YAFT Recipes

additional_notes.md

I typed these up from memory which is not a humblebrag but a warning that there may be holes in the recipes and you may just have to make shit up as you go along. Best part about Cajun/Creole food is it's really receptive to that. Except rouxs. Rouxs are a fickle PITA.

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning is the greatest thing in the universe and you should always have some on hand to season your cajun food with: http://amzn.to/1Q9MjoL

Gumbo is typically made with filé (ground sassafrass leaves) which you can buy from Tony Chachere's as well http://amzn.to/1mv3XvE however the cumin and paprika and maybe ground thyme cover enough of the bases (I typically haven't used filé).

gumbo.md

Gumbo

As Daniel Makes It

• 1/2 cup oil or bacon grease
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 onion
• 1-2 stalks celery
• 1 bell pepper
• Frozen Okra (optional)
• ~1lb of andouille sausage
• 1/2 chicken, pulled (Just buy a rotisserie chicken pre-cooked and pull it apart, refrigerating half)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• Cayenne Powder
• Paprika
• Cumin
• 1-2 cups Minute Rice

Finely chop about half the onion, 1-2 stalks of celery, and about half the bell pepper. You should have a 2:1:1 ratio of Onions:Celery:Bell Peppers.

Slice the sausage into ~1/4" thick slices.

Pull apart the chicken, saving 1/2 of the meat for the gumbo and storing the other half in your fridge.

Fill a large pot with about 4cups of chicken stock.

Fry up the sausage until there's a nice crispy outside to them. When finished, place them in the pot with the chicken stock.

Roux: In a skillet heat the oil/grease to medium-high. Using a whisk begin stirring the oil. Slowly add the flour to the oil a little bit at a time, constantly whisking to prevent clumping. After all the flour has been added keep constant whisking until the roux turns a milk-to-dark-chocolate color. Note: the roux spends a long time very light beige and almost in an instant starts turning brown after 15 minutes of nothing, be warned.

You have 2 options at this point: you can add the vegetables to the roux and cook them both together, or add the roux to the pot with the chicken stock then cook the vegetables in pan you prepared the roux in. Either way the vegetables must be cooked and added to the chicken stock.

Add Cayenne, Paprika, Cumin, Salt, and Pepper to taste (if you used bacon grease, you'll probably need very little additional salt).

Bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.

About 5-10 minutes before cooking is finished, add the pulled chicken (since it was pre-cooked).

About 10 minutes before cooking is finished, prepare 1-2 cups of rice according to the package instructions (if using minute rice. If using regular rice, may take longer).

To serve, scoop a healthy portion of rice into a bowl and pour in just enough gumbo to not cover the rice.

jambalaya.md

Jambalaya

I suggest just visiting the Tiger Droppings forum and downloading their Ultimate Jambalaya Calculator: http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/food-and-drink/the-ultimate-jambalaya-calculator-final-version-version-71/51508078/

red_beans_and_rice.md

Red Beans and Rice

As Daniel Makes It

• 1lb Red Kidney Beans, dry
• 1 Onion
• 1-2 stalks Celery
• 1 Bell Pepper
• ~1lb of Andouille Sausage (Aidells Sausage is a good brand easy to find in NYC)
• Cayenne Powder
• Ground Cumin
• Bay Leaves

Rinse then soak a 1lb bag of red kidney beans overnight (fill water to a few inches over the top of the beans then cover the bowl with a towel)

Finely chop about half the onion, 1-2 stalks of celery, and about half the bell pepper. You should have a 2:1:1 ratio of Onions:Celery:Bell Peppers.

Slice the sausage into ~1/4" thick slices.

Add beans to a crockpot including the water they were soaked in.

Heat a stainless skillet on high. Add a little oil or bacon grease then fry up the sausage until almost over cooked. Add sausage to the crock pot.

Immediately sauté the vegetables in the same skillet, letting them soak up and pick up any juices and fond from the meat. Once the onions go clear add the vegetables to the crock pot.

Ensure the crock pot has about 1/2" of water covering all the contents. Add Salt, Pepper, Cayenne, Cumin to taste. Add 1-2 bay leaves and set crock pot on High for 8 hours.