Creole cuisine, known far and wide for its
sophisticated seasonings and tantalizing richness, is
considered by epicureans to be among the most
exotic anywhere. While its origin, traditionally, is
gay, romantic New Orleans, it is a blend of the
artfully seasoned foods of France, Spain, and other
countries which had a part in molding the
colorful history of the Delta City. Creole cooking
is luxurious and spectacular and understandably
so, since it reached its perfection among people
famous for their gracious hospitality.
STUFFED TOMATOES.
JAMB ALA Y A STYLE
to prepare: 25 min. to heat: 10-15 min.
6 medium-size tomatoes
Seasoned salt
1 10-oz. can frozen condensed cream of shrimp soup
(undiluted)
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
I'i cups diced cooked shrimp
1 cup cooked rice
1 teaspoon salt
Few grains black pepper'
Vi teaspoon thyme
Pinch turmeric
2 teaspoons grated onion
6 whole cooked shrimp
1. Rinse tomatoes and cut out stem ends. Cut a slice from
top of each tomato. With a spoon, scoop out pulp and cut
into pieces. Sprinkle inside of each tomato with seasoned
salt. Set tomatoes and tomato pulp aside.
2. Heat the shrimp soup in the top of a double boiler over
simmering water until thoroughly heated, stirring fre
quently. Add 1 cup shredded cheese all at one time and
stir until cheese is melted. Spread sauce over bottom of
a lVfe-qt baking dish.
3. Mix together the tomato pulp, shrimp, cooked rice, 1
cup shredded cheese, a mixture of salt, pepper, thyme,
and turmeric, and the onion. Spoon mixture into the
tomato shells, heaping slightly. Arrange tomatoes in bak
ing dish.
4. Heat in a 375F oven 10 to 15 min. Garnish each tomato
with a whole shrimp and a sprig of parsley, g servings
Note: If desired, substitute 3 green peppers for the toma
toes. Simmer peppers for 5 min. in boiling salted water to
cover. Drain and cut peppers into halves.
REMOULADE SAUCE
to prepare: 10 min.
(allow time for chilling)
2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet pickle
1 tablespoon chopped capers
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon finely crushed chervil
1 teaspoon tarragon leaves, finely crushed
Vi teaspoon anchovy paste
1 or 2 drops Tabasco
Thoroughly blend all ingredients together. Store, covered,
in refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.
About 2 cups sauce
Note: Use Remoulade Sauce as a dip for cold cooked
shrimp. Or place cooked shrimp in a shallow bowl and
pour sauce over them. Set in refrigerator to marinate 3
to 4 hrs., turning shrimp occasionally. Serve shrimp with
sauce on crisp lettuce leaves.
Stuffed Tomatoes, Jambalaya Style, an especially attractive creation, baked and served with a cheesy s.
Family Weekly Cookbook melanie de proft. Food Editor
GUMBO FILE
to prepare: 45 min.
1
TO cook: 3 HRS.
stewing chicken, 4 to 5 lbs., ready-to-cook weight.
cut in serving-size pieces
Hot water to cover (about 8 cups)
2 teaspoons salt
1 Vi teaspoons Accent
1 small onion
3 sprigs parsley
2 3-in. pieces celery with leaves
1 bay leaf
2 or 3 peppercorns
1 pt. oysters
2 tablespoons reserved chicken fat or butter
2 medium-size onions, chopped
Vi lb. cooked ham, cut in Vi-in. pieces
Vi teaspoon salt -Vs
teaspoon black pepper
Vi teaspoon cayenne pepper
Vs teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons file powder
1. Put chicken into a heavy sauce pot or kettle. Add the
next eight ingredients, cover sauce pot and bring water
to boiling. Remove foam. Simmer, covered, Hz to 2 hrs.,
or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken from broth.
Strain broth and cool slightly. Remove fat which rises to
surface. Cool chicken slightly and remove skin. Remove
meat from bones; dice chicken and set aside.
2. Drain the oysters, reserving liquid. Pick over oysters
and remove shell particles. Set aside in refrigeratoi
3. Heat the chicken fat or butter in sauce pot ove
heat. Add the onions and ham; cook until onion L
about 5 min. Add to the sauce pot 3 cups of the ch
broth, the reserved oyster liquid, diced chicken, salt
per, cayenne pepper, and chili powder. Cover and si
about 1 hr.
4. About 10 min. before serving, add oysters to saw
and cook until edges of oysters begin to curl. Re
from heat Mix about cup liquid with the file po
Return mixture to sauce pot and blend thoroughly,
gumbo over mounds of fluffy cooked rice.
About 8 se
Note: File powder should always be added aft
gumbo has been removed from the heat If file p
is cooked, the gumbo will become stringy and unpali
CHICKEN-OKRA GUMBO
Follow recipe for Gumbo File. Omit oysters and
and file powder. Add 1 small clove garlic, crushed,
heated chicken fat with the onion and ham. Increa
to 1 Vfe teaspoons and chili powder to Vi teaspoon. A
seasonings to the sauce pot with 6 medium-size
tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped, and 1 lO-o
frozen okra, thawed and cut in ',4 -in. thick slices,
covered, over low heat about 15 min., stirring occ
ally. Decrease the chicken broth to 2 cups and .
sauce pot with the diced chicken; cover and simme
8 Family Weekly, February 21. 1960