ROUSES_JulyAug2019_Magazine

Aaron Gravois & Tuyet Vo, a first-generation Vietnamese American from Houma

by David W. Brown Tech Support This month’s tasty cover image is a Vietnamese-Cajun crab dish prepared by Marc Ardoin, the corporate chef of Rouses Markets. The idea came from Aaron Gravois, our director of software development, and is our easy-to-make take on his sister-in-law’s recipe. “I grew up with all the traditional food from around here,” says Gravois, who is from Vacherie. He counts off the usual — red beans and rice, gumbo, jambalaya — and adds: “Then I learned 20, 30 minutes away, there’s a whole other culture that eats much different food — food that I had never even heard of.” He was introduced to this food by his wife, Tuyet Vo, who is a first-generation Vietnamese American from Houma. According to the University of Louisiana Center for Louisiana Studies, after the United States’ withdrawal from Vietnam and the subsequent fall of Saigon in 1975, Catholic Charities in Louisiana took a leading role in resettling Vietnamese refugees in the state. Houma was one of the cities where sponsors and housing could be found. Today it has a small but vibrant Vietnamese community. “I just dove right into the food,” says Gravois. “It was definitely a culture shock, but there are a lot of similarities. Cajuns

eat rice with every single meal. So do the Vietnamese! Both styles of cooking use fresh seafood, and have lots of flavor.” As for the differences: “Their food is a lot lighter than Cajun food, that’s for sure.” Gravois and his wife have been married for over five years now. He says he has been spoiled by the meals he has enjoyed. Vietnamese home cooking uses fresh ingredients. A vegetable is usually served on the side — sautéed Chinese broccoli, for example. Things like lemongrass chicken are a common home dish. It’s a simple sauté with garlic and oil. The chicken is cut and sautéed, lemongrass is added with fish sauce, and the whole thing is served with rice. “It’s delicious,” he says. “When I first had that a couple of years ago, I thought: Oh man, what have I been missing my whole life?” His wife’s parents are from Vietnam — “My mother-in-law is an amazing cook,” he says — and he has enjoyed watching his three children grow up with such an extraordinary culture. “Their favorite food is curry!” he says. “It’s pretty cool to see that, and a lot of fun.”

Viet-Cajun Seafood Butter

(Enough for 5 lbs of crabs)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 pound (4 sticks) butter 1 (3-inch) piece lemongrass, chopped fine 10 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped 11/2 teaspoons kosher salt 3 tablespoons lime juice 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped for garnish HOW TO PREP: Melt cup butter (1 stick) in a stainless steel saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the lemongrass and sauté until very soft. Add the remaining butter, garlic, ginger, seasonings and salt , and sauté over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant and translucent. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice. Toss boiled crabs with the butter sauce and garnish with cilantro. 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

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