Rouses_May-June-2018

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Cajun Ninja’s Shrimp & Grits WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR SHRIMP STOCK 8 cups of water Shells from 3-4 pounds of shrimp 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 bay leaves 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 stalk of celery, chopped Bottom half, bunch of green onions FOR GRITS** Shrimp stock • Whole milk • Grits • Butter • Pepper • Shredded cheddar cheese **Amounts and times will vary. Follow package directions. HOW TO PREP Chop ½ yellow onion, one stalk of the celery, the bottom half of the green onions and the bell pepper into large pieces. Set aside. Next, peel and devein the shrimp, saving the shells in a bowl off to the side. Peel 8-12 shrimp, leaving the tip of the tail as a garnish. In a large pot add 8 cups of water, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, salt, bay leaves and vegetables listed for the stock. Stir, then add the shrimp shells. Bring the water to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, cover, lower to simmer, and cook for 1 hour. While the stock is simmering, chop the other ½ yellow onion, celery, top half of green onions and garlic. Save a small amount of green onion for garnish. Move to the fridge. Next, cut up 2/3 pound of sausage into ¼-inch pieces; cut the remaining 1/3 into half- moon pieces. Set aside. Now heat a sauté pan over medium to medium/low heat. Once hot, add ½ stick of butter. After the butter has melted, drop in the cut-up smoked sausage. When fully seared, remove from pan and set aside. At this point, the shrimp stock should be ready. Drain the stock through a sifter into another pot or large metal bowl. Discard solid remains from stock. Set stock aside. Next, add vegetables listed for the sauce (1 yellow onion, chopped; 1 stalk celery, chopped; 2 cloves of garlic; top half of bunch of green onions) to the sauté pan, stir- ring frequently to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Once you’ve scraped everything up from the bottom of the pan, add the all-purpose flour. Be careful with your heat at this point so as not to scorch the flour or cause the sauce to separate. After blend- ing in the flour, drop in another 1 stick of butter. Stir continuously until the color becomes light caramel, around 30 minutes or more. Return sausage to the pan, and 2 cups of the shrimp stock. Once the stock is blended in, add another 2 cups of stock; bring to a slight boil, then cover, lower to simmer, and cook for 1 hour. After around 30-40 minutes, start making the grits. (Follow package directions.) Use leftover shrimp stock and milk in the amount of liquid needed according to package directions. Season to taste with butter, pepper and cheese. After the sauce has cooked for 1 hour, add peeled raw shrimp. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add a small amount of butter. Season your leftover shrimp with some blackening seasoning or Cajun seasoning. Drop the shrimp into the sauté pan and cook for a couple minutes on each side. Place a serving of grits on a plate. Top with a portion of shrimp sauce, a few of the shrimp reserved for garnish, and the green onions reserved for garnish. FOR SAUCE 1 stick of butter 1 pound smoked sausage, chopped 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 stalk of celery, chopped 2 cloves of garlic Top half of a bunch of green onions* 1 cup of all-purpose flour 4 cups of shrimp stock 3-4 pounds of peeled shrimp *Save some green onions for garnish

Cajun Ninja’s Chicken Sauce Piquant WHAT YOU WILL NEED 4-5 pounds of chicken thighs, legs and wings 1 yellow onion 1 green bell pepper 2 stalks of celery 4 cloves of garlic Garlic salt and pepper (to season chicken) 3 cup vegetable oil 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 (6-ounce) can of tomato paste 1 (141-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1 (10-ounce) can mild Ro-Tel diced tomatoes 2 (15-ounce) cans of tomato sauce 1 (32-ounce) container chicken stock 2 tablespoons of sugar 1 tablespoon of parsley flakes 1 tablespoon of Cajun or Creole seasoning 2 cups of water HOW TO PREP Heat both a large pot and a large pan over medium/low heat. Chop the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic, and set aside in the fridge. Season the chicken with generous portions of garlic salt and black pepper. Next, dust chicken with a light coat of flour. Set aside. In the large pan , add a thin layer of vegetable oil. When the vegetable oil is hot, drop in the chicken one piece at a time. Sear each piece of chicken until you feel you can easily flip them. If a piece feels stuck to the pan, continue to sear until it flips easily. Once a piece has been seared on both sides, remove piece from the pan and set aside in a bowl. While the chicken is searing, start the roux. To the large pot , add the 3 cup of oil and 1 cup all-purpose flour. Stir continuously until the mixture becomes a peanut butter color. During this time, keep an eye on your chicken. Try to manage time between pot and pan evenly, to prevent burning. After all chicken pieces are seared and set aside, add chopped vegetables to the large pan. Stir the vegetables. Meanwhile, continue to stir the roux. After about 5 minutes of sautéing the vegetables, add the tomato paste. Sauté for another 10 minutes. Add the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, can of mild Ro-Tel, 2 cans of tomato sauce, container of chicken stock, sugar, parsley and Cajun seasoning. Stir well. (At this point, your roux should be a peanut butter color.) Slowly add the tomato mixture to the roux. Stir well to blend the mixture evenly. Next, add the 2 cups of water and stir. Add the chicken to the pot, and push each piece down into the sauce. Bring to a slight boil, cover, and let simmer for 2 hours. Serve with rice.

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