Creole Archives - The FrangloSaxon Cooks

Creole Spaghetti Pie

March 29, 2022 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Can you say easy?

Savory, cheesy creole spaghetti “pie” perfect for parties or family gatherings. Feeds a variable number of peeps depending on side dishes. What you see here is half the recipe and it fed three very hungry Mardi Gras celebrants!

And yes, it’s more like a casserole in this presentation but you can cook it in two twelve inch pie pans and then it will truly be spaghetti ‘pie’.

What you’ll need

Diced celery, bell pepper, garlic, and green onion (or white if it’s all you got)
Diced andouille sausage
Anchovies or anchovy paste (develops flavor, won’t taste fishy but you can skip)
Marinara Sauce (can be homemade or jarred. Rao’s is best, also Rao’s Arrabiata)
Red Balsamic Vinegar
Thyme & oregano
Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
And spaghetti (or a bite-sized pasta with ridges, your choice)

Assembly & Cooking

This goes fastest if you use premade (by you) red sauce or jarred sauce (my fave). Most of the prep will therefore be some quick chopping and sauteeing. Do the andouille first then set aside: if it doesn’t render enough fat add a little olive oil and do the veg in the same pan. Then add the balsamic vinegar and the sauce and anchovies along with everything else and let the flavors mix for a couple.

Then cook the spaghetti in salted water for several minutes less than the package instructions, drain, mix into the sauce/sausage mixture, and put in the receptacle of your choice. Top with the cheese and put in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes.

If you’re serving later, cover with foil and cut the heat. It will stay warm for quite a while.

This can also be frozen and heated later. And enjoy with the salad below!

Sides and similar dishes

Orange Arugula Salad

Orecchiette with Tomato Shrimp Sauce

Creole Spaghetti Pie

Author: Carine Clary

Cuisine: Creole

Ingredients

½ lb. Spaghetti (1/2 a package)
For the filling:
½ cup bell pepper, diced, any color
½ cup green onion, diced
½ cup celery, diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 anchovies (or 1 tsp. anchovy paste)
2 tablespoons sweet red wine or red balsamic vinegar
½ lb. pork sausage, diced
2 cups marinara sauce*
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
½ cup Parmesan, grated (or Pecorino/Romano)

Instructions

For the filling:
Put the diced sausage in the pan and cook until lightly browned.
Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add the celery. Cook for several minutes and add the other diced vegetables. Cook over medium until soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Add the anchovies, oregano & thyme to the marinara sauce.
Put everything back into the pan and stir in the marinara.
For the spaghetti:
Cook in salted water for seven minutes. Set aside.
Thouroughly mix with the finished sauce.
Top with the cheese and cook for 20 minutes in a 350 oven.
Optional minced parsley on top is good.

Notes

* You can make your own Marinara or buy jarred, preferably Rao's.

Duck and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

September 30, 2021 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Looking for a fairly fast but full-flavored Duck and Andouille Sausage Gumbo? Good! Because this is it. And if you cheat and buy roux in a jar it will be a weeknight possibility. Next, you’ll buy half of your favorite Chinese take-out roast duck (or use your own leftover), cut up some veg, season the hell out of it, and pour it over a scoop of rice. Ready?

Fast Gumbo

Yes, it exists and yes, it can be delicious. If you’re making this for the weeknight go for the bottled roux, but if you’re making the roux yourself you’ll need a half cup of fat and half cup of flour. I use bacon fat when I have it, butter, or other oil when I don’t. You’ll want to cook it over medium heat until medium brown (think the color of a football). Next, stir in all the vegetables and cook for several minutes. If you like darker roux don’t worry because cooking the veg for five will render it plenty dark.

Seasonings and Nutmeg, yes you heard it right, nutmeg

I first discovered the interesting properties of nutmeg in Rima and Richard Collin’s New Orleans Cookbook where they use it in gumbo. Also heard about its other qualities in college and I go into that a bit in the Blueberry Muffin recipe. The interesting thing about nutmeg is the way it helps develop other flavors. Bay leaves work in the same way and I put one in all my gumbos.

For the finish

Next in are the meats and it helps to pre-saute the sausage to render out a lot of the fat. It should be a little browned around the edges and you can even cut it into quarters if you like it that way. Once that’s done add to the gumbo with the water, duck, herbs, and spices. It doesn’t need chicken broth because it already has plenty of flavor so it just needs to simmer on low heat for about twenty to thirty minutes while you cook the rice.

Ladle into bowls, drop in the rice, top with the green parts of the onion, and your Duck and Andouille Sausage Gumbo is done.

For a side dish try:

My Carrot Vinaigrette. It’s a good pairing with the heavier gumbo.

Duck and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Author: Carine Clary

Cuisine: Creole

Ingredients

For the roux:
½ cup bacon fat*
½ cup flour
For the gumbo:
½ pre-cooked duck, picked clean of meat
½ lb. andouille sausage, cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds
1 cup onion, diced (any color)
2 cloves garlic, diced
½ cup celery, diced
½ cup green onion, sliced (white parts only, save green tops for garnish)
3 cups water
6 sprigs of thyme (or 1½ teaspoons ground thyme)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon nutmeg, fresh grated
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
White Rice

Instructions

For the roux:
Cook the bacon fat over medium heat and add the flour. Stir until it's a rich brown color.
For the Gumbo:
Lower heat and add the onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper, green onion, and cook for several minutes.
Add the water, stir well, then add the herbs and spices. If you're using fresh thyme tie the sprigs together, then add the sausage and duck.
Let simmer over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes and serve with rice. Garnish with green onion tops.

Notes

*If you don't have the traditional southern jar of bacon fat in the fridge use 3 strips of bacon and some butter to get to half a cup of the fat for the roux. Fry the bacon, remove and then add the butter. Crumble the bacon and add to the gumbo before simmering.

Shrimp Stew

October 13, 2020 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Several things set this apart from a typical Shrimp Stew. Adding tomato paste to the roux at the end, fresh grated nutmeg, and home made shrimp stock, a recipe for which you can find here. I don’t usually make the shrimp stock on the day I’m making this because this is supposed to be a pretty quick & easy recipe if you have the stock on hand. My MO is to make ahead and freeze (and that goes for all stocks I have time to make). If you can’t do that you can check out Kitchen Basics Seafood Broth or Better than Bouillon’s version. If none are available water will do fine.

The Prep

As always, first you make the roux. You’ll mix the flour into the oil and cook over a low flame until it’s the color of a football (approximately) then stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for a minute.

Next in are the vegetables. The heat from the roux will soften them up after a few minutes then it’ll be time for the tomato/shrimp broth dump. Stir those in well and add all the seasonings. Let cook until it smells insanely good then add the potatoes. And note that the pictured amounts are for half the stated recipe. This half amount will feed four if you’re serving other courses.

Below you’ll see everything right in the pot sweating and steaming its way to a savory finish just waiting for the potatoes and finally the shrimp.

And here at the end is your reward. A warm comforting bowl of fall in New Orleans. Enjoy!

Shrimp Stew

Author: Carine Clary

Cuisine: Creole

Ingredients

For the roux:
½ cup vegetable oil (or olive oil, butter, lard)
½ cup flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
For the stew:
1½ cup chopped onion
⅔ cup white part of green onions, sliced
⅓ cup chopped celery (including leaves if possible)
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes with liquid (or 3 cups peeled, seeded & diced fresh tomatoes)
3 cups shrimp stock (or water)
2½ tsps. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne (or red pepper flakes)
3 bay leaves (or ½ tsp. powdered bay leaf)
1 tsp. dried thyme (or 3 springs of fresh thyme)
several gratings of fresh nutmeg
2 lbs. white potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 inch cubes
2 lbs. whole fresh medium or small shrimp, peeled & deveined**
1 tsp. lemon juice (or vinegar)
For the Garnish:
sliced green onion
finely chopped parsley

Instructions

In a heavy bottomed 6 to 8 quart pot, heat the oil and stir in the flour. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until the roux is peanut butter colored.
Whisk in the tomato paste and cook for about a minute then add the onions, celery, and garlic.
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes then add the tomatoes* with their juice (if using canned) & shrimp stock, seasonings & lower the heat cooking for half an hour, then add potatoes and cook until done. The potatoes will take about 15 minutes depending on how finely they are cut. Smaller equals faster.
Add the shrimp and cook for five minutes.
Finally, add lemon juice, chopped parsley, and chopped green onion to taste.

Notes

*If you use fresh tomatoes boil a pot of water, stick a large fork into the stem end of the tomato and lower into the water. Hold in the boiling water until the skin breaks (about a minute or so) then remove and peel.
**If you have only large shrimp cut them in half.

New Orleans Style Macaroni & Cheese

June 8, 2020 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

I call this New Orleans Style Macaroni & Cheese because I’m pretty sure it’s the only place that serves it this way. Never seen it in the rest of the country and definitely not in Italy, even though it’s made by Sicilians and features bucatini noodles (and for those who don’t know they’re the ones with the hole in the middle).

The History

No, it’s purely local and absolutely delicious. And to be precise it’s not exactly from New Orleans proper but from “da parish.” That would be St. Bernard Parish, the parish that’s just south of Orleans and extends right out into the Gulf along with its sister parish, Plaquemines. They are home to various immigrant communities but towards the end of the 19th century attracted thousands of Sicilians who put down roots in the swampy soil and have been thriving ever since. In fact, they’re so established that they immigrate from there to points beyond.

I’ll never forget having dinner with some friends from work in New York where it came up. One of us had a husband who’d emigrated from England at which point another person piped up, “Well my grandparents emigrated from Sicily. A little place called Plaquemini.” I kid you not. Before I could stop myself I spit laughed my drink all over the appetizers and was greeted with blank looks until I explained the coordinates of “Plaquemini.”

But on to the topic at hand. I was introduced to this version (the one & only) at Rocky & Carlos restaurant by my father who used to frequent Angelo’s bar down the road. Angelo’s was decidedly not femme friendly and so when the owners and their wives committed to a full-service restaurant they included “Ladies Invited” on the front window, and although I was a very little lady, I was in. The portions were so big we would get one meal plus an extra plate and I’d pick off Daddy’s.

My favorite was the mac n’ cheese and this version is my version, the biggest difference being the crunchy topping but if you’re an R & C purist you can leave that off. As long as you get it browned under the broiler you’re good.

The Prep

I use cheddar and fontina in equal portions both in the sauce and on top of the finished dish. I make the sauce first and set it aside with the pot lid on while cooking the pasta. It’s an easy bechamel white sauce and when it’s cooked to the right thickness remove it from the heat. If it’s really hot, let it cool for a few minutes. The sauce only needs to be hot enough to melt the grated cheese, which you should stir in gradually until just melted and incorporated into the sauce. Do not add the cheese to the sauce while it’s is still sitting over the heat, as that can cause the cheese to overcook, start to separate, and turn your sauce into an oil-slicked, curdled-looking mess. Don’t ask me how I know this – even experienced cooks can forget to cut the heat – and once curdled it’s not salvageable. And if you don’t have fontina you may use all cheddar or cheddar and jack cheese. Play it by ear.

The Noodles

Once you’ve made the sauce, start the noodles to boiling remembering to boil them a minute or two less than package directions as they will continue to cook when they’re put in the oven to brown.

While they’re boiling melt the butter in a saucepan and add the panko stirring to completely coat.

Now drain the noodles, fold into the sauce, transfer to a serving dish, top with the crumbs and put in a 400-degree oven for ten minutes or until brown on top. You may also serve in individual chafing dishes as I’ve pictured here. This one is shallow and about five inches in width. The recipe will fill four of these if you go that route.

Enjoy and don’t forget to give a silent thanks to the Tommaseo/Gioe family for inventing this and feeding us all since 1965.

New Orleans Style Macaroni & Cheese

Author: Carine Clary

Cuisine: Creole

Ingredients

For the cheese sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon salt
freshly grated pepper to taste
3 cups milk
3 tablespoons grated shallot (or onion)
1 tablespoon paprika
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 bay leaf
½ cup cheddar, grated
½ cup fontina, grated
For the noodles:
½ lb. bucatini
½ cup cheddar, grated
½ cup fontina, grated
For the topping:
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup Panko

Instructions

For the sauce:
Melt the butter and stir in flour. Add salt & pepper and stir over medium heat till the mixture turns a very light brown. This is also called a "blonde roux."
After a couple of minutes of stirring add in the shallots then slowly add the milk, paprika, nutmeg & bay leaf. Let simmer for 4 or 5 minutes. It should thicken somewhat.
Take off heat & add cheese.
For the noodles:
Cook in salted water according to package directions but a couple of minutes less.
For the topping:
Melt butter in a saucepan then stir in panko & cook until lightly toasted.
To Assemble:
Add hot noodles to sauce and coat well.
Put cheese on top, cover with panko and cook in 400-degree oven for 15 minutes or until brown on top.