HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS
Bourbon Street Brunch
Picture the New Orleans French Quarter with cobblestone streets and ornate wrought iron balconies on 19th Century buildings. Now, hear the trumpet, clarinet and saxophone players in the background followed by the beat of a Mardi Gras parade marching toward you!
Celebrate this Mardi Gras season by hosting a Bourbon Street Jazz Brunch for your friends and enjoy the Carnival as if you were there. Set the tone by recreating the sensuous flavors of the deliciously decadent New Orleans.
Since the Mardi Gras season culminates on Fat Tuesday, plan the brunch for one of the weekends leading up to it.
Celebrate this Mardi Gras season by hosting a Bourbon Street Jazz Brunch for your friends and enjoy the Carnival as if you were there. Set the tone by recreating the sensuous flavors of the deliciously decadent New Orleans.
Since the Mardi Gras season culminates on Fat Tuesday, plan the brunch for one of the weekends leading up to it.
Delicious shrimp with a cajun flair, served with a baguette.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Lbs large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 1 Tsp paprika
- 3/4 Tsp dried thyme
- 3/4 Tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 Tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 Tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 Tsp vegetable oil
Steps
- Combine first 8 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal bag and shake to coat.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat until hot.
- Add shrimp; saute 4- 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Serve with French baguette.
A brunch classic, Eggs Sardou is simple to make and festive for Mardi Gras.
Ingredients
- 4 Poached Eggs
- 1 Recipe Creamed Spinach
- 1 Recipe Hollandaise Sauce
- 4 Artichoke bottoms
- Paprika for sprinkling
Steps
- Divide the creamed spinach in the center of two heated plates, nest two artichoke bottoms per plate on the spinach.
- Place a poached egg on each artichoke bottom then top with a generous portion of Hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with Paprika. Serves 2.
Simple episode for poached eggs, perfect for serving at your Bourbon Street Jazz Brunch.
Steps
- Fill a dutch oven with 1L of water, heat until just below a simmer.
- Add a few dashes of white vinegar.
- Crack the eggs and gently drop them into the water, keeping the shell as close to the water as possible when dropping them in.
- With a slotted spoon, gently move the ghost like strands of white back to the yolk.
- The eggs are done when the whites are no longer transparent, and the yolks are still runny.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and gently dry off with a towel.
Fresh, creamed spinach is essential for Eggs Sardou.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup cooked and chopped Spinach
- 1 Pint Heavy Cream, reduced by 3/4 of its volume
- A pinch Freshly Grated Nutmeg
- A pinch of Cayenne
- 1 Tsp Crystal hot sauce
- A few drops of Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt to taste
Steps
- In a hot pan, add a touch of olive oil then wilt fresh spinach for 1 to 2 minutes until tender. Remove, chop and squeeze between paper towels to remove excess water.
Hollandaise sauce to top off Eggs Sardou.
Ingredients
- 2 Tsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 3 Egg Yolks
- 1/2 Cup Clarified Butter, warm
- Kosher Salt & Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Dash Crystal Hot Sauce
- A few drops Worcestershire Sauce
Steps
- Place the vinegar, lemon juice, and egg yolks in the top deck of a double boiler. The water in the lower deck should be hot but not boiling.
- Whisk slowly until you see the yolks start to coagulate on the sides. If the pan gets too hot, remove it from the heat for a minute, whisking constantly.
- Whisk while cooking, minding the bowl temperature, until the yolks are lighter in color and do not leave yellow streaks when the whisk goes through them. If you see any signs of scrambling, remove the bowl from the heat.
- When the yolk/acid mixture is good and thick, remove from the heat and slowly drizzle in the clarified butter, whisking constantly, until incorporated.
- Add the hot and worcestershire sauces, and season to taste with the salt & cayenne.
- If the sauce is a little too thick, you can thin it down with a few splashes of hot water. Makes about 2/3 Cup.
A festive cocktail, perfect for serving at brunch.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 Oz Sazerac rye
- 3/4 Oz dark rum
- 3/4 Oz Cointreau
- 4 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1/2 Oz fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 Oz grapefruit juice
- 1/2 Oz Simple Syrup
Steps
- Fill a martini glass with ice and set aside to chill. Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Discard the ice from the martini glass. Strain the shaken drink into the glass and serve immediately.
Set the mood for your Mardi Gras Brunch party with fun invitations.
- As hostess with the mostest, create invitations using a Mardi Gras motif.
- Inform your guests that the brunch will be dressy-casual attire with boas aplenty.
Your guests will also appreciate a festive and saucy Progressive Bloody Mary Bar. Each guest can create a drink to his or her own taste.
More Mardi Gras Celebrations
- Mardi Gras Cajun, Creole and Costume Party
- Mardi Gras King Cakes and Hurricanes
- Unmasked: Mardi Gras History and Traditions
- Start with a standard Bloody Mary mix.
- Then guests can add in their own vodka, hot sauce and cracked pepper, and mix chilled tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, sea salt and cocktail onions.
- Be creative with your jazzy bar garnishes. In addition to the standard celery stalks, put out bowls of pickled okra, green olives, lemon wheels, cherry tomatoes, pepperincinis and some boiled shrimp too, (just to be decadent).
- Let guests skewer their own garnish.
When deciding upon your menu for this party, there are several things you'll want to consider.
- With seafood reigning as a New Orleans king, you'll want to include a seafood dish on your menu.
- A typical New Orleans oyster bar will provide guests with saltine crackers and a condiment tray for you to make your own sauce with. This usually contains ketchup, hot sauce, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Or, you can enjoy your oysters with just a spritz of lemon and a little hot sauce, right off the shell.
- Remember to add lemon wedges to your serving platter before displaying the finished platter on a bed of crushed ice!
- Set the table using elegant, colorful linens and your finest china and crystal.
- Encourage your guests to wear a Mardi Gras costume. The wilder it is, the better. One of the classic costumes is the jester. If your friends aren't the costume types, feather boas and wacky wigs add the perfect amount of flair.
- Play several hours worth of New Orleans jazz music including one of my favorites, Harry Connick Jr.'s "Oh, My NOLA."
- Greet your guests with Mardi Gras beads and feather boas when they arrive.
- Sprinkle your table with doubloons like the ones that are tossed to the crowds from the parade floats in New Orleans.
- Create a centerpiece using camellias or azalea blooms, flowers that are typical of the New Orleans landscape.
Mardi Gras Cajun,
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Creole and Costume
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