8 English muffins, split
16 slices bacon
32 oysters, shucked
16 ounces buttermilk
Flour and cornmeal for breading
Creole seasoning
Oil for deep-frying
16 poached eggs
Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Tasso Hollandaise sauce
6 egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dashes of Tabasco sauce, to taste
2 tablespoons water
3 sticks (12 ounces) butter, melted and clarified, held warm
8 ounces tasso ham, finely chopped, rendered, drippings reserved
Cook the bacon (it's easiest on a sheet pan in the oven) until crisp. Reserve the drippings for another use. Break each slice in half.
Butter the muffins and toast in a regular or toaster oven; keep warm.

Poach the eggs in barely simmering water to which a couple of teaspoons of vinegar have been added, until desired doneness (I like runny yolks, mmmm.) You can hold in a pan and refresh with hot water before serving.

Soak the oysters in buttermilk for a few minutes, then roll in a mixture of half flour and half cornmeal that has been seasoned with Creole seasoning, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shake the oysters in a sieve to get rid of excess breading, then drop into hot oil at 360°F; fry until golden brown. Season with a little more salt and Creole seasoning as soon as they come out of the oil; drain on paper towels and keep warm.

For the tasso Hollandaise: In a stainless steel bowl set over a pot of simmering water over medium heat, whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice, salt, Tabasco, and water until pale yellow and slightly thick and ribbony. (The old test -- you should be able to "blow a rose" on the surface.) Never let the bowl touch the water, and never let the water boil. Off the heat, drizzle the clarified butter into the egg yolks in a thin stream, whisking like hell all the while, until it's incorporated. Add the tasso and drippings and continue whisking for 30 seconds. Serve immediately or hold in a Thermos to keep warm.

Assembly: Place two muffin halves on each warmed plate. Top each muffin half with two half-slices of bacon and two fried oysters. Top each bacon-oyster muffin with a poached egg. Top with liberal amounts of tasso Hollandaise. Garnish with a bit of parsley and serve.

YIELD: 8 decadent brunch servings.

Posted by InfoMedia at 02:42 PM | Permalink

A very old-time, traditional breakfast, couche couche is the Cajun version of fried cornmeal mush.

1/4 cup oil
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
Heat the oil in a heavy pot or preferable a cast iron dutch oven.
Mix the dry ingredients, then add the milk and water. Pour the batter into the hot oil, and allow a crust to form on the bottom before stirring. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally; cook for about 15 minutes.

Serve in bowls with milk and sugar, like a hot cereal.

Serves 4.

Posted by InfoMedia at 02:40 PM | Permalink

INGREDIENTS:
Whiskey Pepper Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons chopped white onion
2 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons whiskey
1 green onion, chopped
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
Pepper Steak
1 (16-ounce) sirloin steak, cut into two portions
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Salt

PREPARATION:

Fire up the barbecue.

In a saucepan or deep skillet, make the whiskey pepper sauce by sautéing the white onions in the butter over high heat. In about 3 minutes the onions will begin to turn brown.

Add 1 cup of the beef stock to the onions.

Posted by InfoMedia at 03:38 PM | Permalink

This is a simple but elegant dish from the late, lamented Corinne Dunbar's Restaurant, once a bastion of 19th Century Creole elegance.

1-1/2 pounds veal sweetbreads, cleaned
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 stick (4 ounces) butter
1/2 cup Madeira wine

Brown sauce:
1-1/2 sticks (6 ounces) butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups beef stock
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Blanch the sweetbreads in simmering water for approximately 10 minutes. Drain, and allow to cool. Make the brown sauce by melting the butter and stirring in the flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the roux turns a medium brown, about 15-20 minutes. Add the stock, salt and pepper to taste, depending on the seasoning in the stock.

Slice the cooked sweetbreads in half. Dip them in 1 cup of flour seasoned with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper (you may add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne as well), and then in the eggs. Immediately saute the sweetbreads in the stick of butter and brown both sides. Drain half the butter from the pan, and place the sweetbreads and remaining butter into a hot, 475F oven for 5 minutes. Drain the remaining butter.

Add half of the Madeira (1/4 cup) and 1 cup of the brown sauce to the sweetbreads and bring to a boil. Pour in the remainder of the Madeira, head and flame. Add the rest of the brown sauce, heat and serve. Yield: 6 servings.

Posted by InfoMedia at 04:03 PM | Permalink

Ingredients
2-3/4 cups sifted flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup champagne
6 egg whites
6 large marshmallows, quartered

Coconut Filling
1/4 cup butter
16 large marshmallows, quartered
1 tablespoon white wine
1 cup flaked coconut

Fondant Frosting
1 pound powdered sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Dash salt
Few drops almond extract
2 to 3 drops red food coloring

Instructions
Resift flour with baking powder and salt. Cream shortening with 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in flour mixture and champagne alternately, mixing to smooth batter.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, continuing to beat to stiff meringue. Fold about half of meringue into batter, mixing gently but thoroughly with whisk. Gently fold in remaining meringue.

Turn into 2 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, just until cake tests done. Let stand 10 minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool.

When layers are cool, fill with Coconut Filling between layers. Using 2/3 cup Fondant Frosting, spread thin layer smoothly over top and sides. This seals any crumbs. Pour about 1/2 cup additional frosting over top of cake and spread quickly to smooth layer. Cover sides of cake with second layer of frosting.

Dip marshmallow quarters in remaining frosting to coat both sides and set randomly over top and sides of cake. Makes 10-12 servings.

Coconut Filling
Combine butter, marshmallows and wine in top of double boiler. Set over simmering water and stir occasionally until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Cool until thick enough to spread.

Fondant Frosting
Sift sugar into top of double boiler. Add corn syrup and water. Stir over simmering water until smooth. Blend in vanilla, salt, and almond extract. Stir in food color, if desired. Keep frosting warm while using so it spreads smoothly.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Recipe from: Thirty Years of Recipe Requests to the Los Angeles Times by Rose Dosti (Los Angeles Times)

Posted by InfoMedia at 02:02 PM | Permalink

For the bread crumbs:

1 T. garlic, finely chopped

1 t. shallots, finely chopped

1 t. fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 c. fresh white bread crumbs

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. ground white pepper

For the mustard mayonnaise:

1/2 c. mayonnaise

4 t. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard

1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t. horseradish, prepared

For the crabcakes:

1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat, drained of all excess liquid

1 c. prepared bread crumbs (see above)

1 T fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 T prepared mustard mayonnaise (see above)

1 t. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 t. Tabasco sauce

To make the bread crumbs: In a mixing bowl, stir the garlic, shallots and parsley into the bread crumbs, being careful not to leave any clumps of garlic or shallots. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.

To make the mustard mayonnaise: In a mixing bowl, combine mustard, mayonnaise, Worcestershire and horseradish. Refrigerate.

In a stainless steel bowl, toss the crabmeat with the prepared crumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 T. mustard mayonnaise with the parsley, mustard, eggs, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce. Pour over crabmeat mixture and mix gently to combine. Divide into 6 portions. Form into balls. Flatten slightly to 1-inch thickness - do not make perfectly flat.

Place crab cakes on a buttered, nonstick cookie sheet. Place in a preheated 450-degree oven. Bake 5 minutes on one side. Turn with a metal spatula and cook another 4 minutes. Divide among 6 plates, and garnish each serving with 1 T. mustard mayonnaise and a lemon wedge. Makes 6 servings.

Posted by InfoMedia at 10:51 AM | Permalink

Serves 1

1 cup Shrimp Stock
1 cup White Wine
1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbl. Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 tbl. Chopped Shallots
2 Bay Leaves
2 tsp. Creole Seasoning
2 Lemons, sliced
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1 lb. Butter, cubed
2 tsp. Black Pepper, cracked
Salt to taste
Seasoned Flour
8 oz. Fillet of Redfish
3 Jumbo Shrimp, peeled leaving only tail on

Method:
Bring all ingredients except butter and cream to a boil in saucepan. Reduce by 3/4 and add heavy cream and reduce by 1/2. Slowly stir in cold cubes of butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Dredge fillet of redfish in seasoned flour and sauté for 3 minutes on each side. Remove redfish and sauté shrimp.

Presentation:
While sauteing shrimp, place sauce on bottom of plate, place redfish in middle of plate and top with shrimp. Arrange citrus seasoned rice and fresh snap beans around edge of plate.

Posted by InfoMedia at 11:25 AM | Permalink