What's your favorite Cajun/Creole food?

[editor]

One of the things I miss about living in Houston is the easy access to good, cheap Cajun and Creole food. Whether it's at Treebeards downtown, or a shack of a joint I stumble upon after a meandering road trip through Louisiana -- it's all good.

So what are your favorite dishes? If it's from a restaurant, tell us which one and give an estimated price. If it's home made, for the love of God post the recipe!

[TJones]

One of the things I miss about living in Houston is the easy access to good, cheap Cajun and Creole food. Whether it's at Treebeards downtown, or a shack of a joint I stumble upon after a meandering road trip through Louisiana -- it's all good.

So what are your favorite dishes? If it's from a restaurant, tell us which one and give an estimated price. If it's home made, for the love of God post the recipe!

Red Beans and Rice with some good skillet fried link sausage, topped off with some Jiffy brand cornbread.

Edited January 24, 2009 by TJones

[Jeebus]

Being from Louisiana, I equate Creole food with: expensive, fancy, typically involving seafood and/or tomatoes, and often mistaken for Cajun food.

With that being said, I enjoy traditional Cajun dishes like: chicken & sausage gumbo, chicken & sausage jambalaya, chicken fricassee (some just call it smothered chicken), smothered pork-chops, boiled crawfish, and peeling the leftover crawfish the next day and making crawfish etouffee.

You know, now that I think about it, I can't recall one beef-based cajun dish. I've even had cajun spaghetti with pork and alligator, and cajun pot roast - which was pork.

Also, to me.. The holy trinity of vegetables (using onion, bell-pepper, and celery together exclusively), roux, and crawfish were all made famous by cajun cooking.

EDIT: I somehow forgot Boudin!!!

Edited January 24, 2009 by Jeebus

[Jeebus]

Red Beans and Rice with some good skillet fried link sausage, topped off with some Jiffy brand cornbread.

Just to specify, this is creole.

[Jeebus]

An ingredient that might bring some controversy to this thread will be okra. We grew okra in the garden, stewed it and fried it, but NEVER put it in our gumbo. That was considered a sin and akin to adding tomatoes.

Some cajuns will add okra to their gumbo, but for the most part okra gumbo is considered creole.

[memebag]

My favorite homemade: Zatarain's box of red beans & rice with some sliced & fried Holmes andouille sausage.

My favorite restaurant: Pe-Te's red beans & rice with BBQ beef on top. Sadly, Pe-Te's is no more.

[sowanome]

Boudin.... there's nothing better for me.

[UrbaNerd]

Jambalaya and Dirty Rice!

[Porchman]

I love gumbo. I have a recipe around here somewhere. It came from one of the Katrina evacuees who was living here in the Heights for a while. It's written in pencil, in about 3rd grade english. It took her about 20 minutes to go through the details with me, including things like where to get the dried shrimp. I never have made it. I like the gumbo at Mardi Gras and Treebeards, and feel that any attempts on my part will fall short.

I am also eagerly awaiting "mud bug" season.

[editor]

I love gumbo. I have a recipe around here somewhere. It came from one of the Katrina evacuees who was living here in the Heights for a while. It's written in pencil, in about 3rd grade english. It took her about 20 minutes to go through the details with me, including things like where to get the dried shrimp. I never have made it. I like the gumbo at Mardi Gras and Treebeards, and feel that any attempts on my part will fall short.

I am also eagerly awaiting "mud bug" season.

If you can scan it in, I think there's lots of people who would love to see it.

[sevfiv]

Boudain. Anyone have suggestions on a good restaurant for it?

I like crawfish, but not whole. It's the whole eating-something-with-a-face-still-attached phobia I have...

[Porchman]

If you can scan it in, I think there's lots of people who would love to see it.

I found it. Actually, Mrs. Porchman found it. We don't have a scanner, so, as loyally as possible, I have typed it in below.

First, the story of Jonquil...

Jonquil is about my age (41), maybe a bit older. She has 3 children and one grandchild. She grew up in Algiers, across the River from NOLA, and was raised by her grandmother, for the most part. Jonquil always lived in the same neighborhood. From what she told me, it was a neighborhood where everybody knew everybody else (and everybody else's business). Also, they always helped each other. (It was expected).

Jonquil and her family evacuated to Houston after Katrina, and lived in the Heights for a while. She worked as a health aide in various environments

[NenaE]

Seafood Gumbo, Stuffed Shrimp, Crawfish Etouffe...Yummm.

[mkultra25]

Boudain. Anyone have suggestions on a good restaurant for it?

Mardi Gras Grill and Ragin' Cajun both do decent boudin. Jazzie Cafe, in addition to regular boudin, used to serve what they called "boudin balls", which were basically breaded and deep-fried chunks of boudin. Sort of like hush puppies, but with boudain. They were really addictive.

[20thStDad]

All of it is good. I guess my favorite would have to be poboys - mostly fried seafood (oyster and crawfish are my favorite), but switching it up to catfish, shrimp, and even hot sausage, ham, or hamburger are good at the right place. Haven't found a great place here, but Mardi Gras Grill is good. Actually Boudreaux's can have good ones too, but I've had spotty not so good ones either. Nothing beats Julien's between Lafayette and New Iberia IMO though.

[crunchtastic]

Boudain. Anyone have suggestions on a good restaurant for it?

/quote]

Go to Burt's meat market on Lyons in the 5th ward. Best boudin in the city!

I have to distinguish between creole and cajun, and with the major exception of smoked meats and sausages, I lean toward creole. (for example, gumbo must have okra, tomatos and a dark roux.) Luckily Louisiana is close, because proper creole is damn time consuming to make at home. When I was little we used to go crabbing and then have to go home and pick them all. The gumbo would take 2 days to fix. I've had OK seafood gumbo in Houston. Never great.

I do a good etouffee, and red beans, but don't really follow a recipe. I should try and get one down in writing so the Cap'n can cook for a change.

[MarkLTD]

The chicken and sausage gumbo at Bayou City Seafood and Pasta is my favorite in town. In fact I have never had anything bad there.

[cnote]

An ingredient that might bring some controversy to this thread will be okra. We grew okra in the garden, stewed it and fried it, but NEVER put it in our gumbo. That was considered a sin and akin to adding tomatoes.

Some cajuns will add okra to their gumbo, but for the most part okra gumbo is considered creole.

That is very interesting...I had always assumed okra was the key ingredient to gumbo, and was told that "gumbo" is a bastardized/shortened version of a West African word for okra. I have never confirmed this so it could be an old wives tale.

I have spent my whole life in Houston, and my family is from Mississippi, so we traveled through Louisiana very often, mainly to Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and occasionally Slidell. I never recall having gumbo without okra.

Disappointingly, I have never had very good luck with Cajun or Creole joints here in town. I have wanted to try Mardi Gras and heard good things, but just haven't had a chance. The best I have had in Texas was a little place on the wrong side of the tracks on E. 11th in Austin called Gene's, but even this place was cajun/soul food. There is a little place that just opened in Cypress called Mama's that is pretty good, but a little short on ambiance (most places in Cypress are short on this). Ambiance goes a long way with me.

[20thStDad]

That is very interesting...I had always assumed okra was the key ingredient to gumbo, and was told that "gumbo" is a bastardized/shortened version of a West African word for okra. I have never confirmed this so it could be an old wives tale.

I have spent my whole life in Houston, and my family is from Mississippi, so we traveled through Louisiana very often, mainly to Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and occasionally Slidell. I never recall having gumbo without okra.

IMO gumbo should have okra. The times I've had it without okra it's been because the person making it doesn't like okra. That's their loss, I love the stuff. It's best fried, but it makes a good gumbo better. Just check crossword puzzles - if the clue is "Gumbo ingredient", the answer is always okra.

Tomatoes in gumbo...no. That ain't right.

Edited January 26, 2009 by 20thStDad

[rsb320]

Hebert's Meat Market is a great Cajun market. http://www.hebertshouston.com/Contact.html

They've got a range from boneless, stuffed whole chickens to crawfish pies. I don't see boudain on their product list though. It's on Richmond at the Loop (inside).

I grew up in Gulfport, MS and New Orleans. We always used Okra. The other option for thickening is File' which is ground Sassafrass. You have to add it after cooking or it'll turn stringy.

I had a po-boy and cup of gumbo at BB's, across Montrose from that new tiny burger place (Ming's). I was pleasantly surprised. I was told that a former UofHer owns it.

I used to enter a gumbo cookoff and generally placed pretty high. In researching recipes, I remember reading that NOLA tended to make a blonder roux and Cajun country did a dark roux.

It is my understanding that the word for the dish did come from the West African vegetable okra (gombo). Okra is a relative of the Hibiscus plant.

<Secret> Many Cajuns now use roux in a jar. Shhh.

Edited January 26, 2009 by rsb320

[Jeebus]

You're right that Gumbo is old African for Okra. You can google it and find out. As for Cajuns vs. Creoles adding it, I think you'll find a 50/50 split. We used File instead of Okra to thicken it.

Edited January 26, 2009 by Jeebus

[editor]

If someone's got this, please PM me, I'll show up with fork and spoon.

You lost me at "neck."

[houstonmacbro]

One of the things I miss about living in Houston is the easy access to good, cheap Cajun and Creole food. Whether it's at Treebeards downtown, or a shack of a joint I stumble upon after a meandering road trip through Louisiana -- it's all good.

So what are your favorite dishes? If it's from a restaurant, tell us which one and give an estimated price. If it's home made, for the love of God post the recipe!

Pappadeaux's has this Pontchartrain Panbroiled Fillet Topped with crabmeat & shrimp in a brown-butter wine sauce with dirty rice. But at $23 I don't have it too often.

[crunchtastic]

Pappadeaux's has this Pontchartrain Panbroiled Fillet Topped with crabmeat & shrimp in a brown-butter wine sauce with dirty rice. But at $23 I don't have it too often.

mmm, rich buttery fench creole sauces, slobber. I will eat a menuiere (brown butter and lemon) sauce on anything. Fish, shrimp, soft shell crab, french fries, toast, random leftovers, whatever. There's an old italian/creole neighborhood restaurant in New Orleans that's my all time fave in the whole city, and one of their specialties is trout menuiere. But they'll put the sauce on anything. I have seen people order spaghetti and sausages with a side of fries and brown butter sauce. That's what so great about how creole, cajun, and italian cuisines mix in Lousiana with good old gulf coast seafood. Damn. Hungry now!

Edited January 27, 2009 by crunchtastic

[rsb320]

mmm, rich buttery fench creole sauces, slobber. I will eat a menuiere (brown butter and lemon) sauce on anything. Fish, shrimp, soft shell crab, french fries, toast, random leftovers, whatever. There's an old italian/creole neighborhood restaurant in New Orleans that's my all time fave in the whole city, and one of their specialties is trout menuiere. But they'll put the sauce on anything. I have seen people order spaghetti and sausages with a side of fries and brown butter sauce. That's what so great about how creole, cajun, and italian cuisines mix in Lousiana with good old gulf coast seafood. Damn. Hungry now!

Are you talking about Mosca's across the Huey P. Long Bridge? I'd forgotten about that place. It was so maffioso, but OMG the food was good.

[crunchtastic]

Are you talking about Mosca's across the Huey P. Long Bridge? I'd forgotten about that place. It was so maffioso, but OMG the food was good.

No, Mandina's on Canal St. Only slightly less mafioso

Mosca's is great too! I remember as a teenager going with my family. Next time we drive to NOLA, will have to stop by.

[musicman]

gilhooley's trash gumbo is worth the drive to san leon as are their oysters.

[crunchtastic]

gilhooley's trash gumbo is worth the drive to san leon as are their oysters.

Niche has mentioned them a few times. Guess I need to go!

[musicman]

Niche has mentioned them a few times. Guess I need to go!

going saturday!! hopefully the post ike oysters will be good.

[swtsig]

You're right that Gumbo is old African for Okra. You can google it and find out. As for Cajuns vs. Creoles adding it, I think you'll find a 50/50 split. We used File instead of Okra to thicken it.

i'm a fan of gumbo with okra, but i'll be damned if i can't put a little bit of file right after serving... makes the gumbo taste more "complete" imo.