Saturday Down South: NOLA-Style BBQ Shrimp

It's here again, folks... it's officially Alabama-LSU week in college football. It's essentially the biggest game of our season. Even though my Crimson Tide is undefeated and ranked #1, this game has got this entire house nervous. Unfortunately for us, we're playing in Baton Rouge this year, so we weren't able to go root on our boys in person, but we are certainly there in spirit! As a part of SEC tradition, everyone typically bases their tailgate spread on the food of what the opposing team is famous for. So naturally, that means Creole or Cajun recipes on this particular weekend. When we made the trip to New Orleans for the college playoff game two years ago, I heard about Barbecue Shrimp. Now, this isn't your ole typical BBQ. It involves unpeeled, head-on shrimp that is simmered in a shit ton of butter, hot sauce, worcestershire, and lemon. This buttery spicy sauce is heavenly in every way possible... and even better, there is a requirement of serving it with a baguette of french bread, so that you can sop up all that sauce. Um, yum. I added my own little touches to it by adding my favorite homemade BBQ rub, which sweetens it just a tad, and by also infusing the dish with some fresh parsley + chives. I think that it lends another element to the whole thing that is much needed. We adored this recipe for NOLA-Style BBQ shrimp and have every damn intention of making it over and over and over again. It is absolutely fabulous for feeding a crowd or you know, just you and a friend... whatever you wanna do is up to you!! Enjoy :)

oh here comes the bread for soppin'

um... perfection.

For the BBQ Shrimp:

6T Unsalted Butter

3 Sticks Unsalted Butter, Cut into Cubes + Chilled

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1C Beer

1C Hot Sauce

½C Worcestershire Sauce

¼C Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

2T Homemade BBQ Seasoning

2T Fresh Cracked Pepper

3lbs Head-On Large Shrimp (unpeeled)

Kosher Salt (as needed)

1T Fresh Parsley, Minced

1T Fresh Chives, Minced

1 Lemon, Thinly Sliced (for garnishing)

Warmed French Bread, For Dipping

Directions:

1. Heat the 6T of unsalted butter in the largest skillet that you have over medium-high heat (we used a paella pan and it worked great). Add in the minced garlic and cook until it is soft and fragrant… about 1-2 minutes (do not burn the garlic).

2. Add in the beer, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, BBQ seasoning, and pepper. Stir to combine it into the melted butter and garlic. Bring this mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce has reduced by half, about 8-10 minutes. Add the head-on, unpeeled shrimp; cook, flipping once, until the shrimp is cooked through (just when it begins to turn pink). This should only take a few minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cubed, chilled butter to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt.

3. Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle the chives and parsley all over the shrimp and place the sliced lemon evenly throughout the pan. Serve the BBQ shrimp with warmed French bread for sopping up the sauce. Enjoy.

A Southern Inspired Version of Yotam Ottolenghi's Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce

Roasted Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce, Pomegranates, Candied Pecans,
Candied Jalapenos, Chives, + Balsamic Reduction

Have y'all seen any of Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbooks yet? I think he has about three out right now, I only own the one, Plenty. And even though, it is far from my cuisine of choice, I am so intrigued by his flavor combination, uses of veggies & herbs, and his beautiful photography. Although he includes protein in some of his recipes, most of them are vegetarian, which I love because I don't cook nearly enough those kinda dishes... mine almost all have to have bacon in them. Of course. The recipe that really pulled me in was his Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce. The picture was so gorgeous and inviting, but had the perfect rustic touch to it! I knew I had to make it, but with a southern spin.... haha, no brainer there. The eggplants are halved and cross-hatched before they are drizzled with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning (instead of za'tar). Once you've roasted them it's time to garnish them with a'whole'lotta crap. YAY for crap! I included the buttermilk sauce & pomegranates, like Ottolenghi, but I also scattered some chopped candied pecan, candied jalapenos, chives, and a balsamic reduction drizzle over the top. I decided to use a balsamic reduction, but I think a pomegranate reduction or pepper jelly drizzle would be just as fab as well, so it's up to y'all! I absolutely adore how the pictures turned out, they are so bright + vibrant, and I think they would be the perfect addition to your summer table. But go ahead and make it now, it's really pretty any time of the year!! Enjoy :)

For the Eggplant:

2 Large + Long Eggplants, Sliced in Half Lengthways

1/3C Olive Oil

½t Dried Basil + Dried Oregano

Fleur de Sel & Fresh Cracked Pepper

1t Cajun Seasoning

For the Buttermilk Sauce:

9T Buttermilk (well-shaken)

½C Sour Cream

1 ½T Melted Bacon Fat or Olive Oil

1 Garlic Clove, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For Garnishing:

Pomegranate Seeds

Fresh Chives, Minced

Homemade Candied Pecans, Roughly Chopped

Homemade Candied Jalapenos, Finely Chopped

Balsamic Reduction, Pomegranate Reduction, or Pepper Jelly (for drizzling)

Directions:

1. Preparing the Eggplant:Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the eggplants in half lengthways, cutting straight through the green stalk (the stalk is for the look; don't eat it). Use a small sharp knife to make three or four parallel incisions in the cut side of each eggplant half, without cutting through to the skin. Repeat at a 45-degree angle to get a diamond-shaped pattern.
2. Roasting the Eggplant:Place the eggplant halves, cut-side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush them with olive oil, keep on brushing until all of the oil has been absorbed. Sprinkle with the lemon thyme leaves and some salt and pepper. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, at which point the flesh should be soft, flavorful, and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
3. For the Sauce:Whisk together all of the ingredients until a smooth consistency has formed. Season with salt & pepper. Keep chilled until you are ready to use.
4. Serving the Eggplant: Place the roasted eggplant halves onto a serving plate and spoon plenty of the buttermilk sauce over the halves. Sprinkle the top of the sauce with some more Cajun seasoning, and then drizzle on some balsamic reduction/pomegranate reduction/pepper jelly (of your choosing). Scatter plenty of pomegranate seeds, candied pecans, candied jalapenos, and freshly minced chives. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and enjoy!

here are some #instagrub pictures :)

Revamped: Boozy Low Country Boil with Homemade Tartar Sauce + Homemade Wasabi-Cocktail Sauce

Boozy Low Country Boil with Homemade Tartar Sauce + Homemade Wasabi-Cocktail Sauce

Welp folks, it was a hell of a weekend. I can't believe another famous St. Patty's Day celebration in Savannah is in the books... and unfortunately, we have to wait a whole year to have it back. My liver, and my body as a whole, is happy. But I'm sure I'll find another way to make up for its absence. Otherwise, it was a textbook Irish celebration, filled with bar hopping, drink making, and wearing green. To make life easier on ourselves, we decided to make a classic Low Country Boil for lunch/dinner after the parade. This is by far the best decision we have ever made, simply because it's not that high maintenance... all you do is throw a bunch of crap in a pot and pour it on a table. Done + done. I know that I have already featured a Low Country Boil recipe a while back, but it needed some revamping (we like to do that a lot around this joint) by adding a whole mess of beer and spices. But, what really put it over the top was the homemade dipping sauces that accompanied the meal. To be quite frank, those guys stole the show. I started off by making a classic garlic aioli and added some pickles and capers to make a classic, but divine, tartar sauce. I'm telling you, making the mayonnaise from scratch is key to everything here people, it's worth the extra 10 minutes of whisking. After the tartar sauce was finished, I moved onto my Homemade Wasabi-Cocktail Sauce. This was my favorite, but it does come with a fair warning... it will knock your socks off. Now that we have addressed that issue, I can say I couldn't get enough of the stuff. It was lip-burning, tongue-scorching, sinus-clearing spicy. And in our world, that is a very, very good thing. Between the Sriracha, Chili-Garlic Sauce, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, horseradish, and my secret ingredient, wasabi paste... this bad boy had a kick that won't quit. If you don't want a tear-inducing sauce, I suggest you start with a little bit at a time until you have found the spice level that y'all like. Besides that, this Boozy Low Country Boil is made extra special with lots o' beer, spices, and high-quality ingredients. It was the perfect way to eat on a hot Savannah day, and hey, it certainly helped us to sober up before the night's partying. Also, what is more satisfying with eating food off the table, with bare hands and an ice cold beverage? Nothin' gets better than that, take my word for it!! Enjoy y'all :)

Oh, we were ready to dig in alright. 

Georgia Shrimp. Potatoes. Vidalia Onions. Sweet Corn. Smoked Sausage. 

How easy is that? Almost too easy. 

Homemade Tartar Sauce 

Homemade Wasabi-Cocktail Sauce

For the Homemade Tartar Sauce:

1 Egg Yolk

1t White Vinegar

1 ½t Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

¼t Dijon Mustard & Sugar

4 Garlic Cloves, Minced into a Paste (with a little bit of sea salt)

½t Salt

¾C Canola Oil

½C Pickles, Cut into Small Cubes

3T Capers, Finely Chopped

1T Minced Shallots

1 Lemon, Zested (and you can use a little juice to taste)

¼t Worcestershire Sauce & Hot Sauce

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Homemade Wasabi-Cocktail Sauce:

1C Ketchup

¼C Sriracha + 2T Asian Chili-Garlic Sauce

Prepared Horseradish, To Taste (we like a lot of horseradish)

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 Lemon, Zested & Juiced

1T Worcestershire & Hot Sauce

1t Red Pepper Flakes & Paprika

1T Wasabi Paste (we like it to blow our heads off)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Boozy Low Country Boil:

4Q Beer (or enough to completely cover all of the food in the pot)

¼C Soy Sauce & Hot Sauce

2T Old Bay Seasoning

2 Shrimp or Crab Boil Bags

3lbs Small Red Potatoes (or you can cut bigger potatoes in half)

2 Vidalia Onions, Cut into Medium Chunks

10 Large Cloves of Garlic

2 Packages of Conecuh Smoked Sausage, Cut into 1inch Pieces

6 Ears of Corn, Cut into Small Rounds

2 Lemons, Cut into Medium Chunks

3lbs Fresh Wild Georgia Shrimp, Unpeeled but Deveined

For Serving:

Cajun Seasoning, For Sprinkling (we love Tony’s)

Homemade Herbed Compound Butter, Melted

Homemade Tartar Sauce, For Dipping

Homemade Wasabi Cocktail Sauce, For Dipping

Lemon Wedges, For Squeezing

Hot Sauce, For Dipping

Newspaper & Paper Towels (for the table)

Directions:

1. For the Homemade Tartar Sauce: Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, and ½t salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼t measuring spoon and whisking constantly, add ¼C e oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4-5 minutes. Gradually add remaining ½C canola oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8-10 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Add in all of the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Season it with any additional spices to taste. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

2. For the Homemade Wasabi-Cocktail Sauce: Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and add in as much prepared horseradish as you want; stir to combine. We like a lot of horseradish, wasabi, and spice, so this sauce is quite pungent & spicy (make sure to season a little at a time until you have reached your desired taste). Refrigerate the sauce until you are ready to serve.

3. For the Boozy Low Country Boil: Fill a large pot with the beer and whisk in the soy sauce, hot sauce, old bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add in the boil bags and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add in the potatoes, sausage, onion pieces, and garlic cloves. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Next, add in the corn and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Throw in the lemon chunks and the shrimp and cook for just 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp have just turned pink. Drain the low country boil and pour out onto a table that is lined with newspaper. Heavily sprinkle the boil ingredients with Cajun seasoning. Drizzle some of the melted herbed compound butter over the ingredients or serve it on the side for the corn. Put all of the homemade dips on the table, along with lemon wedges and hot sauce. Enjoy it while it is still hot, and with a lot of paper towels and cold beer!

We came. We saw. We conquered.

Even dogs try to sneak a bite!

Spicy Cajun Carbonara with Andouille, Bacon, Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Grilled Peppers and Onions, Crumbled Bleu Cheese, & Blackened Shrimp

Spicy Cajun Carbonara with Andouille, Bacon, Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Grilled Peppers and Onions,

 Crumbled Bleu Cheese, & Blackened Shrimp

I've probably told y'all that I don't like pasta very much. I know that's considered a sin amongst some of y'all, but I just don't crave it. Though, every now and then, I definitely get that urge to cook up a hearty dish with pasta. Today was that kinda day... it's been cold and windy, and we just wanting something warming and filling. I loved my Breakfast Carbonara that I made a year ago, so I thought why not make it spicy with some Cajun flavors! It's loaded with grilled peppers and onions, Andouille, smoky bacon, creamy slow-roasted tomatoes, and extra-spicy blackened shrimp on top. We garnished our bowls with a bunch of fresh parsley and chives, along with some crumbled bleu cheese for some balance. This dish is wonderfully smoky and spicy, which is what we want and crave when we eat Cajun style food. But, it's also delightfully creamy. It starts off by surprising you with a kick from the blackened shrimp, but soothes your taste buds with the funky bleu cheese. I also loved that it was a play on a surf & turf... and good thing is, it has a lot of it. You literally can't get a bite without a piece of protein, and that's just how my Mountain Man likes it!! Enjoy :)

For the Blackened Shrimp:

1lb Wild Georgia Shrimp, Peeled & Deveined

2t Sriracha Powder Cajun Seasoning

1t Cajun Seasoning

1t Paprika & Chili Powder

½t Fresh Cracked Pepper & Sugar

For the Spicy Cajun Carbonara:

4T Unsalted Butter

1 Red Bell Pepper & Green Bell Pepper, Cut into Strips

1 Small Red Onion, Thinly Sliced

½C Ground Andouille Sausages, Crumbled & Cooked

½C Crispy Bacon, Roughly Chopped

½C Slow Roasted Tomato Paste (I slow roasted tomatoes, and then pureed them)

½C Dry White Wine

3 Large Eggs

1 ½C Fresh Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced to a Paste

2T Fresh Parsley, Minced (plus a little extra for garnishing)

2T Fresh Chives, Minced (plus a little extra for garnishing)

2oz Bleu Cheese, Crumbled

12oz Fresh Pasta, Cooked

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Warm Blackened Shrimp, For Topping

Directions:

1. For the Blackened Cajun Shrimp:In a small bowl, mix together all of the seasonings until combined. Toss the shrimp in spice mixture until coated. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned shrimp and cook until just done and still tender (don’t overcook). Remove the shrimp from the sauté pan and set them aside on a plate until ready to serve.

2. For the Cajun Carbonara: Toss in the peppers and red onions into the same pan that you sautéed the shrimp in. Cook them over medium-high heat until they have softened and caramelized slightly (don’t cook them too much, you still want some bite). Once cooked, remove them to a bowl and set them aside. Add ground Andouille sausage and bacon, and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Strain the bacon and sausage from their fat onto a separate plate. Add wine and simmer until alcohol aroma has cooked off and wine is slightly reduced, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Beat together the eggs, Parmesan, slow roasted tomato puree, and garlic together with fork in small bowl; set aside. Transfer hot, cooked pasta to the pot (removed from heat); if pasta is dry, add some reserved cooking water and toss to moisten. Immediately pour tomato-egg mixture over hot pasta, toss well to combine. Toss the chives, parsley, and crumbled sausage and bacon into the egg-coated pasta. Season generously with black pepper, and toss well to combine. Lastly garnish with some more parsley, chives, and crumbled bleu cheese. Top the pasta with the blackened shrimp.

3. Enjoy immediately while it's still warm!

Cajun Bacon Mac

So over my spring break, I had a bunch of people stay at my apartment. We ended up doing a couple cook outs because getting into restaurants around Savannah during St. Patty's Day is just crazy. So one of the recipes that I made is my Cajun Bacon Mac. It's one of everyone's favorite recipes of mine. It's spicy, smoky, and creamy, but it's still really comforting like any mac n' cheese would be. My favorite part of the CBM is actually the topping. I decided to crush up some goldfish and mix it with some panko for a super-crispy crust. If you are not a fan of spicy food, then you can always tone it down some. But actually for this recipe I did a lot less spice because normally we like it to kick us in the ass. So, feel free to tinker with the recipe a bit. Cajun Bacon Mac goes great with BBQ & Burgers. Enjoy :)

Cajun Bacon Mac

For the Mac n’ Cheese:

1 16oz Box of Pasta Noodles

3T Butter

10 Strips of Bacon, Chopped

¼C Flour

1t Salt

½t Dry Mustard

¼t Pepper

2 ½C Milk

1 ½C + ½C Cheddar, Shredded

½lb Velveeta, Cut into Cubes

1C Smoked Gouda, Shredded

2T Hot Sauce

2T Cajun Seasoning

2t Paprika

1C Goldfish, Crushed

1C Panko

¼C Parmesan

1t Cajun Seasoning

2T Butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.
3. In large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, mustard and pepper until smooth; take off heat. Also, in a separate pan, cook the cubed bacon until crispy, drain from the fat and set aside.
4. Little by little, stir in milk until smooth. Stir constantly for 10 minutes on heat until thick; take off heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, Velveeta cheese and Smoked Gouda cheese until melted. Next stir in Cajun seasoning, paprika, and cooked bacon.
5. Put cooked macaroni in a greased casserole dish, pour cheese & bacon mixture over and mix well. Sprinkle over the ½C of cheddar, then top with the crushed goldfish, panko, parmesan, and Cajun seasoning. Cut the 2T of butter into little cubes and sprinkle them on top of the crust, so that it will brown nicely.
6. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes. 
7. Serve immediately.

source: smokehouse macaroni and cheese

*Check out the Pasta Link Party for this recipe, as well as many other wonderful recipes!

Jalapeno Popper Bombs

Okay, so for my second recipe, I decided to make some Jalapeno Popper Bombs. They are practically my Loaded Jalapeno Poppers, rolled into a ball, and deep-fried. I mean how can you turn that down? You can't. They are crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside. And they are very similar to what a fried jalapeno popper would taste like, but kicked up a notch! Hope you enjoy :)

Jalapeno Popper Bombs

For the Bombs:
5 Jalapenos, Roasted & Chopped

1 Block Cream Cheese, Softened

½C Rotel Tomatoes, Drained

½C Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

½C Spicy Ground Sausage, Cooked

4 Slices Bacon, Crumbled

1Q Peanut Oil

1T Paprika

1T Chili Powder

1T Cajun Seasoning

1T Salt

2 Eggs

¼C Buttermilk

1T Hot Sauce

2C Panko Bread Crumbs

Salt, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together the roasted peppers, cream cheese, rotel tomatoes, mozzarella, bacon and ground sausage. Roll this mixture into balls and refrigerate until hard, or about 30 minutes.

2. Heat your deep fryer to 375 with the peanut oil.  Next you have to set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins for all of my stations. For the first station, I mix the flour & the seasonings. For the second station, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce. For the third station, pour 2 cups of Panko breadcrumbs.

3. Get the balls from the refrigerator and roll them in the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally bread them with the Panko.

4. Drop them into the hot oil and fry them for 5 minutes or until golden brown, making sure that no cheese is oozing out. Drain them on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt immediately. Your Jalapeno Popper balls have officially become Jalapeno Popper Bombs (so deadly).

5. Serve immediately, but watch out because they're hot!