Not Like Cafe Du Monde

Tomorrow and Friday, we have our class finals, which involves a mystery basket; teams of two or three, each making a dish; and an elected head chef. That would be me. Derrick, the smart aleck, cast his written vote for Rudy, who hasn't been to class since early in European. I myself am feeling pleased, a là "You like me, you really really like me," but it also means supervising and dishes, as opposed to menu planning and cooking.

Today, with a minimum of fanfare or lecture, we cooked New Orleans style. Adam and Mario made Oysters Bingo, on the half shell with cheese and spinach sauce, then browned. The students who haven't yet developed a taste for oysters liked them this way, because they melted in to the delicious sauce. Those of us who like oysters agreed that we'd rather eat them sauce-free.

Andy and Derrick made shrimp and sausage gumbo. I know it looks pretty similar to the shrimp étoufée from yesterday, but it's completely different. The étoufée is buttery and rich, and the gumbo is more upfront and in-your-face. Though Derrick omitted the okra, following the wishes of the majority, gumbo has a funny flavor that I can only attribute to the filé powder (powdered sassafras). To me, it's a sort of dirty flavor which I find unpleasant. I do like root beer, though.

Silvia and Sarah made mashed potatoes, using (under Chef Patricio's direction) cream, butter, sour cream, and parmesan cheese. Chef made excellent chicken gravy, and some really delectable sautéed mushrooms (cremini and oyster mushrooms, cooked in butter, deglazed in brandy, and finished with cream), and we had collard greens, as well, all as an accompaniment to our FABULOUS fried chicken. Andrea and I did it, first cutting up five chickens, marinating them in buttermilk, then following that with the traditional flour/egg/spiced flour coating combination. We let the pieces sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, to firm up the coating, before frying them until the color was right (about 10 minutes). Then we finished them off in the oven for about 20 more minutes, and that chicken was good.

Meghan fried up the beignets and really, they're not that great. I think it's one of those "only in New Orleans" things, sitting within a stone's throw of the mighty Mississippi, with a mug of hot chicory coffee.