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Shrimp Boulettes

April 9, 2021 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Shrimp BoulettesWhat happens when you combine a little potato, a lot of shrimp and spices, cover it with saltine cracker crumbs and do a quick fry? Shrimp Boulettes.

It’s a close cousin to my Vietnamese Shrimp Toast, with the cracker crumbs subbing for the toast. and it’s just as delicious Although with a completely different flavor profile dominated by thyme, paprika, and parsley among others.
The History
In doing research on the recipes of others I came across a common complaint and cause of failure. That was consistency. If it’s too loose the boulette will fall apart in the oil and you don’t want that. The problem arises because many of these recipes call for “one boiled russet potato.” and this can be the size of a tennis ball or the prize winner at the Iowa state fair. So my MO is to buy a medium sized potato, boil it, mash it and use half a cup. If your final mixture is too stiff add a tablespoon or so but be careful not to add in too much. You should be able to roll a ball in your hand easily.
The Prep
To start at the start peel two pounds of any sized shrimp; peel, boil and mash your potato, add both to a food processor along with the egg and the herbs, spices and lemon (or lime) juice. Pulse a few times then put into a bowl and fold in the chopped bell pepper, onion and chili. Now put it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up.
While firming is happening, crush the saltines. You may do this by squashing the sleeve with your hands or in a food processor, or you can use panko. Do not use the fine ground Progresso style bread crumbs. They’re too fine and have a slightly sweet taste.
Next heat the oil to 350. If you don’t have a thermometer just stick a chop stick or spoon in the oil. If bubbles form around the edge it’s good. Form balls, roll them in the cracker crumbs and drop in the oil. I like to flatten them a little bit but golf ball size & shape is good if that’s how you like it. Cook till brown about a minute per side.
After frying lay on a wire rack to cool as that will keep both sides crisp. You’re unlikely to have leftovers but if you do they can be frozen and reheated (also on a rack). But here’s another tip – you probably won’t have any leftovers…
And that’s it! I like a squirt of citrus over the finished product and pickles and veg to go with. You can even dip in some tartar sauce if you like.
So dig in and enjoy!

Crawfish Boulettes
 
Print
Author: Carine Clary
Cuisine: Cajun
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs shrimp, peeled
  • ½ cup mashed potatoes
  • 1 egg*
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  • ½ tsp. ground thyme
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. black pepper
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 cup onion, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon serrano chili, very finely diced
  • finely crushed saltine crackers, two sleeves**
Instructions
  1. In a food processor combine raw shrimp, potato, parsley, thyme, paprika, lemon juice, salt, pepper and baking powder. Pulse several times but not too much. Little pieces of shrimp should still be visible.
  2. Fold in onion, bell pepper, and serrano chili.
  3. Put mixture in freezer for ten minutes or so to firm up then spoon out & roll into balls in the palm of your hands.
  4. Roll in cracker crumbs then slightly flatten with your hand.
  5. Fry in vegetable oil at 350 degrees or when bubbles form around the edges of a spoon or chopstick you've inserted into the oil.
  6. Cook on both sides until brown.
Notes
*If you halve the recipe beat the egg and only add half.
**or dried French bread crumbs or panko
3.4.3177

 

Filed Under: Appetizers, Cajun Tagged With: shrimp boulettes, shrimp fritters

Spanakopita

March 29, 2021 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Spanakopita with its flaky sesame crust and savory spinach and feta filling fills that almost empty slot containing craveable vegetarian entrées. It’s a type of Greek pita or pastry, which is related to all the flat breads from Athens to the Ganges. Spanakopita takes it an extra mile making the pastry paper thin and crispy and it will serve equally well as an appetizer (or mezze) or a light main course. And not to be forgotten it’s perfect for those who observe Lent.

The basic concept of light pastry enclosing a savory filling is the foundation but the filling is all up to the cook. Tradition calls for spinach, onion, dill, and feta but history tells us that many fillings were used depending upon time of year and preference. The onion can be anything from green onions, to shallots, to yellow. The cheese is usually feta but can be kefalotiri if you can source it. The greens can be any kind of spinach with additions of chard, basil, parsley and mint. Someday I’m going to include my favorite bitter bite – capers – into the mix but the real idea here is to play with the flavors till you find your favorite.

The History

Greeks have eaten some form of these pies since forever and it’s one of the country’s best known dishes. It’s found wherever there are Greeks to prepare it but the default use of spinach, spinacia oleracea, was imported from Persia and became dominant when local farmers found it easy to cultivate.

Another traditional variation is the Lenten version called “nistisimo” which has no eggs or dairy. My version only has an egg wash on the top so depending on your level of orthodoxy it could be considered lent friendly.

The Prep

First off you get the filo dough out of the freezer and let it thaw. Once thawed open the package and roll out gently placing a damp towel over it.

Next up is the spinach and there are generally three kinds. The type I’ve used here is the robust curly variety. This type needs to have the stems removed. You can see below how much is cut out and it really improves the texture. This is why using fresh spinach will always be better than frozen because the jolly green giant’s fingers are too fat to cut out all the ribs. Ribs bad (unless you’re at a rib joint somewhere in central Texas). Consistency all wrong and similar to cattle fodder.

If you don’t have time for that you can buy the plastic bags or containers of pre-washed flat leafed spinach. The last option is the previously mentioned brick package of frozen spinach. This has the advantage of being pre washed and pre chopped, the disadvantage being that all the tough stems have been ground up and included. It will taste ok but you will notice the difference in taste and texture from the first two options. If time’s of the essence go with the bagged fresh version. The amount of spinach I call for is four cups which is approximately what is in every fresh bunch or bagged version. I don’t really ever measure.

Once you’ve deribbed the veg drop it in some boiling water for just a minute.

Then put into a strainer or cloth and squeeze out the water.

One thing you’ll notice in other recipes is the addition of uncooked spinach to the filling. I don’t do this because spinach has a lot of water which will leach out and make the filo layers soggy. You can see below how much I squeezed out of a bunch that was blanched & drained.

Next mix the spinach, basil, dill, onion, feta, ricotta and lemon zest well and set aside.

The final lap consists of assembly. Brush the pan lightly with oil and start peeling off the layers of phyllo and laying them down. It’s nice to get them in in one piece but absolutely not vital. Torn pieces will bake up just as well. In this prep I used a springform cheese cake pan since it looks a little nicer for presentational purposes but you can use a brownie pan as well.

Once greased lay in about four to six layers of phyllo dripping a little olive oil over each layer and draping some over the edge.

Now time to spread out the filling.

Once done add several separate layers of phyllo that you’ve gently crumpled like tissue paper then carefully fold over the layers hanging over the edge always sprinkling with the oil. When they’re all folded over drizzle with the egg/oil wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds and cook till brown.

p.s. Below you’ll see it in the old brownie pan. Perfect for cutting out squares as appetizers.

And as the Greeks say, “Kali oreksi!”

Spanakopita
 
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Author: Carine Clary
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients
  • For the crust:
  • 1 package of filo pastry (each box will have 2 packages. Use only one)
  • For the filling:
  • 4 cups spinach
  • ¼ cup basil, chopped
  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped (stems removed)
  • ½ medium onion, grated
  • Zest of one lemon
  • ½ cup feta, crumbled (get the kind in water, not pre-crumbled)*
  • ½ cup ricotta cheese (or large curd cottage cheese)
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • ⅛ tsp. nutmeg zest
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • For the garnish:
  • Sesame seeds for topping
  • 1 beaten egg with a tablespoon of olive oil
Instructions
  1. Remove filo pastry from freezer and allow to come to room temperature.
  2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  3. Heat a pan with about 3 cups water until boiling.
  4. Remove stems from spinach, rinse & drop in boiling water for a minute, then remove and drain.
  5. Place spinach in cloth or heavy paper towel and squeeze out juice. Transfer to a large bowl.
  6. Grate onion, squeeze out juice & add to the spinach. If you opt for green onions, just chop finely & add.
  7. Mix ricotta and feta then add to spinach.
  8. Add herbs, salt, pepper & lemon zest to spinach to cheese mixture and mix well.
  9. Assembly:
  10. Grease a shallow baking dish with olive oil and start layering the filo. Do about four to six layers & drizzle olive oil over each layer.
  11. Spread filling over then layer several more of the filo. Drizzle with the egg/oil and cover with sesame seeds.
  12. Bake until brown.
Notes
*Vegetarians who avoid cheese may use cubed tofu. As for the feta get the kind that comes in a chunk in water not the pre crumbled type which is too dry.
3.4.3177

 

Filed Under: Appetizers, Greek, Vegetarian Tagged With: Greek spinach pie, Spanakopita, spinach pie

Chinese Beef & Broccoli

March 21, 2021 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Chinese Beef & Broccoli is one of the most beloved and ordered takeout dishes by Americans and not too surprisingly there’s little about it that’s authentically Chinese. But that’s ok because it tastes great and we all love it.

The History

For starters beef cattle were not widely eaten years ago in China since their value as farm stock animals was so great. Then there’s the broccoli. The type we usually use is Italian. In China they have a weedier leafier version called gai lan which, if you can find it, tastes great but it’s not traditional as you can see below:

Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) - A Culinary GuideNot here anyway. So at the end of the day you could say that this is authentically inauthentic American/Italian Beef & Broccoli stir fry with a fairly authentic Chinese sauce. But again, it’s good so let’s get started.

The Prep

First you’ll get a nice piece of flank, flap, skirt steak or even rib eye, slice it against the grain for tenderness and let it marinate for thirty.

While that’s tenderizing mix up the fixings for the sauce and set aside. Next you will steam or boil the broccoli and I strongly advise that you significantly under cook it. It should still be pretty firm. It will continue to cook at the end when you combine it with the beef and the sauce and if there are leftovers it will cook some more when you heat it up. Over cook it and you’ll end up with disintegrated grey green broccoli shreds which neither look nor taste good. Once cooked to your liking set aside and start on the beef.

Get your wok smoking hot, pour in the oil and stir fry the garlic, ginger, and chilies then lay the beef in it. Don’t move for a minute or two – let it get a good brown sear then turn over. And do in batches. If you crowd the pan the meat will steam and you’ll lose the browning. Once done, remove and set aside.

Last up you’ll pour in the sauce mixture stirring continually. It should thicken in half a minute. When it does add in broccoli coating very well and serve on steamed rice.

And here’s a tip on steamed rice. Royal now makes a microwaveable bag which I bought by mistake thinking it was uncooked shrink wrapped rice but hey – it’s good! And steams in a minute and a half. Looks like this:

Royal Rice, White Jasmine (8.5 oz) - Instacart
And if you cheated and used the Royal instead of making your own rice  –  you’re done! And a final word of advice. Double up on this cause you’ll want leftovers.

Chinese Beef & Broccoli
 
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Author: Carine Clary
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
  • For the Marinade:
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxing wine
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 3 tsp cornstarch
  • For the sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese salted black bean & garlic paste
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Chinese Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • For the Beef:
  • ½ lb. flank steak sliced on the bias to ¼ inch thickness
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
  • 4 large dried red chilies, cut into small pieces (or 1 tsp. red chili flakes)
  • ½ lb. broccoli florets
  • steamed rice, to serve
Instructions
  1. Combine the steak slices with the marinade ingredients. Mix well & set aside for 30 minutes.
  2. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
  3. Boil or steam the broccoli to your desired doneness. Keep in mind that fresh broccoli will need a little more time to cook than frozen since frozen is parboiled before being bagged. And add a pinch of baking soda in the water if you boil the broccoli. Keeps them greener.
  4. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and dried chilies. Stir-fry for 10 seconds. Then add the beef and spread the strips out in the pan quickly. Allow to sear for a minute or so before stir-frying. Repeat the spreading and stir-frying technique until the beef is almost cooked. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for a minute.
  5. Serve with steamed rice.
3.4.3177

 

Filed Under: Chinese Tagged With: Beef and Broccoli, Chinese Beef and Broccoli

Fried Chicken & Waffles

March 10, 2021 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Is there a better meal than the chicken and waffle breakfast, or lunch, or dinner at a diner?

No.

Providing the tastiest forms of both protein and starch it nourishes both the body and soul, especially if you consider syrup one of the four major food groups. Especially if you’re able to get small batch South Louisiana Cane Syrup like Poiriers.

Stories as to the origin of this combo abound tending to focus on the south or southern emigrés to Harlem who set up shop on 133rd St between Lenox and Seventh Avenues to feed the overflow speakeasy crowds during Prohibition. And what could better whet your appetite for this kind of food than bathtub gin? Billie Holiday & Marcus Garvey were rumored to be fans. So off with the history and on with the prep.

Since most everyone has a pretty good idea of how to prepare this the question arises….what makes my version special? Good question and I’ll tell you. It’s serving it sandwich style with that syrup infused whipped butter…and more syrup. Really good and if you have leftovers (of the butter) you can use it on cinnamon toast. But back to the sandwich. I like to cut it in half and dip the edge in the syrup but you do it any way that suits.

First you fry

The chicken that is. The pieces should be about the same size as the waffle and either cut or pounded out to about 1/2 inch thickness. You’ll set up a breading station and do the flour, egg, bread crumb routine then drop into some hot fat for the fry. And another secret: I use a little bacon grease in the oil for extra flavor. Once the cutlets are fried place on a rack and put in the oven to keep warm. And yeah, I used a wok, cause it was at hand but you can use anything that works for you.

Now the waffles

And what makes them special? A little nutmeg and a lot of fluffy egg whites folded into the batter. Make them according to the directions below and they’ll be tender as a….tenderloin. Seriously, AND they freeze nicely if you don’t eat them all at one go. I used the pint sized Dash waffle maker because it was conveniently the same size as my cutlets but a larger version works well.

Extras

You can, if you like, fry up some bacon and brown some almonds if you want to sprinkle them on as well. It’s all good.

Chicken & Waffles

In closing you are directed forthwith to gather the starving and enjoy this messily delicious indulgence.

 

Chicken & Waffles
 
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Author: Carine Clary
Ingredients
  • For the whipped butter:
  • ½ cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon syrup
  • For the waffles:
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • 1¾ cups buttermilk
  • 8 tablespoons butter, melted, cooled
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tsps. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg
  • For the fried chicken:
  • 4 chicken cutlets (about 1 lb.) or equivalent chicken tenders
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 cups panko
  • vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
  1. For the whipped butter:
  2. Whip the butter, milk, and syrup until combined
  3. For the waffles:
  4. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the egg yolk, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.
  5. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks.
  6. In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.
  7. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, stirring until nearly smooth; a few small lumps may remain. Fold in egg whites.
  8. Spray your waffle iron with a non-stick cooking spray before preheating it or brush with oil. Cook waffles according to the manufacturer's directions. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the iron stops steaming.
  9. For the Chicken:
  10. Cut or pound the cutlets to no more than ½ inch thickness.
  11. Set up a breading station with the flour and seasonings in one dish, the beaten egg in another and the panko in a third.
  12. Dredge the cutlets first in the flour, then the egg, then the panko.
  13. Place in oil heated to 350 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer just put a wooden spoon or chop stick in the oil and if bubble form around the edge you're good.
  14. Fry until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a rack for draining.
  15. Assembly:
  16. Place the chicken, waffles, butter, nuts, and bacon slices or bits out and let everyone assemble to their preference.
3.4.3177

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Chicken Tagged With: chicken and waffles, Fried chicken and waffles

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About Me

Hello, I'm Carine Clary and I'm the FrangloSaxon.

And is that a word? In a word - Yes! It reflects my French connections in the south part of the state and the Anglo Saxon ones on the Arkansas state line. I grew up eating & loving all the foods of Louisiana and the idea is to collect lots of them right here on this website.

What you'll find here is food that reflects everybody's cooking. Creole we know. Cajun we know. But how about Croatian or Vietnamese....or Italian or German....or the underestimated plain Southern food they do so well in the upstate parishes?

They're all part of who we are so pull up your chair and join me for some good eats!

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