Hot Topics >>> Mardi Gras
February 2008
Louisiana is known for many things including hospitality, fun, family, and, of course, food! A famous saying in southern parts of the Bayou state is, “La joie de vie”. In English, “The joy of life.” A Cajun needs very little cause for celebration and what better reason to “pass a good time” than for a good cause.
In keeping with tradition Anthem State Farm Agent Nanette McClelland-Miller will be hosting her 5 th Annual Mardi Gras Fundraiser on February 23 rd . In conjunction with Mark Starr and the RoadRunner in New River, these two folks are excited about this year's event. Nanette and Mark have already begun ordering the specialty foods that will delight even the most discerning “foodie”. As always, you can count on Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, Fried Shrimp and Oyster Po-boys, and a favorite, Boiled Crawfish. A Cajun event would not be complete without this spicy delicacy and they will be flown in straight from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The first year of this event they enjoyed many pounds of leftover crawfish; however, in the last few years they have run out!
The 3 rd and 4 th events directly benefited Cameron Parish High School in Cameron, Louisiana. Hurricane Rita annihilated this entire community and your contributions helped them completely furnish and equip the computer lab in the new school. In case you are wondering how they will rebuild a high school on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico – well, the entire structure is sitting on 16' pilings sunk into the earth. The buildings were wiped out but not the spirit of this community. People are coming back and the shrimp boats of this incredible place are trolling once again.
This year, monies raised will benefit Josh Coppoth. Many of our readers are familiar with this young man who has faced a challenging turn of events over the last many months. After having a brain tumor removed he is now undergoing chemo treatments. According to his mother, Diana Coppoth, Josh is making forward progress and continues to improve. These advancements are coming at a steep financial cost to the family, however. Medical bills and deductibles continue to roll in and again, our communities are reaching out. To help in this regard, beads are being ordered from none other than New Orleans and will be available for sale as well as raffle tickets to help with the fundraising. Donations are of course appreciated and checks can be made out to We Care, a local 501(c)(3) organization.
Please join the festivities Saturday, February 23 rd , 5pm-close, for a special celebration at the Roadrunner and become a huge part of Josh Coppoth's journey to recovery. Until then, try this authentic family recipe for Gumbo, from Nanette McClelland-Miller and Josh Miller:
What you'll need:
Medium pot
Roux (pronounced “roo”.) You can get it on www.cajungrocer.com as well as all of the seasonings and brown sausage. A roux is flour and oil mixed to peanut butter-consistency and very slowly browned (actually burned) until dark brown. It must be simmered for a long time under a watchful eye while stirred constantly.
- “Slap ya' mama” Cajun seasoning
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
- 6 stalks of celery chopped (make sure you strip them of the “stringy” stuff)
- 1 large bell pepper, chopped
- 1 batch of green onions, chopped
- 1 stick of real butter
- Minced garlic
- 1 lb. smoked beef/pork sausage – Savoie's brand is best – cut into bite-sized pieces
Chicken:
Easy way: chicken breasts cut into strips and use store-bought chicken broth
Hard way: Whole chicken fryer, cut up, and boiled just enough for stock. Don't “cook” the chicken. Remove chicken and set aside to cool, debone, remove skin, add vegetable remnants (stuff you would normally throw away,) throw it all into another pot, and make a stock. Set the meat aside (it's not cooked all the way yet!) strain stock, and use for gumbo later. It's more difficult this way, but it tastes better.
Fun part – cooking!
- On low heat, melt butter and add onion, celery, bell pepper, and cook down until opaque.
- Add stock to about half of pot and bring to a low boil, then turn down the heat.
- Add roux a little at a time until the base is dark brown
- Season to taste and let simmer
- Simmer for an hour, taste, simmer some more, taste, simmer some more, taste – you get the picture. The flavors will begin to come together. You may add more roux if you want stronger flavor, add cayenne pepper, black pepper, for more “bite” in the back of the throat.
- Add salt
- Add sausage, bring to a boil, and then turn down heat.
- Simmer more, taste, and repeat often!
- Add the garlic for a little more flair.
Believe it or not, you are essentially done.
It is much better if you stop here, let it cool, and stick it in the fridge overnight. Again, the flavors will come together overnight.
If you make it the same day and are satisfied with the taste, add the chicken. It is not wise to add the chicken if you are letting it sit overnight – it has a tendency to fall apart.
About an hour before you serve and it's heated up, sprinkle the green onions over the top. Do not add early and cook into the gumbo – green onions give a bitter taste if cooked directly into meals.
Serve with rice – Mahatma Long Grain is a Louisiana favorite!
