4 Louisiana Recipes with Classic Ingredients

Louisiana’s food is complex and deeply flavored. On its surface we have gumbo, meat pies and jambalaya. But in tiny corners, there is the food that comes to us from those pockets of people, sometimes immigrants or descendants of immigrants. Sometimes we know of the food, but not its origins. And sometimes things are hidden in plain sight, and we must rediscover them. But like all Louisiana food, we always hold it to the same high standard: It has to taste good.

The former settlement of St. Malo, located in St. Bernard Parish, was the home to Filipino settlers and their descendants, who had jumped ship from Spanish galleons when those ships stopped in Louisiana. Destroyed by a storm, the settlement is hidden from sight today. The settlers developed the industry of dried shrimp in South Louisiana, based on culinary practices long in place in the Philippines. If you use dried shrimp in a Creole Italian tomato sauce instead of the more traditional anchovies, you have a secret ingredient that enriches the flavor of the sauce thanks to those early Filipino settlers.

There are other delicious secrets in Louisiana. Some things like absinthe were forced to be hidden for a time by law. Today it is no longer banned, but it is still not found everywhere. The mystery and slightly illegal vibe of absinthe makes it appealing to many.

There are secrets in our cooking. For some the ingredients themselves are secret. For others the secret is an unknown ingredient, like Antoine’s Restaurant’s secret ingredient in oysters Rockefeller. They keep it secret by never disclosing the recipe, leading to endless speculation and suggested ingredients and myriad recipes developed by non-Antoine’s chefs and cooks.

Did you know that there is a mystery about the mirliton? It is called chayote in most places. But it is only in Louisiana and in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) where the fruit is known as mirliton. We cannot establish which place is its origin. We don’t know where it was named. That is a secret that may never be resolved. But this conundrum does nothing to take away from the deliciousness of that fruit. 

Okra Chips

3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning to taste
1 pound small fresh okra, cut lengthwise
2 tablespoons oil (for coating)
Oil for frying

1. For an air fryer: Combine cornstarch and seasoning in a bowl. Toss the cut okra first into the cornstarch mixture, then into the oil then back into the cornstarch mixture. Coat evenly.

2. Arrange the okra in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook at 400°F for 18 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

3. For regular frying: Pour about 3 inches of oil into a heavy pot and heat to 350°F. Combine cornstarch and seasoning in a bowl. Toss the cut okra first into the cornstarch mixture, then into the oil, then back into the cornstarch mixture. Coat evenly.

4. Fry the okra in small batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Cook until the pieces float and are golden brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Serve with your favorite dip. Do not crowd. Serves 4 to 6

Quick Pickled Mirliton

A small mirliton will fill one ½ pint jar, so you can calculate how much brine to make and how many jars you need using that measure if you have more mirlitons.

1 cup water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon whole coriander
1 tablespoon coarsely cracked pepper
1 bay leaf, cut into 2
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 mirliton, pitted and sliced long and thin

1. Place all of the ingredients except the mirliton into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for one minute. Add the sliced mirliton and bring back to a boil. As soon as the liquid returns to a boil, remove from heat.

2. Pack each jar with about 1 mirliton and use a spoon to put some of the spices in each jar making sure to put one clove of the garlic and a piece of bay leaf in each jar. Cap the jars and store in refrigerator.

Death in the Afternoon

This was a favorite drink of Ernest Hemingway, who recommended many glasses of the drink each day. It is very potent, so be careful to sip the drink. You can think of Hemingway while you drink it, but I don’t recommend that you take his drinking advice.

1 ounce absinthe
4 ounces champagne, chilled
½ ounce lemon simple syrup

1. Make sure that all of the ingredients are cold before mixing and the champagne coupes are chilled.

2. Add the absinthe to the glass. Add the champagne, Add the lemon simple syrup. Swirl slightly before drinking. Makes 1 drink

Dried Shrimp Tomato Sauce

No matter how you serve this sauce, people will be intrigued and love its flavor. Instead of the traditional anchovies, this version uses dried shrimp powder to add the underlying umami punch usually brought to the dish by anchovies. You can keep that a secret.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ ounces dried shrimp, ground
2 large onions, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced – or sliced thinly with a razor blade
1 stalk celery, minced
2 carrots, grated
1 small can tomato paste
5 pounds tomatoes, put through a food mill or 3 large cans crushed Italian tomatoes
1 cup red wine
2 bay leaves, whole
2 tablespoons dried oregano or Italian seasoning blend
Juice and zest of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
15 fresh leaves of basil, chopped
Parmigiano Reggiano for serving at the table

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Slowly sauté the ground shrimp until it dissolves. Add onions and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and celery, and cook for for 5 more minutes. Add carrots and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes, stirring as needed. Do not let the vegetables stick.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine and bay leaves, stirring to combine. Cover and simmer for at least 1 hour.

3. Uncover the pot and continue simmering for about 1 hour, allowing the sauce to thicken. If it becomes too thick, add a bit more wine. Stir. Add oregano, zest and lemon juice, and cook for 15 minutes more. Serve over spaghetti with a sprinkle of the chopped basil. Grate Parmigiano Reggiano over the whole dish with more cheese on the table. Serves 6 to 8