Easy Entertaining Tips and Recipes for a Mardi Gras Inspired Menu
Whether it’s Fat Tuesday or any day, you can celebrate Mardi Gras at home with these New Orleans inspired recipes. They are perfect for Easy Entertaining when hosting a leisurely lunch, brunch or dinner. Chef Steven Richard of Paddlefish kicked it up a notch allowing our taste buds to lead us on a journey to N’awlins!
I was a media guest for the Paddlefish New Orleans Cooking Class and what an entertaining and educational experience it was. Housed aboard a modern steamboat on the shores of Lake Buena Vista in Disney Springs, Paddlefish was the perfect setting on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. If you can’t be in The Big Easy, you might as well be here!
Travel Inspiration: New Orleans
New Orleans is famous for its culinary scene. Boasting many award-winning restaurants, there’s no shortage of bucket list experiences in The Big Easy. Dining at Arnaud’s, Brennan’s, Commanders Palace, Antoine’s, Galatoire’s and of course Cafe du Monde, is on every foodie bucket list.
Creole, Cajun and Soul food play a big part in the fusion that is New Orleans cuisine. Seafood is a must (although there’s plenty of chicken and pork too). Chef Richard took the opportunity to play around with those New Orleans flavors for this special event. Cajun food gets the reputation for being spicy. But rather than spicy hot, it’s flavorful. There’s always crystals hot sauce if you want to kick it up another notch or two. The heavy use of many seasonings including garlic, onions and peppers results in dishes that will never be considered bland or boring.
Mardi Gras time in New Orleans signifies revelry and celebration. It’s the spirit of community that drives it amongst locals. It’s not all debauchery and drunken parties as tourists expect. But rather getting together with your “Krewe” and living life to the fullest. All the more reason to host a Mardi Gras themed party with your friends.
Shrimp Creole, Crawfish Etouffee, Jambalaya, Bananas Foster and Beignets are all favorites. Paddlefish chef Steven Richard took some of these favorites and gave them his own little spin. He interjected his Massachusetts roots with the choice of some ingredients (such as using a gorgeous Jumbo Lump Crab in the etouffee), however, the feel and flavor was all there!
What is Mirliton?
Have you ever tried mirliton? If you have, you may know it by another name. Mirliton originated in Mexico and spread through Latin America and Europe. Growing up in Dominican Republic, I knew the small green squash as they do in Mexico, as chayote. In New Orleans and Louisiana, chayote is known as mirliton.
Because of its exterior appearance, it is also known as “alligator pear” although it is not in the pear family. It also has a flat seed, like mango and may be known as “mango squash” although it has no relationship to mango.
You can slice, dice and lightly sauteed Mirliton. The flavor and texture is similar to zucchini or summer squash. It’s a mild vegetable, quite bland and so it takes on the flavors of other ingredients. You can easily substitute mirliton for zucchini and vice versa. Talk about a vegetable with an identity crisis!
For this recipe, Chef Richards sliced it in half, removed the pit and stuffed with a flavorful shrimp and sausage stuffing.
Next time you see it in the produce section of your grocery store, be adventurous and give it a try. You’ll be amazed, like I was, at how delicious it can be. Especially when paired with the right topping. It will save you from cooking zucchini for the millionth time!
Shrimp & Sausage Stuffed Mirliton Recipe
- 4 each mirliton
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Fresh ground pepper (to taste)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- 6 oz butter
- 1 cup sweet onion (small dice)
- 1/2 lbs Chourico sausage (ground)
- 1/2 lbs Shrimp
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 2 cups cracker crumbs
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- fresh ground pepper (to taste)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup whole grain mustard
- lemon juice (to taste)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Fresh ground pepper (to taste)
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Cut the mirlitons in half from the stem end to the blossom end.
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Remove the seed
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Toss the 8 halves in a mixing bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper to coat and season.
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Cook in a 350F oven on a sheet pan, cut side up until just tender. Reserve.
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Sweat the onion in the butter in a heavy saute pan until soft.
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Add the sausage and cook for a few more minutes
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Add the shrimp and cook until just under done.
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Combine with the parsley and cracker crumb in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve the mixture.
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Reduce the cream by one third over low heat
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Whisk in mustard and adjust seasoning with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Hold in a warm place.
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Divide the stuffing by eight and heap each portion on each of the 8 mirliton halves.
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Bake in a 350F oven on a sheet pan, until the stuffing is golden and the item is fully heated through.
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Plate each mirliton half and drizzle with creole mustard sauce.
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Garnish with green onion if desired.
Tips to Make An Epic Etouffee
Étouffée is a classic dish of seafood or chicken simmered in a sauce made from a light or blond roux.
Here are some tips from the chef:
- Étouffée commonly made with shellfish, such as crab or shrimp. But don’t be afraid to substitute with any seafood of your liking. The most popular version features crayfish (or “crawfish”). Typically served over rice.
- The roux is the key to this dish. The darker you cook the roux, the deeper the flavor. However, keep in mind that cooking the roux too much may overpower delicate seafood.
- Adjust the quantities of jalapenos, hot sauce, Cajun spice and Worcestershire to suit your tastes. Cajun food does not have to be spicy.
- Don’t hold back on seasoning your dish. Salt and pepper are a must!
- This dish is perfect for Easy Entertaining at home because it can be made ahead of time. Make your stew up until the final stage of adding the seafood. Chill the stew and hold it cold.
- When ready to serve, heat the stew to a simmer and add seafood. The stew base will hold for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Make ahead means more time you get to spend with your guests during the party.
Crawfish and Crab Etouffee Recipe
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 6 Tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1 cup sweet onion (small dice)
- 1 cup celery (small dice)
- 1 cup green bell pepper (small dice)
- 1/4 cup jalapeno pepper (small dice)
- 3 cups seafood stock
- 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme (chopped)
- 4 each bay leaf
- hot sauce (to taste)
- Cajun spice (to taste)
- fresh ground pepper (to taste)
- kosher salt (to taste)
- 2 Lbs Crawfish tail meat
- Jumbo lump crab
- 1/2 cup green onion (thin sliced)
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Melt butter in a heavy bottom pot
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Add flour and cook on moderate heat, stirring continuously until the color resembles peanut butter. This will take 5 – 10 minutes.
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Add bell pepper, jalapeno, celery and onion. Cook for a few more minutes.
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Add the stock and whisk to incorporate the roux.
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Add thyme, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and bay leaves.
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Cook for 10-15 minutes and season with Cajun spice, salt and pepper.
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Add crawfish meat and crab meat to the simmering stew and stir until just heated through.
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Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Tips to Make An Epic Bananas Foster
The simple yet decadent dessert was invented in the 1950’s at the famed Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans. It usually involves a tableside show and you can certainly do this at home. Just be careful!
Bananas are sautéed in butter, sugar and cinnamon. Then comes the rum. Once you set it ablaze, the alcohol burns off. Leaving only the smoky spiced rum flavors.
Here are some tips from the chef:
- Always move the pan away from the flame when adding the liquor. Be careful when igniting it. Keep a lid for the pan handy in case you need to extinguish the flame. If you’re doing this for the first time, keep a fire extinguisher nearby for good measure. Igniting alcohol in dishes looks quite snazzy but it can be very dangerous so use caution.
- Your choice of rum and banana liqueur is up to you. The original recipe calls for white rum, however a spiced rum will add more flavor. Your dish is only as good as the quality of ingredients you use. Chef Richard used Kirk and Sweeney Dominican Rum and Giffard Banane du Bresil. Both wonderful options.
- If you prefer not to use any alcohol, that’s ok too. The dish won’t have the same layers of flavor but it will still be delicious.
- Use firm bananas, slightly under ripe, for the best texture. Ripe bananas will cook up soft and soggy.
- When ready to serve, instead of spooning the bananas and caramel over the top of ice cream, think about serving the ice cream in a puddle of the warm caramel. Either way, your ice cream will melt so serve quickly.
- Bananas Foster traditionally served with vanilla ice cream. You can Go classic or get creative as Chef Richard did with salted caramel gelato. He then topped it with flaky sea salt that added that perfect final touch. Choose any flavor ice cream which complements bananas and caramel.
Bananas Foster Recipe
- 5 oz butter, unsalted
- 1.5 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 2 oz banana liqueur
- 1 oz rum
- 4 each bananas (cut in half lengthwise, then halved)
- 4 scoops ice cream
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Melt the butter in a heavy saute pan with the brown sugar.
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Cook over low heat until the butter and sugar come together and form a smooth caramel.
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Add the spices and the banana liqueur and cook for another minute or two. (Pro tip: add the liquor away from the heat. Never pour liquor near an open flame.)
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Add bananas and cook to heat through while basting with caramel.
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Add the rum with the pan away from heat.
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If cooking on a gas flame, ignite the rum by tipping the pan. If you are on an electric stove, use a long match or grill lighter.
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Cook until the flames die out and serve immediately with ice cream.
About Paddlefish Restaurant
Paddlefish is an iconic restaurant located on a reimagined, modern steamboat. Docked on the shores of Lake Buena Vista, Paddlefish in Disney Springs offers a phenomenal rooftop level view of the sunset and waterfront seating. Voted “Best Seafood Restaurant” by Orlando Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Dining Awards. It’s one of my favorite stops for cocktails and casual bites for date night. Their Bloody Mary is outstanding as is their Margarita. The lobster corn dogs and guacamole topped with crab are “must eats.”
Cooking Demos at Paddlefish
Paddlefish frequently hosts a variety of special events, from wine dinners to tastings and cooking classes. The New Orleans Cooking Class required a special ticket/ reservation with prices at $50 per person for Levy Preferred Members and $75 per person for non-Levy Preferred Members. Prices may vary based on the event.
Chef Steven Richard demonstrated how to create the three classic New Orleans dishes on the menu. And we got to enjoy full sized portions of each. That was a nice feature. There were no small tasting portions. The intimate setting in one of the restaurant’s private rooms on the third level allowed for questions and plenty of interaction with the chef. To ensure everyone has a good seat, the class is limited in size. Non alcoholic beverages, beer and wine were served as well.
For more information on Paddlefish Restaurant, visit their website and follow at @paddlefishorl.
If you’re an avid home chef, enjoy watching food shows on TV or simply get a kick out of eating really good food while someone else cooks it, make plans to attend the next cooking class at Paddlefish. I learned so much from Chef Richard. I can’t wait for the next one.
Are you ready to host your own Mardi Gras event with friends? Or are you planning that trip to New Orleans? I hope you’re inspired to go #MakeSomedayHappen one delicious bite, sip and trip at a time!
Cheers!
Go Epicurista
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