Cakes to several layers of paper towels to remove excess oil.

Serving Suggestions for Cajun Crab Cakes

Serve the Crab Cakes on a platter with a side salad.

A local restaurant has a wonderful Crab Cake dish where they serve the Crab Cake over a bed of angel hair pasta with an Alfredo sauce.  You talk about some good groceries there cher!

How to Make Seafood Gumbo

Seafood Gumbo is a staple in the Cajun and Creole Cultures. As in most Cajun Cooking recipes, we will start with a Roux.

A roux is used as a thickening agent for this traditional seafood soup.

The word Gumbo derives from the Creole culture which is the West African word for okra.

Okra is also used as a thickening agent as is a special spice called Gumbo File’. File’ is ground sassafras.

We sprinkle Gumbo File’ on the bowl of gumbo at the table for a little extra spiciness.

You may think that Gumbo, whether Chicken and Sausage Gumbo or Seafood Gumbo, is only good in the cold weather. However, we enjoy Gumbo year round.

We especially like to make it for Christmas Eve and enjoy with our daughters. It’s become a tradition at our house.

Give it a try sometime. It’s really not hard to make and tastes oh so good.

Ingredients for New Orleans Seafood Gumbo

This quantity is for a 12-quart stock pot.

(If you’re using a 6 quart large pot, reduce all by half.)

Step One: The Base

1/4 cup canola oil
8 cups Cajun Trinity (can use 2 bags of frozen Seasoning Blend)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 large (28-ounce) can of Rotel tomatoes (substitute plain diced tomatoes if you prefer)
4 quarts fresh Chicken Stock (or shrimp stock or vegetable stock)
3 pounds frozen cut okra
5 Bay leaves

Step Two: The Roux

2 sticks butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

Step Three: The Seafood

3 pounds fresh large shrimp – peeled (and de-veined if desired)
1 pound white crab meat
1 pound claw crab meat
1 pound crawfish tails (when available)
1 pint fresh oysters (optional)

Garnish: chopped green onions and gumbo file’

Step One: The Base –

Begin by heating 1/4 canola oil in a large stock pot (medium high #7).

Saute’ Cajun Trinity until vegetables are well cooked.

Add 2 tablespoons minced garlic.

Pour in the large can of Rotel tomatoes and 4 quarts chicken or vegetable stock. (Or water if you don’t have stock)

Bring to a boil.

Add okra and stir well.

Reduce heat to medium (#6) and allow okra to cook 20-30 minutes.

Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom.

Step Two: The Roux –

when the okra is about done, start on the roux.

In a deep skillet, melt 2 sticks of butter on medium heat #6.

Using a flat edged spatula, gradually stir in the 1 cup of flour.

Continually stir – be careful not to splash on yourself. (This is very hot and can burn you.)

Once you a achieve a dark caramel color, turn off the heat.

Keep moving the roux so it doesn’t scorch.

Carefully, pour into the stock pot and stir as you go. (This is best done with two people if possible.)

Continue to simmer on #4 for 10 minutes.

Step Three: The Seafood –

Add shrimp, claw crab, crawfish tails and oysters shortly before you are ready to serve.

The seafood will only take about 5 minutes to cook.

(We usually add the white crab meat to the gumbo after it is plated up and being served.)

Serving Suggestions for New Orleans Seafood Gumbo

Serve over white rice and garnish with chopped green onions and gumbo file’.

A side salad and French rolls are excellent accompaniments.

Tip: If you have some Seafood Gumbo leftover, allow the gumbo to cool and then put in freezer containers for a quick supper.

Shrimp Norman

Shrimp Norman is a Cajun Seafood dish prepared at one of our favorite local restaurants, Mike Anderson’s in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and also at the Mike Anderson’s location in Gonzales, Louisiana.

It is basically Fried Jumbo Shrimp with Crab Etouffee on top.

Without a recipe, we have recreated this scrumptious Cajun recipe for you.

Enjoy!

Ingredients for Fried Shrimp Norman

1 pound large or jumbo shrimp
Crab Etouffee (see recipe)
1/2  cup of corn flour ( or Fish and Shrimp Fry mix)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Tony’s Creole Seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
Canola oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Make Crab Etouffee according to recipe, but use less water or stock.

Etouffee should be a thick consistency.

Peel shrimp leaving the tail on.

Slice deep through the top of the shrimp to both de-vein the shrimp (take out the black vein) and butterfly it for frying.

Set aside in a bowl.

In a mixing bowl, prepare the shrimp fry mix by blending 1/2 cup corn flour, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, salt and Tony’s Creole Seasoning.

In another small mixing bowl, crack the egg and stir in ½ cup milk.  (This is the egg wash.)

Take each shrimp and coat in the egg wash.

Move shrimp to the shrimp fry mixture and coat with the corn flour mix.

Fan out the tail for a pretty presentation (be careful – there is a sharp point on the tail of a shrimp that can pierce your hand or finger).

Place a clean platter.

Heat oil.

Fry shrimp a few at a time until golden brown or floating on top the oil.

Remove the shrimp to a paper towel lined platter to blot excess grease.

Serving Suggestions for Fried Shrimp Norman

To serve, arrange 6-8 shrimp with tails up on a plate.

Spoon the crab etouffee over each of the tails or just place in the center.

Adding a small mound of white rice is optional.

To eat and enjoy, take a shrimp and scoop up a dollop of crab etouffee and take a big bite of some deliciously good groceries.

Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich

Shrimp PoBoys are a staple in Cajun and South Louisiana cuisine; especially in New Orleans.

“Po Boys” is a familiar term used to describe a submarine sandwich served on long French bread rolls.

They are typically filled with some sort of fried seafood or any other hot sandwich meat; like hot roast beef or hot sausage.

Why do they call them “PoBoys”?

There many tall tails as to the origin of the name Po Boys.  The most common story tells of streetcar workers on strike in 1929.  A local restaurant owner and former streetcar conductor would bring the workers sandwiches.  Employees from the restaurant referred to the workers as “Poor Boys”.  Of course with our Louisiana slang they became known as PoBoys.

There are many, many restaurants in New Orleans and surrounding areas where most of their menu is comprised of different kinds of Po-Boys – fried shrimp, fried catfish, fried oysters, and fried soft shell crab.  Are you seeing a pattern here?  Po Boys are nothing like your run of the mill healthy deli sub sandwich, and they are generally served with french fries.

Certainly we can’t forget to talk about “Do you want it dressed?”  What does that mean?

Having it “dressed” means that you want your Po Boy with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and mayonnaise.

Otherwise, you just have it plain with either spicy Cajun Cocktail Sauce or Tartar Sauce.

One thing for sure Po Boys are here to stay.  Here in Baton Rouge, there are several restaurants that serve wonderful versions of the Po Boy and all good.  Many people in South Louisiana have at least one Po Boy a week for lunch.  I know that I do.  My favorite is a Catfish Po-Boy dressed.  Enjoy!

This particular Saturday night, we made both Shrimp Po Boys and Catfish Po Boys – give it a try!

Ingredients for a Shrimp or Catfish Po Boy Sandwich

1 pound fresh medium to large shrimp (peeled completely and de-veined)
2-3 thin catfish filets (cut into strips)
Corn flour or Shrimp & Fish Fry
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons Tony’s Creole Seasoning
1-2 eggs
Milk
Canola or vegetable oil
French bread or Po-Boy rolls
Shredded lettuce
Tomatoes (thinly cut)
Sliced dill pickles

Optional: yellow mustard, Creole mustard, ketchup, cocktail sauce or tartar sauce.

The Seafood:  Prepare your shrimp by peeling completely and slice the top open to remove the dark vein.  Prepare catfish by cutting into strips somewhat like chicken tender strips.

Seafood Batter:  Prepare the egg wash by breaking an egg into a mixing bowl.  Whisk in some milk (maybe a cup).   Squeeze in a wedge of lemon or lime juice.  In another mixing bowl, pour in the corn flour or Shrimp & Fish Fry mix.  Add ½ cup of flour, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 tablespoons Tony’s.  Stir altogether well.

The Oil:  Using a heavy bottom deep pot, skillet, or electric fryer, pour in fresh canola or vegetable oil.  Always be careful to leave 2-4” from the top to leave room for the oil to bubble up.  Optimal temperature is 350 to 375 degrees.  An electric fryer either has an automatic temperature setting or a button to help you.  If you are using a regular pot and do not have a thermometer, drop a small amount of the frying batter into the oil.  If it bubbles up quickly, the oil is ready.

Note: Oil and water DO NOT MIX!! Keep water away from the hot oil. If you pour water on the oil, the mixture will explode. If the oil smokes or catches fire, cover it with a pan lid or cookie sheet. You can use baking soda to put out any grease fires, but be careful that you don’t spread the flames around.

Battering Seafood:  Using your left hand, drop several pieces of shrimp or catfish in the egg wash and cover completely.  Pull out and drop in the corn flour or Shrimp & Fish Fry mixture.  With your right hand, toss the seafood around to fully coat with corn flour.  Shake off excess and place on a platter.  Continue this process until all seafood is coated.

Deep Frying:  Once the oil is properly heated, carefully drop seafood into the oil.  Be careful not to overcrowd the pan.  Seafood should freely move around.  Seafood will be ready in just a couple minutes.  It should be golden brown and probably will be floating to the top of the oil.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain excess oil on layers of paper towels.

Serving Suggestions for Shrimp Po Boy Sandwiches

This is optional – prepare French bread or Po’Boys by splitting open and spreading butter on the inside.  Toast in the oven.  Then, add desired amount of seafood, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayonnaise.  Some people prefer mustard, cocktail sauce or tarter sauce.  Fold it altogether and cut in half for easy handling.

Oh man – that’s some good eating Cher!

How to Make Crab Meat Etouffee

Crab Meat Etouffee alone or as a topping on Fried Jumbo Shrimp or Grilled Redfish – this dish gives me the warm and cozy feeling of comfort food.

On a Sunday after church, we whipped up this simple dish in a matter of 30 minutes.

No collection of Cajun recipes would be complete without Crab Meat Etouffee.

Ingredients for Crab Etouffee

½ pound fresh crabmeat (claw or white)
¼ cup of flour
5 tablespoons butter
2 cups Cajun Trinity with minced garlic (or 1 bag of Seasoning Blend)
1 can (10 ounce) Rotel tomatoes
1 cup white rice
1 teaspoon Tony’s Creole Seasoning
Chopped green onions or parsley for garnish

To begin, in a medium saucepan – boil 2 cups water.

Add 1 cup rice. Stir.

Cover and turn down the heat to medium low (#3) for 20 minutes.

Next in a large deep skillet melt 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté the Cajun Trinity and minced garlic.

Set aside in a bowl.

In the same skillet make a roux.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter on medium heat (#6).

Gradually add in ¼ cup of flour stirring constantly.

For an etouffee, continue to stir until golden brown caramel coloring.

Carefully add the Cajun Trinity back to the skillet.

Add Rotel tomatoes and 2 cups water.

Stir well and simmer on (#4) for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning or scorching.

Fold in the crab meat.

Season with 1 teaspoon of Tony’s Creole Seasoning.

Simmer another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serving Suggestions for Crab Etouffee

Serve Crab Etouffee over rice in a deep plate.

Garnish with chopped green onions or fresh chopped parsley for color and a side of garlic French bread.

Um Um that Crab Meat Etouffee is some good stuff cher!