ROUSES_MayJun2019_Magazine-Print

HOW TO PREPARE Wash the okra under cool water. Cut off the stems and slice each pod crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds. In a heavy saucepan or Magnalite cookware, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the okra, onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic until the okra is no longer stringy, about 30 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves and seasonings. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for an hour. Serve immediately. MACQUE CHOUX Makes 8 servings

WHAT YOU WILL NEED 8 ears of fresh corn, shucked 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper HOW TO PREPARE

2 cups chicken stock 1 pounds fresh or frozen unthawed green beans, trimmed 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3/4 pound) HOW TO PREPARE Fry the bacon in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until slightly crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Add the flour to the fat in the pan and stir constantly for 5 to 8 minutes, making a medium-brown roux the color of peanut butter. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the salt, cayenne, black pepper and water. Stir until the mixture is smooth and thick. Add the beans and cubed potato. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pototoes are tender enough to be pierced easily with a fork. Uncover and cook for about 3 minutes. SMOTHERED OKRA Makes 10 servings WHAT YOU WILL NEED 1 /3 cup vegetable oil 2 pounds fresh or frozen unthawed okra

Shuck the corn. Remove the kernels and set them aside. (To cut down on cleanup and keep things contained, try shucking inside a plastic or paper bag.) Cut the corn cobs in half, place them in a pot, and barely cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer to make a corn stock; let simmer about 1 hour. Strain and discard solids. In a separate pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the corn, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Add the corn stock, half of the green onion, half of the parsley and the heavy cream, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid has reduced and slightly thickened. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve garnished with the remaining green onions and parsley. Alex Patout’s family roots run deep in New Iberia. His family first settled in the area in 1828. Patout opened his first restaurant in the very late ’70s — his signature dish there was fresh redfish in a lemon butter sauce with lump crabmeat. By the early ’80s, he was drawing national attention, thanks in part to another chef famous for redfish, Paul Prudhomme, who sent national food writers to eat at Patout’s. “In one week we had Ruth Reichl, restaurant critic for The New York Times , Patricia Unterman of the San Francisco Chronicle and the critic from The Washington Post . Chef Paul really put me on the map,” Patout says. In 1984, Patout was named one of the Ten Top New Chefs in the country by Food & Wine magazine (the same year as Emeril Lagasse).

2 cups chopped onions 1 cup chopped celery

cup chopped bell pepper 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped 3 cups chopped, peeled and seeded fresh tomatoes 5 bay leaves 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon dried thyme

32 MAY•JUNE 2019