Mardi Gras 2017 is just around the corner, arriving on Tuesday, February 28. If you are planning to spend the holiday at home with your family, then why not try any of these traditional and tasty Mardi Gras food dishes in honor of Fat Tuesday. We are sure these recipes will not disappoint.
3 Traditional Recipes for Mardi Gras 2017
Mardi Gras 2017 Shrimp Etouffee Recipe
Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup thinly-sliced green onions
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 8 ounces clam juice
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 1 ½ pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (can also use frozen shrimp)
- Hot cooked rice
Directions
Put a large sauce pot on medium heat. Melt butter and add flour. Cook until bubbles appear.
Next, add green onions, chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and basil. Lower the heat and cook uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally.
Add tomato sauce, wine, clam juice, water, Worcestershire sauce, white pepper, and Tabasco. Cook on medium-high heat. Stir and bring to boil.
Again, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 45 minutes. Stir often, cook until thickened. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, and shrimp. Then, cook for three more minutes.
Serve with hot cooked rice.
Mardi Gras 2017 Jambalaya Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (more or less, to taste)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 pound andouille sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups uncooked white or brown rice
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (more or less, to taste)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoons thyme, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup thinly sliced okra
- Salt and pepper
- Optional garnishes: chopped fresh parsley, thinly sliced green onions, hot sauce
Directions
In a saute pan, heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Saute celery, onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, and garlic for five minutes. When the veggies are almost cooked, add one tablespoon of olive oil, chicken, and sausage, and stir them well. Keep sauteing for five more minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, rice, Cajun seasoning, bay leaf, thyme, and cayenne. Cook on medium-low heat for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir frequently or else the rice will stick to the bottom of the pan.
Next, add the shrimps and okra, and combine all the ingredients well. Let it simmer with intermittent stirring. Remove the bay leaf and season the jambalaya with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
Add more Cajun seasoning if required. Serve warm.
Mardi Gras 2017 Creole Gumbo Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup bacon drippings
- 1 cup coarsely chopped celery
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
- 3 quarts water
- 6 cubes beef bouillon
- 1 tablespoon white sugar and salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco), or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning blend (such as Tony Chachere’s), or to taste
- 4 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons gumbo file powder
- 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
- 2 packages (10 ounces) frozen cut okra, thawed
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 pound lump crab meat
- 3 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons gumbo file powder
Directions
Start by preparing roux. Combine flour with ¾ cup bacon drippings in a large pan over medium-low heat. Make a smooth mixture. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until it turns a rich, mahogany brown color. Remove from heat.
Finely chop celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Put the chopped veggies into the roux, and add the sliced sausages. Simmer the mixture over medium flame. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Turn off heat and set it aside.
Boil water and beef bouillon cubes in a sauce pot. Cook until the bouillon cubes dissolve, then add the roux mixture and stir. Lower the flame and add sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Let it simmer on low heat for an hour. At the 45-minute mark, stir in two teaspoons of file gumbo powder.
Meanwhile, melt two tablespoons of bacon drippings in a pan. Cook okra in it with vinegar for 15 minutes. Keep the flame medium. Remove the okra with a slotted spoon and mix it in the simmering gumbo. Add crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until all the flavors blend perfectly.
Just before serving stir in two more teaspoons of file gumbo powder.
Enjoy these heart-warming recipes and have a wonderful Mardi Gras 2017!
Sources:
“Shrimp Etouffee Recipe,” What’s Cooking America web site; https://whatscookingamerica.net/ShrimpEtoufee.htm, last accessed February 22, 2017
“JAMBALAYA,” Gimme Some Oven web site; http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/jambalaya-recipe/, last accessed February 22, 2017
“Good New Orleans Creole Gumbo,” Allrecipes web site; http://allrecipes.com/recipe/216888/good-new-orleans-creole-gumbo/, last accessed February 22, 2017