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Article
Mardi Gras Cajun, Creole and Costume Party
By Mindy Kobrin,
Staff Writer
Comments: 0 | Rating: 10.00
Chicken and sausage jambalaya that is sure to earn you some beads!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 3 1/2-to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 2 cups chopped green bell peppers
- 1/4 Cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 pounds kielbasa or other fully cooked smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch-thick
- slices
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 Teaspoon dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 cups long-grain white rice
- 6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
Directions
- Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Working in batches, add chicken and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to platter.
- Reduce heat to medium-high; add onion, bell peppers, parsley and garlic to pot. Saut until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add sausage, bay leaves, chili powder, thyme, cayenne pepper and cloves; saut until spices are fragrant and flavors blend, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir to coat. Pour broth over rice mixture in pot.
- Add chicken; press to submerge in liquid. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Season with salt, pepper and more cayenne pepper, if desired. Serve hot.
It's all about the famed cocktail during Mardi Gras.From my friends Ti Adelaide Martine and Lally Brennan over at Commander's Palace, the Tequila Mockingbird II reigns supreme.
Of course, the Hurricane, made famous by Pat O'Brien's French Quarter bar, is a must-sip.
If possible, serve drinks in bright-colored containers adorned with beads to keep the party grooving and moving.
Find other great cocktail recipes in our themed cocktail party section.
Of course, the Hurricane, made famous by Pat O'Brien's French Quarter bar, is a must-sip.
If possible, serve drinks in bright-colored containers adorned with beads to keep the party grooving and moving.
Find other great cocktail recipes in our themed cocktail party section.
Great drink inspired by a Southern classic.
Ingredients
- 2 Oz Reposado tequila
- 1 Oz Limoncello
- 1 Oz Fresh lemon juice
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1/2 tsp. or to taste Simple syrup
- Lemon twist 1
Directions
- Fill a margarita glass with ice; set aside to chill. Combine tequila, Limoncello, lemon juice and bitters in cocktail shaker filled with crushed ice; shake vigorously.
- Add simple syrup to taste. Strain into chilled glass, garnish with lemon twist and serve at once.
Mardi Gras Decor
Crab meat and Lousiana? Perfect combination.
Ingredients
- 1 pound crabmeat, picked clean of any shell fragments
- 2 tablespoons Creole mustard
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
- Topping
- 1 Cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1/2 Teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Gently toss the crabmeat with the mustard and green onions in a bowl, being careful not to break up the crabmeat. Divide the mixture between 4 ramekins. Using an electric mixer, whip together the topping ingredients in a mixing bowl and spread the topping on the crabmeat mixture.
- Bake in the oven until thoroughly heated and the sauce is golden brown and bubbly, about 8 minutes. Serve hot.
A banana split that's made for a king (of Mardi Gras, that is).
Ingredients
- 4 bananas, peeled, split lengthwise
- 8 teaspoons plus 1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- 1 Cup chilled whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
- 4 Slices purchased banana bread or pound cake, toasted
- 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
- 4 scoops chocolate ice cream
- 4 scoops chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream
- 1 Cup pecans, toasted
- Purchased chocolate syrup
- Sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
Directions
- Preheat broiler.
- Place banana halves, cut side up, on baking sheet. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon sugar. Broil bananas until sugar melts and darkens, about 2 minutes. Set bananas aside.
- Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream, dark rum, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until peaks form.
- Place 1 slice of banana bread in each of 4 banana split dishes. Place 1 banana half on each side of bread, parallel to long sides of dish. Top bread with 1 scoop of each ice cream. Sprinkle with pecans and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Top bananas with dollop of rum-whipped cream and sprinkle of coconut.
Beads, feathers, a fabulous mask and a smile are a good start. Remember the bright colors of the holiday - purple, green and gold - are also key.
Debauchery reigns supreme, so anything you do in excess takes the (king) cake. Think pirates, showgirls, court jesters, anything your wildest imagination can dream up.
Create a Mardi Gras mask-making station so unadorned revelers can add their own touches to masks and join the costume contest with pride. Provide plenty of supplies such as feathers, sequins and glitter, and have a prize for the person whose mask is voted the best.
Crown the best-dressed male and female the King and Queen of your own Mardi Gras krewe.
If in the area, capture some of the Big Easy's culinary chic with some of Frank's savory down-home Southern Louisiana dishes like Brigtsens' New Orleans BBQ Shrimp with Shrimp Calas followed by spicy crawfish beignets from my new friend and super-talented chef, Susan Spicer, of Bayona, a restaurant located in a 200 year old Creole Cottage nestled in the historic French Quarter.
Whether you're a local or reveler from afar, celebrate Mardi Gras as it was intended! Splurge and feast on spicy, sassy and decadent dishes like Louisiana Hot Crab Cakes spiced with hot-sauce, Bead-Worthy Jambalaya jazzed up with savory sausage and mouth-watering desserts.
Debauchery reigns supreme, so anything you do in excess takes the (king) cake. Think pirates, showgirls, court jesters, anything your wildest imagination can dream up.
Create a Mardi Gras mask-making station so unadorned revelers can add their own touches to masks and join the costume contest with pride. Provide plenty of supplies such as feathers, sequins and glitter, and have a prize for the person whose mask is voted the best.
Crown the best-dressed male and female the King and Queen of your own Mardi Gras krewe.
If in the area, capture some of the Big Easy's culinary chic with some of Frank's savory down-home Southern Louisiana dishes like Brigtsens' New Orleans BBQ Shrimp with Shrimp Calas followed by spicy crawfish beignets from my new friend and super-talented chef, Susan Spicer, of Bayona, a restaurant located in a 200 year old Creole Cottage nestled in the historic French Quarter.
Whether you're a local or reveler from afar, celebrate Mardi Gras as it was intended! Splurge and feast on spicy, sassy and decadent dishes like Louisiana Hot Crab Cakes spiced with hot-sauce, Bead-Worthy Jambalaya jazzed up with savory sausage and mouth-watering desserts.
Thank you!
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