Keepin' it Creole Cedar Wrapped Gumbo

 

I wasn't Born on the Bayou, but I have a friend who was...

Barry Lofton is one of them team members of the award-winning Gumbo Cook-off Team "O-kra-p Dat's Good Gumbeaux." And he shared some authentic Louisianian wisdom on the subject of Cajun cookin'... 

Well, if it ain't broke... This guy knows what he's doing, so I'm just going to rip off his method lock, stock, and barrel. Then throw a little Northwest flare there on the end.

First order of business- get to choppin' the mirepoix variation. Onion, bell peppers, and celery- the Creole "Holy Trinity."

I prepared for the roux-  Flour, oil- check. Beer- double check.  I even downloaded Buckwheat Zydeco's Swamp Blues for the stir time. Two beers, 41 minutes, and a minor flesh wound later, I had chocolate brown roux.

Chocolate Brown Roux

Now just follow the pro's instructions...

Okra about to be blanched with 2 caps of white vinegar

Spicy

Now, this next part, I can handle.  Soak 8 Outdoor Gourmet Cedar Wraps in warm water for around 15 minutes. While they soak, shell 2 lbs. of tiger prawns and 1 lb. Langostino lobster tails. 

Prawns

Wrappin'

Preheat grill (the oven will work too!) to 400 degrees. Then arrange prawns and langostinos in center of wrap, parallel to the grain of the wood. Fold edges toward each other and overlap slightly. Tie with a piece of the enclosed natural fiber twine.

On the grill...

Place cedar wrapped on grill away from direct flame. Close lid and try not to peak.  This should be done in about 8-12 minutes.  Keep a spray bottle near by just in case.

 

Carefully remove wraps from grill.  Unwrap to reveal plump, perfectly cooked shellfish! Serve atop gumbo with white rice. 

Cedar Wrapped Langostinos and Prawns

 Happy Fat Tuesday!  -KB

Cedar Plank Baked Apples

There is far too much pressure associated with Valentines Day. And that anxiety expands exponentially when it’s the first Valentine’s with the your special someone…

The pressure mounts with the bombardment of advertisements touting “forever necklaces” and large heart-shaped boxes filled with waxy, chocolate-like substance. The tacky one-liner cards start to seem like a good idea… It’s almost like they are trying to make you fail.

You could fill your trunk cheap chocolate and helium-filled love mementos. Or just skirt the aisle of Valentine Day merchandise, sneak past the lurking pallet of Easter egg dye and peeps patiently waiting for shelf space- just stay near the perimeter of the store. With a few easy ingredients, you can make a lasting memory for your loved one. With this no-fail idea, you can have your sweetie bragging about how you hit it out of the park, while their co-workers sulkily eat the contents of those heart-shaped boxes.

Ingredients

1 Red Rome Apple

1 6x8 Cedar Plank

½ cup rolled oats

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons golden raisins

2 tablespoons chopped pecans

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ tablespoon agave on top

2 scoops vanilla ice cream

First: Soak your Cedar Plank in water for an hour our more. (We have heart shaped planks for the occasion.)

Next: Cut one Red Rome apple in half, scoop out insides in shape of a heart. Cut off a bit of the bottom so it won’t roll around on the plank.

Then: Mix all other ingredients together. Fill apple halves with oat mixture and top with two pecans cut to fit together like a heart. Pre-heat grill to 300-350 degrees. Place stuffed apples on planks and close the grill lid.

Finally: Allow apple and planks to smolder for 10 minutes. (Approximately the time it takes to open a bottle of wine and light the candles for the table.) Carefully remove from grill and serve with a scope of ice cream. Garnish with cinnamon.

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Happy Valentines Day!  

Game Time Snacks

About the Guest Blogger: Taylor Bradish

This week's guest blogger is a man of many talents... mover, shaker, butcher, baker, lover, fighter, wild bull rider. He also really knows his way around the grill.

So, Super Bowl time is here... yeah, can’t say that I’m a real big football fan, but there is just something about championship games that I like... it's probably all that “football food” I eat in just four short quarters.
There are three menu musts when it comes to THE BIG GAME: An overstocked beer fridge, for starters. Then the ever vital, nachos, and, most importantly, chicken wings.

 

When it comes to wings, I prefer to cook a nice, large batch. No messing around- there needs to be enough wings to make it through the entire game.

I start my wings at 350° in the oven for 20 minutes, then finish them off on an Outdoor Gourmet Alder Grilling Plank for perfect texture and a smokey finish. If you've never planked chicken wings, it's a must do. Best. Wings. Ever.

I plank one small batch at a time- the first batch is hot and ready for kick off and then I skip the half time show in favor of having a fresh batch of wings in time for the third quarter.

 

When it comes to wing flavors, I like variety. New and interesting flavors are fun, but the classic mixture of straight-up Franks Wing Sauce and Litehouse Dressing’s Bleu Cheese is always the best.

So, after your wings' preliminary oven time is up, on to the grill they go! Throw your classically-marinated game time treat on a smoking alder plank for 10 minutes and enjoy the winter sunshine while you wait.

 

Once they are good and done, garnish with carrot, celery sticks, and extra bleu cheese dressing and quickly grab your favorite IPA. Maybe the second batch will be ready in time to enjoy the ever-entertaining halftime wardrobe malfunctions.

 

If the classic oh-so-orange wing sauce doesn’t do it for you, well, you probably aren’t much of a football fan. But for you Puppy Bowl fans, Spicy Peanut Glaze may be more your style? Just a guess.

 

 

You could buy your favorite peanut sauce and baste away, but that takes all the fun out of it. Try this homemade peanut sauce (great in any stir-fry or as a spring roll dipping sauce!) …

Ingredients:

1 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

red pepper flakes (to taste, but don’t we a wimp!)

2 tablespoons peanut butter

¼ chopper peanuts

Juice from ½ lime

1 teaspoon corn starch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water

Cilantro and pickled ginger for garnish

First- add the water, sugar, lime juice, and crushed red pepper flakes to a saucepan on medium heat.
Once the sugar has dissolved, add the peanut butter and chopped peanuts.

Then- simmer for 5 minutes then add the mixture of cornstarch and water. Depending on how you like your sauce, add more corn starch for thicker sauce. Continue to simmer for 5 more minutes stirring occasionally, then use to smother wings while on smoking alder plank.

Finishing Touch- sprinkle with sesame seeds and garnish with cilantro and pickled ginger.

Enjoy the game! Or the commercials!