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

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