louisiana | Saveur

11 Essential New Orleans Cocktail Recipes

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:34:03 +0000

Todd Coleman

It may come as no surprise that New Orleans, the exuberant center of Mardi Gras, is also the birthplace of several classic cocktails, from the boozy Sazerac to the citrus-kissed brandy crusta. Neal Bodenheimer, founder of New Orleans bar Cure and author of a book by the same name, Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em, credits the city’s unique drinking culture to its history. “New Orleans was once a French and Spanish colony with special access to imported European goods like brandy and absinthe, a thriving port and depot center where barges of whiskey from Kentucky docked near ships filled with rum and sugar from the Caribbean, and a merchants town where people made decent money and were happy to spend it in the city’s many coffeehouses and drinking establishments,” he writes. Here are our favorite New Orleans cocktails to transport you to what local bartenders call the “cradle of cocktail civilization.”

Absinthe Frappé

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Thu Buser

Absinthe takes center stage in this refreshing classic cocktail created by bartender Cayetano Ferrer in 1874 at the Old Absinthe House. A touch of fresh mint and plenty of crushed ice let the anise-flavored spirit shine. Get the recipe >

Brandy Crusta

Denny Culbert (Courtesy Abrams)

Invented in antebellum New Orleans, this citrusy cocktail with a sugar rim was a precursor to the sidecar. Cure owner Neal Bodenheimer’s version makes it easy to see why it’s been a cult favorite since 1862. Get the recipe >

Commander’s Palace Sazerac

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

Making Louisiana’s official state cocktail like a seasoned New Orleans bartender is easier than you think. This recipe from Crescent City institution Commander’s Palace calls for absinthe, but if you can’t find it, substitute another anisette such as Herbsaint or pastis. Get the recipe >

Brennan’s Brandy Milk Punch

Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

Along with the bloody mary, brandy milk punch is a New Orleans brunch mainstay (and one of our favorite holiday tipples). This creamy, nutmeg-spiced version comes to us from the classic New Orleans restaurant Brennan’s and features an aromatic aged brandy named after Napoleon Bonaparte. Get the recipe >

Hotel Monteleone’s Vieux Carré

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

This classic whiskey cocktail recipe comes from Hotel Monteleone’s rotating Carousel Bar in New Orleans, where the drink was created. The cocktail’s name, which means “old square” in French, is a nod to the French Quarter. Get the recipe >

Hurricane

Denny Culbert (Courtesy Abrams)

Synonymous with Bourbon Street debauchery, the Hurricane was invented at another New Orleans institution: Pat O’Brien’s. Cane & Table bartender Kirk Estinopal puts his own stamp on the classic rum cocktail with a homemade syrup of passion fruit, pomegranate molasses, guava jelly, and hibiscus. Get the recipe >

La Louisiane

Matt Taylor-Gross

A seductively named drink built on rye, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, Peychaud’s bitters, and absinthe, the La Louisiane shares similar DNA to other New Orleans classics but never made the same leap into the cocktail mainstream. Try shaking one up yourself to see why it’s finally getting its due. Get the recipe >

Ramos Gin Fizz

Matt Taylor-Gross

Invented by New Orleans bar owner Henry Ramos in 1888, this frothy cocktail became quite popular in the Big Easy. In 1935, it was trademarked by the Crescent City’s Roosevelt Hotel. It’s still among the best-loved classics out there, an ethereal and strangely light cocktail of gin and citrus, with cream, soda, and a touch of orange blossom water. Get the recipe >

Roffignac

Chris Granger

Count Louis Philippe Joseph de Roffignac served as mayor of New Orleans from 1820 to 1828, bringing cobblestones and gas lighting to the French Quarter. The concoction that celebrates him calls for whiskey, sugar, soda, and the curious “red Hembarig,” which refers to a raspberry shrub. Our version swaps out the whiskey for cognac as a nod to Roffignac’s Gaelic heritage and is just as refreshing. Get the recipe >

Arnaud’s French 75

Todd Coleman

While this elegant libation of cognac, lemon, and champagne French 75 didn’t originate in New Orleans, it’s widely associated with Arnaud’s French 75 Bar, which dates back to the late 1800s. Get the simple cocktail just right with this recipe. Get the recipe >

Arnaud’s Café Brûlot Diabolique

Todd Coleman

Our simplified version of the flaming coffee cocktail served at Arnaud’s in New Orleans starts by infusing orange curaçao and brandy with whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, and fresh citrus. The pyrotechnics come next, followed by plenty of strong black coffee and sugar—it’s guaranteed to stop you in your tracks. Get the recipe >

The post 11 Essential New Orleans Cocktail Recipes appeared first on Saveur.

King Cake

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:28:16 +0000

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Thu Buser

In New Orleans, king cake season officially begins on January 6th, the Epiphany, and kicks off with a Twelfth Night party. These gatherings always feature the signature ring-shaped, sugar-coated (and sometimes filled) yeast bread, and they continue through Mardi Gras, which marks the last day of excess before Lent. Tradition dictates that you hide a small plastic baby, representing the baby Jesus, in the cake after it’s baked and before slathering on the icing. (You can also use a large dried bean.) The partygoer who gets the lucky slice is then crowned royalty for the occasion—and must provide the king cake for the next party. Look for miniature plastic babies in your local craft store (the baby shower aisle is usually a good bet), or order a plastic king cake baby online.

Makes: 10-12

Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the dough:

One ¼-oz. package active dry yeast
¼ cup sugar, divided
½ cup whole milk
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¾ tsp. kosher salt
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For the filling:

Two 8-oz. packages cream cheese
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. cane syrup or maple syrup
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1½ tsp. finely grated lemon zest
½ tsp. kosher salt

For the buttermilk glaze:

2 cups confectioners sugar
¼ cup buttermilk
Green, gold, and purple sanding sugars, for garnish

Instructions

Make the dough: In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, ½ teaspoon of the sugar, and ¼ cup of water heated to 115°F. Stir to combine and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Add the milk, brown sugar, vanilla, whole egg plus yolk, and remaining sugar to the mixer and beat on low until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Turn off the mixer and add the flour and salt. Mix on medium until the dough just comes together. Turn the mixer to high and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Add the butter and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 6 minutes. Remove the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until the dough is doubled in size, 1½–2 hours.
Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, pecans, cane syrup, cinnamon, lemon zest, and salt with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined. Set aside.
Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a heavily floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a large round, about ¼-inch thick. Cut a hole in the center of the round and pull with your fingers to widen. Arrange dollops of the filling evenly around the dough, halfway between the outer edge and inner hole. Drape the outside edges over the filling and continue rolling the outside inward until the filling is covered, widening the inner hole as needed, until the dough covers the seam. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 1 hour.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Uncover the cake and bake until golden brown, 34–40 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the buttermilk glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar and buttermilk until smooth.
Transfer the king cake to a cutting board or platter. Spread the buttermilk glaze over top of the cake and sprinkle evenly with the sanding sugars.

The post King Cake appeared first on Saveur.

Cajun Seafood Boil

SAVEUR Editors — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 19:26:49 +0000

Belle Morizio

This spicy Cajun boil, inspired by one served at Charles Seafood in Harahan, Louisiana, has been a reader favorite since it first graced our pages in 2013. The key to a good boil is making sure your ingredients don’t overcook. Start with your vegetables and spices, then layer in your seafood last.

Featured in “New Orleans” by Lolis Eric Elie.

Makes: 6–8

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1¼ cups kosher salt, divided
5 lb. whole live crawfish
2 lb. medium waxy potatoes
6 celery stalks, cut into 3-in. pieces
2 medium yellow onions, quartered
1 garlic head, halved crosswise
1 lemon, halved, plus additional wedges for serving
½ cup Creole seasoning
½ cup Old Bay Seasoning
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
3 lb. head-on jumbo shrimp
3 medium ears corn, shucked and halved
Cocktail sauce, for serving
Hot sauce, preferably Original Louisiana, for serving

Instructions

To a large stockpot filled with 2 gallons of cold water, add 1 cup of the salt and whisk until dissolved. Add the crawfish and set aside for 20 minutes. Drain the pot, rinse the crawfish well, and transfer them to a large bowl. Refrigerate.
To the empty pot, add the potatoes, celery, onions, garlic, lemon halves, Creole seasoning, Old Bay, Worcestershire, cayenne, the remaining salt, and 2 gallons of water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are just tender, 10–12 minutes. Add the reserved crawfish, the shrimp, and corn, cover the pot, and cook until the seafood is just cooked through, 5–7 minutes.
Drain the contents of the pot into a large colander or sieve, discarding the cooking liquid. Transfer the crawfish, shrimp, potatoes, corn, celery, and onions to a large platter. Serve with lemon wedges and cocktail and hot sauces on the side.

The post Cajun Seafood Boil appeared first on Saveur.

Brandy Crusta

Neal Bodenheimer — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:41:42 +0000

Denny Culbert (Courtesy Abrams)

The brandy crusta is a local New Orleans cocktail invented by bartender Joseph Santini, who worked at the St. Louis Hotel in the 1840s. The drink became a cult favorite after Jerry Thomas, the first bartender to publish a cocktail book, put it in his seminal 1862 guide. “What is notable about this drink is the introduction of lemon juice,” writes Neal Bodenheimer, founder of New Orleans bar Cure and author of a book by the same name, Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em. “This was not common practice at the time, and it set the stage for other delicious, important drinks like the sidecar and the daisy (an inspiration for the margarita).”

For a horse’s neck lemon twist (named for its resemblance to the curves of a horse’s neck), Bodenheimer recommends using a Y peeler to cut away the entire peel of the citrus in one long spiral. Then, coil it along the interior of your serving glass, drape the top over the rim if desired, and voilà—a perfectly elegant garnish for your cocktail.

Featured in: “10 Essential New Orleans Cocktail Recipes.”

Makes: Makes 1 cocktail

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the sugar rim:

Sugar
Lemon wedge

For the cocktail:

1½ oz. brandy, preferably Ricou Spirits Brandy Sainte Louise
¼ oz. Cointreau
½ oz. simple syrup
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
1 barspoon maraschino liqueur, preferably Luxardo
7 drops Angostura bitters
Horse’s neck lemon twist (see headnote), for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the sugar rim: On a small plate, spread the sugar. Carefully run the lemon wedge around the outside rim of a wine or coupe glass. Dip the rim in sugar to coat.
Make the cocktail: To a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, add the brandy, Cointreau, simple syrup, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and bitters, and shake until chilled. Strain into the prepared glass and garnish with the lemon twist.

The post Brandy Crusta appeared first on Saveur.

Bourbon Milk Punch

SAVEUR Editors — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0000

Maura McEvoy

Every Christmas Eve, Bill and Rebecca McGeehee of Natchez, Mississippi, drive all over town, delivering ice-cold jugs of this creamy, bourbon-spiked slush to their friends and neighbors. The eggnog alternative makes for a wonderful holiday gift, but it can also hold its own all year long.

Makes: 8

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

7 cups whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
1½ cups bourbon
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Freshly grated nutmeg, for serving

Instructions

In a large glass pitcher, stir together the milk, half-and-half, bourbon, sugar, and vanilla. Transfer to the freezer to chill until the mixture turns slushy, about 1 hour. Pour into chilled julep cups and garnish with the nutmeg.

The post Bourbon Milk Punch appeared first on Saveur.

Hotel Monteleone’s Vieux Carré

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:39:37 +0000

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

This classic vieux carré recipe comes from Hotel Monteleone’s rotating Carousel Bar in New Orleans, where the drink was created. The cocktail’s name, which means “old square” in French, is a nod to the French Quarter.

Makes: Makes 1 cocktail

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

½ oz. Bénédictine liqueur
½ oz. cognac
½ oz. rye whiskey
½ oz. sweet vermouth
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash Peychaud’s bitters
1 lemon zest strip

Instructions

In a chilled old-fashioned glass filled with ice, stir together the Bénédictine, cognac, rye, vermouth, and Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters. Garnish with the lemon strip.

Where to Drink in New Orleans Right Now

Fives; Photography by @coryjames_fontenot

Commander’s Palace Sazerac

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

Brandy Crusta

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MURRAY HALL; FOOD STYLING BY JESSIE YUCHEN

The post Hotel Monteleone’s Vieux Carré appeared first on Saveur.

Commander’s Palace Sazerac

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:50:13 +0000

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

Making Louisiana’s official state cocktail like a seasoned New Orleans bartender is easier than you think. This recipe from Commander’s Palace calls for absinthe, but if you can’t find it, substitute another anisette such as Herbsaint or pastis.

Makes: Makes 1 cocktail

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

½ oz. absinthe, preferably Lucid
2 oz. rye whiskey
¼ oz. simple syrup
3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 lemon zest strip

Instructions

In an old-fashioned glass, swirl the absinthe to coat with a film, pouring out any excess. Fill the glass with ice.
In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, gently stir the rye, simple syrup, Peychaud’s bitters, and Angostura bitters until ice-cold, 20–30 seconds.
Discard the ice in the glass. Strain the cocktail into the glass, then rub the rim with the lemon strip and drop it into the sazerac.

Where to Drink in New Orleans Right Now

Fives; Photography by @coryjames_fontenot

Brandy Crusta

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MURRAY HALL; FOOD STYLING BY JESSIE YUCHEN

Hotel Monteleone’s Vieux Carré

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

The post Commander’s Palace Sazerac appeared first on Saveur.

Seafood Gumbo

Janice Macomber — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 20:42:57 +0000

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BELLE MORIZIO; FOOD STYLING BY CHRISTINE ALBANO; PROP STYLING BY CARLA GONZALEZ-HART

Louisiana native and cookbook author Janice “Boo” Macomber, who taught Cajun-style cooking at the now-closed Accidental Chef Cooking School in Lafayette, gave us the recipe for this subtly spicy seafood gumbo, which stands out even in a region renowned for its many variations on the dish. Into the pot go blue crabs, shrimp, and delicious chunks of lump crabmeat, resulting in a dish that brings to mind the bayous of Southern Louisiana. No matter where you live, be sure to use the freshest seafood available.

Makes: 6–8

Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

6 live blue crabs
½ cup canola oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1½ large yellow onions, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
8 cups seafood stock
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat
⅓ cup finely chopped parsley
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
5 scallions, chopped
Cooked white rice, for serving

Instructions

Clean the crabs: Working with one crab at a time, discard the legs; remove and reserve the claws. Discard the triangular apron on the underside of the crab, pull the body away from the top shell, and discard the shell. Remove the gills and organs; rinse the body under running water. Transfer the crabs to a bowl; refrigerate until ready to use.
In a large pot set over high heat, heat the canola oil, then sprinkle in the flour and stir continuously until it forms a smooth mixture, 1–2 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium-low and cook, whisking continuously and scraping the edges of the pan, until the roux turns a rich dark color, about 30-40 minutes. Stir in the garlic, celery, onions, and bell pepper; cook until the vegetables are soft, 10–12 minutes. Add the reserved crabs, the stock, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, cayenne, salt, and black pepper; bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup has slightly thickened, 25–30 minutes. Add the shrimp and crabmeat; cook until the shrimp are pink, 3–5 minutes. Stir in the parsley, lemon juice, and scallions. Serve seafood gumbo with rice.

The post Seafood Gumbo appeared first on Saveur.

Our Favorite Gumbo Recipe for a Crowd

Madeleine Deliee — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:45:26 +0000

Photography by Dan Dao

“There are as many ways to make gumbo in Louisiana as there are cooks,” says chef Frank Brigtsen of Brigtsen’s Restaurant in New Orleans. His rich, hearty version—a “filé gumbo” thickened with ground sassafras leaves—uses the flavorful oil left over from browning the chicken to make the roux, upping the meatiness and complexity of the dish.

Featured in “Channel the ‘90s This Soup Season by Making a Bit Pot of Gumbo,” by Madeleine Deliee.

Makes: 10–12

Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb. andouille sausage, cut into ¼-in.-thick half-moons
3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
3 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning, divided
One 3 lb. chicken, cut into 6 pieces or 3 lb. bone-in skin-on chicken pieces
Peanut oil, for frying
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cup coarsely chopped yellow onions, divided
3 cup coarsely chopped celery, divided
2 cup coarsely chopped seeded green bell pepper, divided
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp. filé powder
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. ground white pepper
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
12 cups chicken stock, or water
Steamed white rice, for serving

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. On a foil-lined baking sheet, spread the sausage in an even layer and bake until the edges are browned, 35–40 minutes. Set aside and turn off the oven.
Meanwhile, in a shallow dish or pie plate, whisk together 2 cups of the flour and 1 tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning. Sprinkle the chicken all over with the remaining Cajun seasoning. Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour and transfer to a plate beside the stove.
Into a large pot or Dutch oven fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, pour the peanut oil to a depth of ½ inch and turn the heat to medium-high. When the temperature reads 350°F, working in batches, fry the chicken, turning once, until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Position a cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh strainer over a heatproof measuring cup, then carefully strain the peanut oil. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stove.
Make the roux: Into the pot, pour ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons of the reserved peanut oil (save the rest for another use) and turn the heat to medium-high. When it’s hot and shimmering, gradually whisk in the remaining flour and cook, whisking continuously, until the roux is butterscotch-colored, 2–3 minutes. Turn the heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking continuously, until the roux is reddish brown, 15–20 minutes more. Scrape the roux into a heatproof bowl, wipe out the pot, and return it to the stove.
To the empty pot, add the olive oil, 3 cups of the onion, 2 cups of the celery, 1½ cups of the bell pepper, and the bay leaves. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned, 10–12 minutes. Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes more. Turn the heat to low and add the filé, salt, cayenne, black pepper, thyme, white pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring continuously, until the filé dissolves into a smooth paste, 3–4 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the reserved sausage, then turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally and skimming any fat that rises to the surface, until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 1 hour.
Add the reserved chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is fully cooked, 30–35 minutes. Use tongs to transfer the chicken pieces to a cutting board, and when cool enough to handle, discard the bones and skin and coarsely chop the meat; set aside.
Bring the liquid to a boil and skim any fat that rises to the surface. Whisk 2 tablespoons of the roux into the boiling broth. Repeat, adding the roux spoonful by spoonful, until none remains. Turn the heat to low and cook, skimming any fat that rises to the surface, until the gumbo thickens slightly, about 25 minutes. Return the chopped chicken to the pot and turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring gently, until the chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve with rice.

The post Our Favorite Gumbo Recipe for a Crowd appeared first on Saveur.

How to Clean a Soft Shell Crab

Naomi Tomky — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:34:40 +0000

Photography by Belle Morizio; Food Styling by Ryan McCarthy

The platonic ideal of seafood texture lives in the crispy golden crusts and tender, savory meat of soft-shell crabs. Amanda Cusey, the Executive Chef at Lake Charles’s The Villa Harlequin, always runs them as specials when she can get them. “They look like little spiders,” the Queen of Louisiana Seafood (an official title) says, “But they’re super cool and so good.”

They also require much less work to prep than hard-shell crabs: The soft-shell crabs you find in the States are typically the same blue crabs people often eat, but which have recently molted their old shell, before the new one has hardened. Once you know how to clean a soft shell crab, you can prep them in the time it takes for the fryer oil to heat up.

What you need

– Culinary shears

– Cutting board

– Soft-shell crab

Before You Begin

Buy your soft shell crabs live, as close to when you plan to cook them as possible. “Once they die, they go off really fast,” Cusey explains. If you aren’t prepping and cooking immediately, she recommends packing them on ice until you do.

STEP 1: Cut off the Face Using Culinary Shears.

Photography by Belle Morizio; Food Styling by Ryan McCarthy

Place the crab on the board and hold it down with one hand, keeping the face pointing at your other hand. Using your culinary shears, cut off the front-most part of the crab, starting just behind any of the facial features. This kills the crab instantly, and gets rid of the beak. It’s not harmful, Cusey explains, it’s just the only part of the crab that won’t soften when fried, which leaves a weird texture.

STEP 2: Remove the Lungs From Under the Back Shell.

Photography by Belle Morizio; Food Styling by Ryan McCarthy

Using your hands, lift up the back of the crab’s top shell. The lungs are the spiky-shaped and off-white pieces with a visibly stringy texture. Once you find them, they should be easy to grab and pull or snip right out. The lungs won’t make you sick or anything, Causey advises, but they just are not pleasant to eat, in flavor or feel. The orange glob nearby, on the other hand, is fat, and she recommends leaving that.

STEP 3: Get Your Crab Ready to Cook.

Photography by Belle Morizio; Food Styling by Ryan McCarthy

While some people also remove the “apron”—the triangular flap on the underside of the crab—Causey doesn’t bother. But she does advise lifting the apron up when preparing the crab, allowing the batter to get all around and underneath it. She likes to dip her soft shell crabs in well-spiced flour, then buttermilk, then back in the flour again before frying, but she says eggs or milk work for the wet portion as well—the key is to make sure the dry mixture is well seasoned. While frying is common, soft-shell crab can also be deep-fried or sauteed without battering or breading the crab.

Final Thoughts

Frying soft shell crabs delivers one of the world’s best bites of seafood, but before you batter and splatter them, you need to properly clean your critters. This pared down process of essential steps for how to clean a soft shell crab takes your crustaceans from alive-and-kicking to shatteringly crisp as efficiently as possible.

The post How to Clean a Soft Shell Crab appeared first on Saveur.

Kwame Onwuachi’s Peel-and-Eat Shrimp

Kwame Onwuachi — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 21:22:36 +0000

Photography by Belle Morizio

Shrimping along the Louisiana coast isn’t just a job. For many it’s a way of life, one that stretches back to the 18th century. Today’s shrimping communities are astonishingly diverse, made up of Vietnamese, Croatian, Arcadian, and Black shrimpers who harvest in both inland and federal waters. Regardless, though, it’s an industry under threat from both natural and manmade disasters as well as international competition. The price of a pound of shrimp has barely budged since the 1980s. Nevertheless, shrimp rules Louisiana, and that’s good news for the hungry. Some of my best memories of living in Baton Rouge or visiting my mother in New Orleans were walking into a friend’s house to find a mess of still-steaming peel-and-eat shrimp, ready for peeling and eating. Smothered in house spice, sweetened with garlic, and silky with melted butter, they burst with flavor with every bite. There are many, many ways to prepare the shrimp that come from these coastal waters, but this is perhaps the most fun, one of the easiest and quickest, and so damn delicious. —Kwame Onwuachi, author of My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef: A Cookbook (Knopf, 2022)

Note: You’ll have plenty of House Spice left over, which you can use as a rub for meats and fish, to flavor the flour for fried chicken, or as a condiment for fried eggs. It will keep, stored in a cool and dark place in an airtight container, for up to 4 months.

Featured in: “How to Cook Shrim p.”

Ingredients

For the House Spice:

3 tbsp. plus ¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. plus 1¼ tsp. granulated garlic
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire powder
1 Tbsp. plus 2½ tsp. granulated onion
1 Tbsp. plus 1¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. plus 1¼ tsp. sweet paprika

For the shrimp:

3 Tbsp. grapeseed oil, or vegetable oil
10 garlic cloves, smashed with the heel of a knife
12 jumbo shrimp (about 12 oz.), preferably unshelled and head-on, deveined
1 Tbsp. House Spice (from above), plus more for garnish
Kosher salt
6 fresh thyme sprigs
4 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cubed
Fresh lemon juice
Coarsely chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
Crusty bread, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Make the House Spice: In a bowl, whisk together the black pepper, salt, granulated garlic, Worcestershire powder, granulated onion, cayenne, and paprika; set aside.
Make the shrimp: To a large pan set over medium heat, add the oil and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant (do not brown), 3–5 minutes.
Meanwhile, season the shrimp generously with salt to taste and 1 tablespoon of the reserved House Spice. Turn the heat to high and add the shrimp and thyme to the pan. Cook, swirling the pan continuously, until the shrimp are just cooked, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 1 minute. A cube at a time, stir in the remaining butter; the sauce should be slightly thick and coat the shrimp. Season with lemon juice and more salt and House Spice to taste, then sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately with bread if desired.

The post Kwame Onwuachi’s Peel-and-Eat Shrimp appeared first on Saveur.