Memories of Cajun Christmas

This year instead of our traditional Christmas fare, I decided to cook cajun cuisine for our friends holiday dinner.  I made okra, jambalaya, dirty rice, and hush puppies.  All of these things can be made at home with little effort and result in a lot of flavor.

I started with mixes that my father brought me as souvenirs from his trip to New Orleans.  You can find many of these packets in your regular supermarket or in specialty food stores.

OKRA

There are a number of ways to make okra.  Since we were eating a lot of heavy food, I decided to bake the okra.  I defrosted a package of frozen okra and tapped it dry with a paper towl (okra can be suuuuuper slimy).  I separated the okra into two piles- one for the side dish, the other for the jambalaya.  I placed the okra on a lightly greased pan and placed the pan into a 400 degree oven until lightly crispy/browned.

JAMBALAYA

Start by sauteeing onions until they are soft and shiny.  Add chopped up bacon (chopped into small pieces; this can be made easier by freezing the slices first).  Then add the chopped meat.  I highly suggest mixing meats- pork/veal/beef.  If you can only use one, use beef.  Beef is the central ingredient so get good beef!  Take a pre-cooked chicken and shred it.  There is no reason to cook the chicken yourself.  Follow instructions on the package as to the seasoning mix and stock increments.  Other things you can add- grilled or boiled shrimp, okra, corn kernels.  If you feel like being Martha Stewart, you can take the leftover chicken carcass from the shredding and make your stock from scratch.  I did and it worked out well but I only did half homemade stock and half purchased.

HUSH PUPPIES

I followed the instructions to the letter, but I left them in a bit longer.  They taste really good with a little extra browning- it gives it a real nutty flavor.  These are kind of like corn bread but crunchy on the outside, light on the inside.  It's a sweet/salty combo to die for when you add homemade honey butter.  Just mix equal parts honey and butter.  That's it.  For a variation, you can add jam to taste and make a fruit honey butter.  I tried it with apricot jam.

DIRTY RICE

Begin by sauteeing some chopped onions.  Add chopped bacon if you wish.  Then brown the meat and follow the instructions on the package.  Make sure to drain any excess grease (not all of it, but the extra) before adding the seasoning or it will be too runny.

Add some cajun or zydeco music and eat away!