Cuisine
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CELEBRATION OF LOUISIANA’S
STAMP OF APPROVAL FROM
C U L I N A R Y B O U N T Y // 4 0 A N
ITS REGULARS
CAJUNLAND EATS UPGRADE
AT PREJEAN’S GETS
To further expound on the virtues of cast iron, once you’ve heated the pots, they provide intense STIRRING THE POT heat for searing, and retain heat for a long while after the stove is turned off. They are easy to THE VIRTUES OF THE LOUISIANA STAPLES clean, never look Story by Charmaine Thibodeaux Dupré dirty, and can last a lifetime. Cast iron can Illustration by Emily Miller at Emily Kaye Studio (@ek.studio on Instagram). be used on the stove, in the oven, or on a campfire. a slurry of flour and water, and They even add a little iron to your diet. So, when I planned my cooking there was plenty of gravy to feed our large family. Along class menus, I often included “Cast Iron with a rice cooker full of Cooking” as one of the themes, and steamed rice, a vegetable side, featured down home Louisiana recipes, and salad from the garden, adding my own twists. As expected, this was standard fare for us more men signed up to those classes, throughout my growing years. and Henry hung around to tell hunting Cajuns love rice and gravy, and stories and pour the wine. I wondered when the men around here have what I could teach these professional suppers at their camps, the choice of meat camp cooks, but it didn’t take long to win may change, but the rice-and-gravy takes their favor. One evening we started in the rowing up on a small farm the center of the plate every time. kitchen with appetizer crab cakes and in Lewisburg, Mom always Mom also had a high-walled cast iron remoulade sauce, followed by a warm had a cast iron pot (or two) pot with a lid, which she used to prepare cup of sweet potato and andouille bisque. on her stove. In the ten- sides. It was perfect for cooking many While I demonstrated the preparation inch skillet, she made cornbread, drop types of fresh beans with a little diced of the dishes, my guests devoured these cheese biscuits, fried eggs and bacon, onion and bacon, for frying catfish, appetizers, and we all engaged in food and stir-fried beef with onions and French fries, and turning out the best talk. peppers. When a calf from the farm was homemade doughnuts. For the main course, I set a butchered, Dad sautéed fresh calf’s liver Cast iron cookware originated in woodland-themed tablescape, starting and onions in that skillet. It seemed that China in the sixth century B.C. In the with a white tablecloth topped with a no part of the animal went unused. He United States, Lodge Cast Iron has burlap runner and Spode “Woodland” also relished making “bouie,” a stew of been making cast iron pots since 1896 plates. I chose glasses and chargers in chopped fresh heart, kidney, spleen, and in Tennessee. They have been around earthy greens, and placed silver pheasants sweetbreads, and enjoyed it as a delicacy. a long time and are passed down from at the foot of a rustic floral centerpiece. I As children, we didn’t care much for this one generation to the next. If you haven’t had demonstrated how to “spatchcock” offal, but Mom skimmed off some gravy inherited one, there are plenty to be a chicken, which involves cutting away from the dish, served it over rice, and that found at vintage shops, flea markets, and the backbone and flattening out the was our dinner, take it or leave it. I took it garage sales throughout Louisiana. bird for faster cooking and a crispier and admitted, only to myself, that it was I have cast iron skillets in four sizes, skin. At the table, my guests were served not bad. a medium-sized Dutch oven, and two this succulent Cajun-spiced lemon and The second and hardest working different molded pans for cornbread. herb skillet chicken accompanied by my black iron pot was the six-and-a-half At our camp, my husband Henry has yummiest crawfish cornbread dressing. quart covered Dutch oven. In it, Mom another skillet and Dutch ovens in I had also shown the group how to browned a seasoned beef pot roast (or three sizes, which are used to cook assemble a warm skillet apple pie with other types of meat), then added the the game or fish he brings in from the pecan streusel. When served, this dish, Cajun mirepoix—chopped onions, wild. When I asked him what the best topped with vanilla bean ice cream, may bell peppers, and celery—and often thing he has ever cooked in his pots have stolen the show. a few pieces of smoked pork sausage. is, he said squirrels one time, ducks The cuisine of any culture originates The brown bits from the meat and another time, and squabs the last time. from the food that the land, waters, onions were deglazed with water, then In other words, whatever he cooks in a and sky provide in that area. Living off the roast was covered and left to braise cast iron pot turns out great. To Henry, the abundance of Louisiana’s land and until tender, filling the kitchen with a as to many outdoorsmen, the black sea has been a tradition and way of life tempting aroma. When it was done, she pot is a symbol of camaraderie, jokes and for centuries. Louisiana is called the Sportsman’s Paradise for good reason. thickened the smoky brown gravy with stories shared, and good Cajun cooking.
Cast Iron Cooking
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Hunters have a diverse array of wildlife that live and thrive here. From waterfowl, like ducks and geese, to the more exotic alligator, hunters can find their desired target. Our land is fertile for raising cattle (both for meat and dairy), pigs, chickens, and eggs. We are spoiled for choice from our waters, which supply the best shrimp in the world, delectable blue crabs; huge, salty oysters; and crawfish in abundance. Along the Louisiana coast you can find a wide variety of freshwater fish waiting to be caught, including four types of bass, bluegill, speckled trout, sac-a-lait, and catfish. Our saltwater fisherman reel in tuna, wahoo, amberjack, cobia, grouper, snapper, and redfish. As I drive around my home state, lush with vegetation and trees, I see acres of rice, sugarcane, and corn crops (sweet corn for our tables, the others for grain). These are the top food crops of our land. All around Louisiana, there are fields of sweet potatoes—our state vegetable. In early spring, strawberry stands line the roadside from Slidell to the Atchafalaya Basin. This is our state fruit, brimming with flavor for salads, smoothies, and desserts. Blackberries, blueberries, peaches, and figs are harvested next, generous enough for canning. And crops of cantaloupe and watermelon fill wagons high for bringing to farmers’ markets and grocery stores. Smaller truck farms supply our seasonal vegetables, and there are plenty to choose from. In winter those include beets, carrots, red potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, onions, and many types of leafy green vegetables. In summer we have tomatoes, a great variety of peppers, okra, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, and purple hull peas, to name a few. There is no reason to go hungry in the Bayou State. Back in the kitchen, our restaurant chefs and home cooks not only have access to the freshest products to work with, but also a wealth of special techniques to add umami deliciousness to our foods. For example, it is quite common to first season our meat, fish, and poultry before we cook them. Our seasoning blends (like Slap Ya Mama and Tony Chachere’s) are sprinkled generously on our foods to add heat and flavor. I usually add one tablespoon per pound of meat. Using those heated cast iron pots, it’s been our tradition to
