.
How To Make The Cajun Trinity

The Cajun Trinity is a mixture of chopped onion, bell pepper and celery.

Most Cajuns also add garlic and parsley too.

You can’t hardly cook anything Cajun without the “Holy Trinity” of Cajun cooking.

It is a basic ingredient to just about every Cajun dish.

Cajuns don’t say, “Add onion, bell pepper and celery”…

They say, “Add a cup of “the trinity”.

The Cajun Trinity is also a basic ingredient in spaghetti sauce, stews, and many more recipes.

Cajun Trinity Ingredients:

1 large sweet onion
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
6-8 stalks celery
5 gloves garlic
2 handfuls of fresh parsley tops

Note: Any color bell pepper will do, using different colored bell peppers just makes your Cajun Trinity prettier.

Wash bell peppers, celery and parsley thoroughly and pat with paper towels to remove excess water.

Slice them up.

Dice them up.

Chop them up.

Mince them up.

Throw it all in a large mixing bowl and stir to mix evenly.

Four cups of the Cajun Trinity mixture is sufficient for a stew, gumbo or etouffee.

To store for later use, place four cups mixture in freezer safe zipper bags and label with the date prepared.

Place flat in the freezer.

P.S. – If you have a question or comment about this recipe
(or any other recipe) please post your question or comment
in the “Comments” or “Leave a Reply” section below this
recipe.

P.S.S. – You can get these recipes emailed to you once
every two weeks by joining our FREE Cajun Recipe Club.

Simply enter your first name and email and click “submit”
on the form in the upper right hand corner of this page.

How To Make a Roux

“First you make a roux.”

A roux is the foundation of many Cajun recipes. The roux can make or break your gumbo, etouffee, bisque and any number of Cajun delicacies.

Making a roux is an art, and you just need to do it a few times to get it down. This easy to follow recipe and step by step video presentation by renowned Cajun cook Beryl Stokes is all you need to make a perfect roux the first time!

With this easy to follow foundation, now you can be doing some great Cajun cooking too.

Stuff Needed to Make a Roux :

• 1 deep stainless steel skillet (or cast iron pot)

• 1 flat edge wooden utensil or spatula

• Butter or oil

• All-purpose flour

For this demonstration, let’s use a ½ stick of butter and ¼ cup flour.

However much you use, you will want to use equal parts flour and butter.

Cut up the butter.

Turn your skillet on medium (#6).

Melt the butter until bubbling hot.

Gradually, add the flour and begin to stir constantly.

It should be smooth with no lumps.

You must keep stirring to keep from burning or scorching.

Be careful not to splatter on yourself. The Roux is really HOT.

The flour and butter will quickly begin to change colors from a golden butter to light caramel to a darker mud color.

Depending on the recipe you are making, depends on what color you want in a roux.

• For macaroni & cheese sauce or a cream based soup, you want a white roux. Cooking the roux only a minute or two.

• For a Crawfish Etouffee or Shrimp Creole, I like a caramel colored Roux. Cooking the Roux for 3 to 5 minutes.

• For Gumbo, I like a much darker rich colored Roux. Cooking the Roux for 5 to 7 minutes.

Remember to always keep stirring! A burnt Roux tastes terrible.

Some cooks like to pour the Cajun Trinity into the Roux, which is fine.

I typically, sauté the Cajun Trinity and pour the Roux into the Cajun Trinity because that’s the pot I’ll be cooking in.

Don’t be afraid of the Roux – Bon Appetite!

How to Grill Hamburgers

Grilled hamburgers. I can’t think of a more American meal.

Us Cajun’s love grilling hamburgers almost as much as eating crawfish.

There’s not many things better than a grilled hamburger cooked over a charcoal grill. We’ve been grilling hamburgers for 40 years or more, and I’d like to think that we’ve gotten pretty good at it.

So here are some grilling tips and complete step by step preparation and grilling directions by Cajun cooking star Beryl Stokes along with her husband Mike.

There’s really nothing quite like a good hamburger. And a grilled hamburger is the best of all.

For many years we used regular briquette charcoal and lighter fluid. What a blessing to get a natural food supermarket in town. We discovered real hardwood charcoal that is made from the scraps of wood from furniture makers.

Natural hardwood charcoal is so much lighter than pressed together charcoal briquettes and much better for the environment and your food.

Another change we made, we stopped using lighter fluid. Think about it. You’re putting lighter fluid on chemically made briquettes and then cooking your very expensive steak on something you use to light a candle or cigarettes. Gross!

We started using a charcoal chimney instead of lighter fluid. With a charcoal chimney, you light your charcoal with two sheets of newspaper instead of a toxic petroleum product similar to gasoline.

A charcoal chimney is a piece of sheet metal formed into a cylinder with a handle and disk with holes to hold the charcoal. The charcoal is poured into the cylinder and two pieces of newspaper is placed in the bottom of the chimney. The crumpled newspaper is lighted, which in turn lights the charcoal.

In about 20-30 minutes, you’re ready to cook on a natural hardwood fire.

It’s kind of like cooking on a campfire, but it is much more convenient. Who wants to eat food off a gas grill? You’re just gassing your food. I don’t cook my broccoli directly over the gas stove burner. I put the broccoli in a pot.

I’m getting hungry. Come on and let’s get to grilling!

Grilled Hamburgers Recipe

•    1 quality grill (Old Smokey is our favorite)
•    1 bag of All Natural Hardwood Charcoal
•    1 bag of mesquite or hickory chips
•    1 charcoal chimney (available at any store selling grills or grilling supplies)
•    2 sheets of black & white newspaper, 1 long grill flipper, 1 grill brush (for cleaning the grill)

Hamburger Ingredients:

•    1 – 2 pounds lean ground round or sirloin (about ¼ lb per person)
•    1 bottle Smokey Maple BBQ sauce (whatever BBQ sauce you like)
•    1 sweet onion
•    1 ripe tomato
•    Cheddar cheese slices, dill pickle slices or relish, shredded lettuce, ketchup, mustard, and mayo
•    Seasoning – salt, Tony’s Creole Seasoning, and granulated garlic powder

Start preparing your grill about an hour before you want to eat.

Scrape the grill with a grill brush to remove any residue from prior cooking.

In a small bowl, soak a handful of mesquite or hickory chips until ready to start cooking.

Loosely crumple 2 sheets of newspaper (the black & white section) and place under the Charcoal Chimney.

Place the charcoal chimney on the grill surface. Fill will charcoal.

Light the newspaper through the holes on the bottom of charcoal chimney.

Wait for charcoal to catch onto the flame.

(If the flames do not catch on the charcoal, repeat the newspaper step.)

In about 15-30 minutes the coals are ready for cooking.

Pick up the charcoal chimney using the handy handle and be sure to use an oven mitt (that handle gets hot).

Carefully remove the grill and set aside.

Pour the charcoal into the well of the grill. Spread around if needed with grilling tongs or spatula.

Spray your grill with cooking spray (away from the flame) to prevent the meat from sticking. Place back on the grill base.

Prepare the hamburger patties by evenly dividing the meat.

Either form the patties by hand or use a hamburger press. (I’ve had Tupperware hamburger press for 20 years.)

Do not overly handle the ground meat to prevent your hamburgers from being tough.

Season with sea salt, Tony’s Creole Seasoning, garlic powder and top with your favorite sauce.

Place your prepared meat evenly around the grill surface. Close the damper and put the top on.

For ¼ lb hamburgers, cook on one side for about 5 minutes.

Remove the cover and flip the hamburger with a grilling spatula. Drizzle on BBQ sauce.

Cover and cook again for about 5-8 minutes.

For melted cheese, place slices directly on the hamburgers and put the grill cover back on for about 1 minute.

Remove the cover and place the hamburger patties on a clean platter.

(Never use the same platter as used for the raw patties without a thorough cleaning.)

Add burgers to a toasty bun and pile on your favorite condiments.

.

 Crawfish Etouffee Recipe

This Crawfish etouffee recipe has got to be the easiest Cajun recipe to make one of the most incredibly fantastic dishes on the planet.

How to Make Crawfish Etouffee

Crawfish Etouffee Ingredients

1 pound fresh Louisiana crawfish (tails) or substitute crab meat or shrimp.

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ stick butter

4 cups Cajun Trinity (onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and parsley) OR one 10-0unce bag of seasoning blend

1 (10 ounce) can Rotel or diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning)

2 Bay leaves

2 cups seafood or vegetable stock (plain water is OK)

1 tablespoon canola oil or olive oil

Salt (to taste – we use about one teaspoon)

Dash of hot sauce(like Tabasco) optional

Chopped green onions for garnish

Rice:

2 cup water

1 cups long grain white rice

1 pat of butter

dash salt

Etouffee Cooking Instructions

Getting Started:

Prepare and have all ingredients ready before you start cooking.

Chop the Cajun Trinity using a cutting board and sharp knife.

(You can buy seasoning blend either fresh or frozen.)

I also like to chop the Cajun Trinity in a food processing by several quick pulses.

In a large pot, heat on medium heat (#6) the 1 tablespoon of  olive oil.

Pour in the Cajun Trinity.

Saute for several minutes.

How to make the Roux

In a stainless steel deep skillet, melt the butter on medium heat (#6-7).

Once the butter is bubbling begin to stir constantly with a flat wooden spatula.

Gradually add the ¼ cup all-purpose flour.

Keep stirring to prevent scorching the roux.

The roux is ready as soon as the mixture is the color of a light caramel candy.

Carefully, pour the roux in the Cajun Trinity and stir well to blend with the vegetables.

Next:

Now start mixing in your remaining ingredients:

Rotel tomatoes, water or stock, Cajun seasoning, Bay leaves, salt to taste and a dash of Tabasco.

Cook for about 15 minutes.

Add the 1 pound fresh crawfish tails and stir well.

Reduce heat to low (#3).

Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.

Make Rice and Serve

How to Make Rice

In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups water and one pat of butter.

Bring water to a boil.

Add 1 cup long grain white rice.

Stir.

Cover and reduce heat to medium (#3).

Do not disturb for 20 minutes.

The Finished Product

Ready to Serve:

Add a spoonful of rice to a deep plate.

Ladle your Crawfish Etouffee over the rice and garnish with green onions.

Serve with toasty garlic bread or rolls.

That’s some good stuff cher! Bon Appetite!

Serves 4-6 people or double the recipe for a big crowd.

Supplemental Recipes –

How to Make a Roux

How to Make Fresh Chicken Stock 

How to Make the Cajun Trinity

I hope you enjoy it. Bon Apetite!

Beryl Caillouet Stokes

How do YOU make Crawfish Etouffee?

Go to the bottom of the page and post your recipe in the “Leave a Reply” box in the “Comments” section.

We’d love to see your recipe!

===========================================================================

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.

Be the first to get all of our updates and information,“Like” us on Facebook,
go to:

https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/

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

===========================================================================