Going to visit the Mouse? How about a real New Orleans brunch experience? The Brennan name is pseudonymous with the great food of New Orleans and Ralph Brennan has spread that French Quarter gospel all over the Third Coast including his Orlando outpost, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen.
N'AWLINS BRUNCH FEST
EVERY SUNDAY 10 AM - 3 PM
LIVE JAZZ QUARTET, MAGIC CARD TRICKS, MARDI GRAS FACE PAINTER, BLOOD MARY BAR, SAMPLE SPECIALTY BRUNCH MENU
STARTERS
Bourbon Street Sampler
A taste of New Orleans; BBQ pork sliders, Creole calamari, coconut shrimp, blackened chicken spring rolls Serves two or four 13 / 22
Gumbo Ya-Ya
Chicken, andouille sausage, dark roux, Creole seasoning, rice 8
Oyster Shooters
Bloody Mary cocktail sauce 1/2 dozen 12
Fried Green Tomatoes
Applewood smoked bacon, spicy boiled egg, Cajun remoulade 8
BRUNCH SPECIALTIES
Crab Cakes & Eggs
Pontalba potatoes & Creole hollandaise 14
Bananas Foster French Toast
Applewood smoked bacon, bananas Foster syrup, whipped cream 12
Grits & Grillades
Slow roasted pork medallions, aromatic vegetables, andouille grits, red wine reduction 13
BBQ Shrimp & Grits
New Orleans style BBQ sauce, andouille grits 13
ENTREES
Pasta Jambalaya
Gulf shrimp, andouille sausage, roasted chicken, spinach fettuccine,Creole seasoning 15
Cornmeal Crusted Catfish
Pecan pilaf, asparagus, lemon butter sauce 12
Red Beans & Rice
Camellia red beans, andouille sausage, Tasso ham, Creole seasoning, popcorn rice 10
Blackened Shrimp Cobb Salad
Baby greens, applewood smoked bacon, spicy boiled egg, avocado,crumbled blue cheese, honey-balsamic vinaigrette 13
Downtown Disney® District 714-776-5200
lunch, dinner, & sunday n'awlins brunch fest
Plus live music nightly!
visit www.rbjazzkitchen.com
Well, just yesterday I finished editing the cookbook. That's it for the boring stuff. Next on my agenda: food porn. What's Food Porn you may ask?
According to Wikipedia: Food porn is a provocative term variously applied to a spectacular visual presentation of cooking or eating in advertisements, infomercials, cooking shows or other visual media, foods boasting a high fat and calorie content, exotic dishes that arouse a desire to eat or the glorification of food as a substitute for sex.
In other words I have to take pictures of some of the recipes. Most people are just not interested in cookbooks without pictures. I found that out with my last cookbook. I still plan on releasing a revised edition of
Amigeauxs that includes pictures. Like these from the new book:
See how much more interesting this post just got? Food Porn. Above is Blackened Swordfish with Cajun Rice and Crème Fraiche Tarter Sauce. Below is Southern Fried Chicken with Rice & Gravy, Biscuit and Steamed Veggies.
Going Coastal is a series of recipes familiar throughout the country but with a uniquely Third Coast spin to them.
One of my favorite sandwiches is a fried soft shell crab Po Boy. Come to think of it, I love soft shell crab just about any way you do it even sitting atop of crispy tostado with plenty of spice. You can buy tostados that are pre-made AND pre-cooked. I really like the ones made with Chipotle in the meal.
Soft Shell Crab Tostados
4 Soft shell crabs, dressed
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
4 tablespoons Cajun rice
8 ounces shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1 cup Salsa Verde
1 pinch salt
vegetable oil
Tostados
In a 1-gallon zip top bag, pour the cornmeal and Cajun seasoning. Close the bag and shake to blend. One at a time gently shake each crab to coat. Be sure to shake off the excess cornmeal. Heat a skillet to medium high then add enough oil to sauté the crabs, roughly 1/2 an inch. Sauté the crabs until golden and set aside to drain. Assemble the tostados by spreading a tablespoon of Cajun rice, add a crab, and top with salsa and cheese. Serve immediately.
Going Coastal is a series of recipes familiar throughout the country but with a uniquely Third Coast spin to them.
Most city's have a signature sandwich. In New York it's the Ruben, Philly has their cheese steak and Maine is famous for the lobster roll. In San Diego they treasure the fish taco. Fresh fish, shredded cabbage, salsa and a white sauce in a corn tortilla, with a slice of lime. The fish is usually fried in a thick batter but also shows up grilled. I prefer the grilled but both are worth their weight in gold. But these Cajun style fish tacos may be worth their weight in whatever is worth more than gold.
Cajun Fish Tacos
1 pound redfish (or other white fish) filets
1/2 cup fresh salsa
1/2 pound crumbled Queso Fresco
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup Cajun seasoning
Tabasco sauce to taste
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
1/2 cup roasted garlic
12 flour tortillas
3/4 cup Crème fraiche
Coat the Redfish filets completely with Cajun seasoning then grill, basting with limejuice after each turn. Just before the fish is done heat each tortilla on the grill slightly then place under a towel to keep warm. Build the tacos by first spreading a teaspoon of roast garlic on the tortilla then adding in order the redfish, Tabasco sauce, Queso Fresco, cabbage, salsa, and finally Crème fraiche.
Fish Dish: Blackened Swordfish with Cajun Rice and Crème Fraîche Tarter Sauce.
Contrary to popular belief "blackening" food is not an age old Cajun or Creole cooking technique. It is, however, born from the imagination of one of America's most important chefs, Paul Prudhomme.
Blackened anything has been seen on menues across the nation ever since Chef Prudhomme made Blackened Redfish the signature dish at K Paul's, his famous French Quarter restaurant. The techinque is as risqué for the cook as it is for the dinner as it temps both with high heat and a touch of danger.
The first thing you should do when attempting any blackened dish is open the closest window and turn your hood vent to HIGH. Coat your swordfish generously with blackening seasoning (Paul Prudhomme's is available at your grocer or make one from scratch, the recipe for mine follows). Heat an iron skillet to medium-high to high, it should be smoking. Although traditional technique uses clarified butter, the purpose of this is to keep the dish healthy so I used canola oil, about 3 tablespoons. Add the swordfish; there should be LOTS of smoke.
After about 2 to 3 minutes turn your fish; it should looked nearly burnt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. If you are cooking on electric you may want to remove the pan from the burner for about 30 seconds until the temprature levels out. Remove the fish to a plate. Add finely diced onions, celery and bell pepper to the pan and saute briefly before adding brown rice. Toss until heated through and season with a pinch more of the blackening seasoning.
The tarter sauce was easy. I added a tablespoon of Mrs. Renfro's Hot Chow Chow to 3 tablespoons homemade Crème Fraîche. Using the same ratio you can add pickle relish to mayo to make a less fancy tarter sauce.
Blackening Seasoning from Third Coast Cuisine
6 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon each finely ground black pepper, finely ground white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and celery salt
Mix together and store in an airtight container.
The Third Coast refers to America's Gulf region and also includes Mexico and Cuba. The cuisines found there (both native and inspired by settlers) include Mexican, Tex-Mex, Southern,
Neuvo Southern, Cajun, Creole, Coastal, Soul, New Florida, Native American, and Cuban. I will not only be sharing recipes from the region but also exploring the history of the cultures that begot them. Additionally, I will have restaurant reviews of Third Coast restaurants and cookbooks, interviews with Third Coast chefs and restaurateurs and other tidbits that pertain to the culinary scene of the Gulf of Mexico. Come on along and enjoy.
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