A Taste of Louisiana with Chef John Folse & Co.
Bed & Breakfasts of the Bayou State
Recipes
Series 900

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The Story: Grillades (gree´ahds), from the French word "to grill," were first created by the butchers in early Louisiana as they prepared a freshly killed pig into hams, sausages and other fresh cuts of meat. Tiny slivers of meat "grillade" were cooked in a black iron skillet over the coals of a wood fire. This made a perfect mid-morning meal for the hungry workers, especially when served over steaming grits.

The Ingredients

The Method: Cut round steak into 3-inch cubes and pound lightly. Season to taste using salt and pepper. In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown round steak on all sides. Remove and keep warm. An additional tablespoon of olive oil may be added to the skillet if necessary. Into the same oil, add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Sprinkle in flour and blend well into the mixture, removing any lumps that may form in the blending process. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and black olives, blending well into the vegetable mixture. Add stock and continue to blend until all is incorporated. Add basil and thyme and season lightly using salt, pepper and hot sauce. Return round steak to the skillet and bring mixture to a rolling boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until meat is fork-tender. Additional stock or water may be needed during the cooking process. Once tender, add green onions and parsley and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve over hot, buttered grits.

Prep Time: 2 hours • Serves 6

The Story: Maja, the daughter of Marjorie and Coerte Voorhies who own Bois des Chênes, delighted in finding easier ways to create great tasting Creole dishes. She said the mission was simple, cut the time down but never sacrifice quality and flavor. This is one such dish!

The Ingredients

The Method: Preheat oven to 375° F. This is the perfect dish to cook around a campfire or backyard barbecue grill, but for those of you who are less adventurous, a preheated oven will do just fine. Season redfish fillets with Creole seasoning and set aside. In a cast iron skillet, heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add tomato paste and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomato paste darkens. Set aside. In a cast iron Dutch oven, heat remaining 1/2 cup vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add flour, and using a wire whisk, stir constantly until dark brown roux is achieved. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add cooked tomato paste, diced tomatoes and black olives, stirring well into the roux mixture. Add fish stock or water, a little at a time, until stew-like consistency is achieved. Bring mixture to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cook 20 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Season to taste using salt, pepper, Creole seasoning and hot sauce. Pour the sauce piquant into a large cast iron oval roaster then add fish fillets. Top each fillet with 1 lemon slice and sprinkle green onions and parsley into the sauce. Cover roaster and simmer over the coals of an outside grill or bake 30 minutes until fish is cooked to your liking. Serve over steamed white rice or pasta.

Prep Time: 1 hour • Serves 6

The Story: In many cultures of the world sweet and spicy, like sweet and sour, go hand-in-hand. Here in South Louisiana, where sugar and cayenne pepper are two main ingredients of the Cajun kitchen, it is obvious how this dish evolved.

The Ingredients

The Method: In a mixing bowl, combine chicken with Worcestershire sauce, salt, peppers and garlic. Blend thoroughly to coat the chicken in the seasonings. Allow the chicken to sit and marinate in the seasonings for approximately 1 hour at room temperature. Note: It is acceptable to leave chicken at room temperature, however, it must be cooked immediately following the marinating process. Remove the chicken to a large cookie sheet and reserve marinating liquid. Dust chicken in flour and set aside. In a cast iron Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken lightly on all sides being careful not to scorch. Remove and set aside. Into the Dutch oven add onions, celery and bell peppers. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add chicken stock, reserved marinade and brown sugar. Bring mixture to a rolling boil then return chicken to the pot. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until chicken is tender, approximately 45 minutes. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve sweet and spicy chicken over steamed white rice.

Prep Time: 1-1/2 hours • Serves 6

The Story: I don’t think anyone knows how many variations there are for this premier Southern dessert. I have seen pecan pies flavored with everything from figs to persimmons and even swirled-in chocolate. Personally, I think the old original recipe still outshines them all. So here we present the traditional Louisiana pecan pie.

The Ingredients

The Method: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, brown butter over medium-high heat. The browning around the edges of the butter gives this pie its unique flavor. Do not burn the butter. Remove butter from heat and allow to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, combine, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, orange zest, vanilla, eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg. Using a wire whisk, blend ingredients until all is incorporated. Add the browned butter and pecans, blending well into the egg mixture. Pour contents into the pie shell and bake on center rack of oven for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 35 minutes. Remove pie from oven and allow to cool thoroughly before slicing.

Prep Time: 1 hour • Makes 1 (9-inch) pie