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CAJUN

Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Chicken Big Mamou Serves 4

“Paul Prudhomme’s recipe for Chicken Big Mamou was included in his first cookbook, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen. The sauce has some of the same flavors as a Creole tomato sauce, but without the Worcestershire. It’s simmered for a really long time, which helps the to- matoes develop that deep, rich flavor. The onions and bell pepper are chopped very small, almost minced, so that af- ter they simmer, they almost dissolve into the sauce. Chef Paul used diced chicken, but I think thinly sliced chicken also makes a pretty presentation.” —Rouses Corporate Chef Marc Ardoin cup very finely chopped onions ¾ cup very finely chopped bell peppers 1 bay leaf 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoons Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Poultry Magic® 1 teaspoons minced garlic ¾ teaspoon ground red pepper (preferably cayenne) pound (1 stick) + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 cups tomato sauce 2 cups chicken stock or water ¾ cup finely chopped green onions cup finely chopped parsley leaves 1 pounds chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (or thinly sliced) Hot cooked rice (preferably converted), pasta or egg noodles HOW TO PREP Heat the olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat until hot. Add the garlic cloves and cook until well browned, about 2 minutes; remove garlic with a slotted spoon and discard. In the same oil, sauté the onions over high heat until browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell peppers, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons of the Poultry Magic®, the minced garlic and red pepper; stir well. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the tomato sauce, stirring well. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasion- ally. Stir in 1 cups of the stock; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer 40 minutes, stirring fairly often. Add the remaining cup of stock; simmer and stir until sauce reduces to 2¾cups, about 30minutesmore. Remove from heat and, if not being used immediately, allow to cool and refrigerate. Melt the remaining 1 stick of butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons Poultry Magic®, stirring well. Add the green onions, parsley, and chicken; sauté about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the reserved sauce and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Discard bay leaf and serve immediately over rice, pasta or egg noodles. WHAT YOU WILL NEED 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 large garlic cloves, peeled 1

BIG MAMOU by Sarah Baird + photo by Romney Caruso

T he first time I danced — really danced — to Cajun music was at Fred’s Lounge in Mamou. On the Saturday preceding the Courir de Mardi Gras years ago, I found myself winding through an early-morning street party towards the sound of an accordion ringing out bright and tinny from a tiny nearby bar. But this kind of pre-noon merriment isn’t just a Carnival-specific happening. Every Saturday for over 65 years, Fred’s has opened its doors at 7 a.m. for a morning full of tunes, hobble-stepping and beers, broadcast live on local radio station KVPI- FM from nearby Ville Platte. A pinprick of a town with no more than 3,500 residents, Mamou has become a touchstone for all things fiddle-and-accordion, and a destination point for visitors from around the globe. After all, it isn’t called the “Cajun Music Capital of the World” for nothing. Cajun music traditionally orbits around a triptych of fiddle, accordion and triangle, with lyrics warbled in Cajun French or, occasionally, their English translation.Themes of lost love, family and — of course — celebration are often the heartbeat of traditional ballads, and they have the unique ability to make even the deepest cynic get misty-eyed (or a complete klutz try out the floor at a dance hall). As master accordion maker and Cajun music expert Marc Savoy writes, “[Cajun music] is a people’s music that expresses…an entire cultural history. It exposes the culture’s heart and soul. It makes no difference if the songs are in a language that the rest of the world can’t understand. What they do understand and connect with is the rhythm of life this music possesses.” Stumbling out of Fred’s that day, squinting and blinking in the harsh light of the sun, the band played on as I wandered into the crowd of revelers, singing along quietly to myself: Mardi Gras, what do you bring with you? We bring only a bottle. Oh my dear, oh my dear. We bring only a bottle. And the bottle is drunk …

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