Top Five Foods For Fat Tuesday
Top Five Foods for Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras
Laissez les bons temps rouler! That's right, it's Mardi Gras season, and if you're not already planning a feast fit for a king or queen, you're missing out. Forget the beads for a minute and let's talk about the real stars of the show: the food of New Orleans! We're diving headfirst into the delicious chaos of Carnival with a rundown of the top five must-try treats that'll have your tastebuds dancing down Bourbon Street. From sugary delights to savory sensations, get ready to indulge in the flavors that make Mardi Gras a culinary celebration like no other.
1
Jambalaya holds a significant place in Mardi Gras celebrations, embodying the rich culinary and cultural fusion of New Orleans. This hearty, flavorful dish, a medley of rice, meats, and spices, represents the coming together of diverse influences such as African, Spanish, and French cultures. During Mardi Gras, jambalaya becomes a symbol of communal feasting, a way to share in the joyous spirit of the season, and a delicious fuel for the festivities.
2
King cake is the quintessential Mardi Gras dessert, a sweet, swirled symbol of the Carnival season. Its circular shape represents the unity of the three kings, and the vibrant colors—purple, green, and gold—signify justice, faith, and power. Hidden within each cake is a small plastic baby, representing baby Jesus, and whoever finds it is said to have good luck and is often tasked with hosting the next year's celebration. It's a delicious tradition that brings people together and adds a playful, festive touch to the Mardi Gras celebration.
3
Red Beans and Rice
Red beans and rice are a deeply rooted tradition in New Orleans, and their connection to Mardi Gras is particularly strong. Traditionally, Monday was wash day, leaving cooks with little time for elaborate meals. Red beans, which could simmer all day with minimal effort, became the perfect solution. This practical meal evolved into a beloved Monday tradition, and since Mardi Gras falls on the following Tuesday, red beans and rice became an integral part of the celebratory lead-up. It's a comforting, flavorful dish that embodies the spirit of resourcefulness and community that defines the city.
4
Beignets, those pillowy pockets of fried dough dusted with powdered sugar, are an essential sweet treat during Mardi Gras. They're more than just a dessert; they're a symbol of the indulgence and celebration that defines the season. Found in abundance throughout New Orleans, especially at iconic spots like Cafe Du Monde, beignets offer a warm, comforting, and undeniably delicious way to partake in the festive atmosphere. They're the perfect sweet ending (or mid-celebration snack) to a day of revelry.
5
The Sazerac, often considered New Orleans' official cocktail, holds a special place during Mardi Gras, and that is why we added it to our list! This sophisticated blend of rye whiskey, absinthe, Peychaud's bitters, and sugar embodies the city's rich history and refined taste. During the Carnival season, the Sazerac becomes a symbol of celebration and a toast to the good times. It's a classic, elegant drink that adds a touch of old-world charm to the festivities, offering a flavorful counterpoint to the sweet treats and savory dishes that define the Mardi Gras experience.
RECIPE: JAMBALAYA
From HKS Chef Instructor Heather Artripe
Ingredients
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
1 Tbsp. Creole seasoning
1 Tbsp. Crystal hot sauce or hot sauce of choice
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
12-16 oz. lg shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off
12-16 oz. Andouille sausage or similar
3 ½ cup chicken broth
1 ½ cup long grain rice
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
Green onions, diced, for garnish
Hot sauce
Directions
01
In a large skillet or dutch oven, add your butter and heat over medium heat.
02
Once hot, add your onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for for 7-8 minutes or until softened.
03
Add in your garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
04
Next, add in your diced tomatoes, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
05
Next, add in your shrimp and sausage and cook for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.
06
Add in rice, chicken broth, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
07
Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.
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RECIPE: KING CAKE
From Explore Louisiana - The Official Travel Authority For The State
Ingredients for the Cake
1 cup lukewarm milk, about 110 degrees
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons dry yeast
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup melted butter
5 egg yolks, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
3 teaspoons cinnamon
Several gratings of fresh nutmeg
Ingredients for the Cake
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup condensed milk
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Purple, green and gold decorative sugars
1 fève (fava bean) or plastic baby to hide in the cake after baking
Directions
01
For the cake, pour the warm milk into a large bowl. Whisk in the granulated sugar, yeast and a heaping tablespoon of the flour, mixing until both the sugar and the yeast have dissolved.
02
Once bubbles have developed on the surface of the milk and it begins to foam, whisk in the butter, eggs, vanilla and lemon zest. Add the remaining flour, cinnamon and nutmeg and fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a large rubber spatula.
03
After the dough comes together, pulling away from the sides of the bowl, shape it into a large ball. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.
04
Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a draft-free place to let it proof, or rise, for 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in volume.
05
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide the dough into three equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough between your palms into a long strip, making three ropes of equal length. Braid the ropes around one another and form the braided loaf into a circle, pinching ends together to seal. Gently lay the dough on a nonstick cookie sheet and let it rise until it doubles in size, about 30 minutes.
06
Once it's doubled in size, place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake until the braid is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
07
For the icing: While the cake is cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, condensed milk and lemon juice in a bowl until the icing is smooth and spreadable. If the icing is too thick, add a bit more condensed milk; if it's a too loose, add a little more powdered sugar.
08
Once the cake has cooled, spread the icing over the top of the cake and sprinkle with purple, green, and gold decorative sugars while the icing is still wet. Tuck the fève or plastic baby into the underside of the cake and, using a spatula, slide the cake onto a platter.
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RECIPE: NEW ORLEANS RED BEANS AND RICE
From Southern Living Test Kitchen
TOTAL TIME: 7hrs 5 mins
YIELD: 3 1/2 quarts
Ingredients
1 lb. dried red beans
7 cups water
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 lb. andouille sausage, sliced
3 Tbsp. Creole seasoning
Hot cooked rice
Garnish: sliced green onions
Directions
01
Place first 8 ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker.
02
Cook covered at HIGH 7 hours or until beans are tender.
03
Serve with hot cooked rice. Garnish, if desired.
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RECIPE: BEIGNETS
From King Arthur Baking Company
TOTAL TIME: 9hrs 25 mins
YIELD: 30 beignets
Ingredients
1/2 cup (113g) water, lukewarm
1/2 cup (113g) milk, lukewarm
2 tablespoons (28g) butter, melted
1 large egg
1 teaspoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons (12g) table salt
4 cups (480g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
Confectioners' sugar
Directions
01
Combine all of the ingredients, and mix and knead them together — by hand, mixer or bread machine — until you've made a soft, smooth dough.
02
Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 hour, or until it's puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk).
03
Gently deflate the dough, and place it in a greased bowl or greased plastic bag, choosing a bowl or bag that will allow the dough to expand. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for up to 2 days.
04
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and place it on a lightly greased or floured work surface; a silicone rolling mat works well here.
05
Roll it into a 14" x 10" rectangle, squaring off the corners as well as you can without being overly fussy.
06
Cut the dough into 2" squares.
07
Pour the oil to a depth of at least 3/4" in a 10" electric fry pan (first choice), or a deep, heavy-bottomed 10" frying pan set over a burner.
08
Heat the oil to 360°F, and drop 5 or 6 squares of dough into the hot oil. They'll sink to the bottom, then after about 5 seconds or so, rise to the top.
09
Fry the beignets for 1 minute, then use a pair of tongs to turn them over. Fry for another minute, until the beignets are puffed and golden brown all over.
10
Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
11
When the beignets are cool, sprinkle them heavily with confectioners' sugar. For a real New Orleans experience, serve with strong coffee.
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RECIPE: SAZERAC
From The Complete Cocktail Manual Recipe Book
TOTAL TIME: 5 mins
YIELD: 1 serving
Ingredients
1 demerara sugar cube
3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
1 1/2 oz Rye whiskey
1/4 oz Absinthe
Lemon peel for garnish
Directions
01
Fill a rocks glass with ice and set aside.
02
In a mixing glass, add the sugar cube and soak it with the bitters, then muddle.
03
Add rye whiskey and ice, then stir until sugar is dissolved.
04
Remove ice from glass, pour in the absinthe, and swirl to coat the glass.
05
Strain the cocktail from the mixing glass into the prepared glass.
06
Express lemon peel over drink and add for garnish. Cheers!
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