Louisiana's comfort food is nicely represented in red beans and rice, a dish that is traditionally prepared on Mondays, with the aroma of red beans drifting through the neighborhoods. The dish originates from the New Orleans Creole kitchens of the 1700s and the 1800s.
The beans are typically cooked over low heat throughout the day, with additions such as ham hock and Andouille sausage. When served, the beans are spooned over hot rice, and the whole thing is often spiced up with some hot sauce.
MOST ICONIC Red Beans and Rice
View moreDirty rice is a Cajun dish consisting of rice, chicken liver and gizzard, onions, bell peppers, and celery. The dish got its name from its color, imparted by the liver and broth. In the past, it was consumed as a main dish, but nowadays it is often served with a salad or as an accompaniment to gumbo or jambalaya.
Today, most cooks use ground pork or beef instead of the liver and gizzards.
MOST ICONIC Dirty Rice
View moreMAIN INGREDIENTS
Soufflé potatoes is an interesting French creation that is made by double-frying potato slices in very hot oil. The potatoes are thinly sliced into uniform slices, then thoroughly dried before being fried. Once fried, the potato slices are removed from the oil and allowed to chill before being fried for a second time in even hotter oil until puffed up, crispy, and golden brown.
The traditional accompanying condiment of choice is sauce béarnaise, which is a combination of butter, egg yolks, lemon, and tarragon. This dish is considered an unforeseen culinary invention from the early 19th century that has been attributed to a certain chef named Collinet.
Maque choux is a Creole dish originating from Louisiana. It is typically prepared with a combination of corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions, and some recipes also call for the addition of celery and garlic. The ingredients are braised until tender, and maque choux is then served as a side dish.
Hot sauce or sugar might be added to the pot before serving in order to add more flavor. Although maque choux is typically served as a side dish, it can also be consumed as a main meal when served over rice.
MOST ICONIC Maque Choux
Crawfish boudin is a specialty of Cajun cuisine, a sausage that is traditionally prepared with freshly chopped crawfish meat and sautéed finely cut vegetables such as onions, celery, green onion tops, bell peppers, garlic, and parsley. The crawfish mixture is then combined with cooked white rice before being stuffed into natural casings.
If no casings are available, the sausage mixture can alternatively be shaped into balls which are then dredged in breadcrumbs and fried. Typical seasonings include red pepper or cayenne pepper, salt, and white pepper or black pepper. Crawfish boudin can be steamed, smoked, or fried, eaten on top of saltine crackers, or drizzled with hot sauce or mustard.
MOST ICONIC Crawfish Boudin
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