MARDI GRAS IS ALMOST HERE,
BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE
THE TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS TO
ENJOY LEGENDARY CREOLE AND
CAJUN FLAVORS.
MICHAEL IS HERE TO SHOW US A
RECIPE THAT YOU CAN WHIP UP IN
YOUR OWN KITCHEN.
IT'S NOT SCARY.
WE CAN DO IT.
RIGHT?
OKAY.
GOOD MORNING.
THANKS FOR COMING OUT.
NO PROBLEM.
I CANNOT DESCRIBE THE SMELL.
IT'S DELICIOUS, AMAZING, THE
AROMA, YOU CAN SMELL THE SPICE.
YOU CAN ALMOST TASTE IT.
WHAT'S COOKING IN HERE?
THIS IS FROM THE GRAND LUX
CAFE.
THIS IS OUR CAJUN SHRIMP AND
KITCHEN JAMBALAYA, SO WE START
OFF WITH CHICKEN TENDERS THAT
WE DICE UP, JUMBO SHRIMP,
FLOWER AND CAJUN SPICE.
YOU CAN MAKE THIS CAJUN SPICE
OR BUY IT AT LOCAL MARKETS.
WE MAKE OURS.
WHAT DO YOU NEED IN A CAJUN
SPICE?
WE LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF
CAYENNE, SOME SPICE, SOME
PAPRIKA, AND THEN WHATEVER YOU
WANT, BASIL, WHATEVER.
SO WE'LL GET THAT COOKING, GET
YOUR PAN NICE AND HOT.
YOU WANT TO GET A GOOD SEAR ON
IT, GET A GOOD CARAMELIZATION
ON THE CHICKEN, GET THAT COLOR
GOING, BRING OUT ALL OF THE
FLAVOR FROM THAT CAJUN SPICE.
ON OUR MENU, WE'RE AN
INTERNATIONALLY DESIGNED MENU,
WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT
ITEMS THAT AS FAR AS A
JAMBALAYA, WE HAVE AN IN-HOUSE
BAKERY, WE'RE GOING TO TALK
ABOUT OUR NEW ORLEANS STYLES
BEIGNETS, BUT YOU COME ALSO GET
SANDWICHES, BURGERS, INDO SHEEN
CHICKEN, PRODUCTS FROM ASIA,
CARAMEL CHICKEN.
YOU'VE GOT TO GET OUT THERE
AND TRY IT.
SO AS WE'RE MAKING THIS
JAMBALAYA, THERE'S SPECIAL
INGREDIENTS THAT YOU GUYS USE.
RIGHT.
THERE'S WHAT'S CALLED PASTO.
WE WANT EVERYTHING TO BE
NICE AND FRESH.
OUR TASSO IS VERY SPECIAL.
IT HAS A LOT OF CAJUN SPICES.
DIFFERENT SURPRISES ON THE
OUTSIDE THAT GIVE US THAT HEAT.
AND IT'S A HAM?
YES, IT IS A PORK PRODUCT.
AND IT'S RUBBED DOWN WITH
THE SPICES.
YES, CURED REALLY WELL.
OH MY GOSH!
ANOUSHAH, YOU ARE MUST HAVE
GONE OUT.
JUST THE SEARING AND THAT DARK,
CRISPY COLOR IS BRINGING OUT
ALL OF THAT FLAVOR.
THAT'S GOING TO INFUSE INTO
THE SAUCE WE'RE MAKING.
SO DO YOU WANT TO GRAB SOME
PEPPERS RIGHT THERE?
YOU CAN THROW SOME PEPPERS IN
THERE.
NICE BIG HANDFUL.
PERFECT.
THEN SOME RED ONIONS.
I LIKE TO TAKE THE SEEDS OUT OF
MY PEPPERS.
IT'S COLORFUL AND VERY FESTIVE.
YOU DON'T WANT TO OVERCOOK YOUR
VEGETABLES.
MAKE SURE THEY STILL HAVE THE
CRISPNESS.
ALL RIGHT?
SO I'M GOING TO ADD THE GARLIC
ON THE SIDE.
THEN THIS RIGHT HERE, WE'RE
GOING TO ADD OUR TASTA.
YOU WANT TO ADD IT EARLY SO
THAT IT CAN WARM THROUGHOUT AND
RELEASE THAT NATURAL FLAVOR.
THAT'S REALLY, REALLY SIMPLE.
SO WHILE THIS IS COOKING, LET'S
TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DESSERTS
REALLY QUICKLY AND THEN WE'LL
COME BACK TO THAT, TO THE
BEIGNETS.
THE BEIGNETS ARE NEW ORLEANS
STYLE BEIGNETS.
WE COVER THEM WITH A TON OF
POWDERED SUGAR, AND THEN SERVE
THEM WITH A CHOCOLATE SAUCE,
RASPBERRY SAUCE.
YOU HAD ME AT CHOCOLATE
SAUCE, AND THESE CAKES ARE TO
DIE FOR.
THIS IS OUR VELVET CAKE AND
OUR SIGNATURE CHOCOLATE CAKE,
WHICH IS ENORMOUS.
IT'S GOOD FOR ABOUT FOUR PEOPLE
TO SHARE.
LET'S JUST TELL FOLKS WHAT
THEY NEED TO PUT IN.
WHILE THAT'S GOING, THEN
YOU'RE GOING TO ADD -- I USE A
CHICKEN BROTH, WHICH I INFUSED
WITH SOME OF THE CAJUN SPICE AS
WELL, FINISH IT OFF.
THEN WHAT WE LIKE TO DO IS SOME
RESTAURANTS USE A RUE, SOME
CHEFS LIKE TO USE A RUE, WHICH
IS FLOWER AND BUTTER.
WE JUST LIKE TO USE STRAIGHT
BUTTER, AND THIS IS GOING TO
ROUND OFF THE FLAVORS.
OF COURSE WE LIKE TO SEASON IT
WITH SALT AND PEPPER, AND THEN
IT'S GOING TO ROUND OFF ALL
THAT SPICE, MELLOW IT OUT AND
GIVE IT THAT NICE THICKNESS IN
THE SAUCE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING
FOR.
OH, DELICIOUS!
THEN YOU SERVE IT WITH WHITE
RICE, JUST SERVE IT ALL UP.
OR YOU CAN PUT IT OVER PASTA.
OH!
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MICHAEL.
YOU ARE QUITE WELCOME.
YOU CAN SEE A REPLAY OF THIS
INTERVIEW ON CLICK2HOUSTON.COM
UNDER THE VIDEO TAB A LITTLE