Cajun & Creole

Andouille, the heavily spiced and smoked sausage that is a linchpin of so many Cajun dishes, adds its inimitable heat to an able stuffing stand-in. A swirl of cream gravy (above) can help quell the spice.

This dish is a true Southern delight, our riff on Louisiana-style spicy shrimp combined with cheesy grits just the way we make ’em at The Lady & Sons. It’s amazing how easy this is to whip up. Make it for your family, and they’ll swear you spent all day tied to the stove.

If you’ve been to Savannah, or if you live here (hey, neighbor!), then you know that we’re one shrimp-crazy city. We like shrimp so well we are happy just boiling them up and eating them out of their shells. But every once in a while, we do something a little more substantial for dinner, like this Cajun-flavored dish, which goes great with our colorful Broccoli and Red Pepper Salad (page 109).

I love the taste of buttery corn bread and the texture of the filling and the topping. This is a great dish to eat with soup spoons. For an attractive presentation, spoon generous portions into pretty rimmed soup bowls, or bake in individual casserole dishes or crocks. To save time, make the Creole Filling a day ahead (see Note).

Shrimp and andouille sausage give these pot pies a Cajun flair. To keep the pastry crisp, the dough is baked separately from the filling.

Bananas Foster—the New Orleans favorite—in bread-pudding form. The caramel sauce is especially rich and flavorful, thanks to a splash of dark rum.

Much of gumbo's complex richness comes from the very dark roux (a cooked mixture of flour and, in this case, oil) that thickens the soup. The longer the roux cooks, the darker and more flavorful it—and the finished dish—will become. This recipe calls for cooking the roux for about 15 minutes, but for an even stronger flavor, it can be cooked for up to 30 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Filé powder, an iconic ingredient in Cajun and Creole cooking, is made from ground sassafras leaves. It's available in the baking aisle of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores. It should be added to each individual portion just before serving, or the gumbo will become stringy.

"It's time for a little history lesson. Listen well. Some say that the word jambalaya came from the French word jambon for ham, the African ya meaning rice, and the Acadian phrase à la. And you must understand that there are brown jambalaya's, made by caramelizing and browning the onions and meats, and red ones, made by adding tomatoes. There are as many recipes for jambalaya as there are for gumbos in Louisiana. Personally, I like a bit of tomatoes in mine; I think it gives it a nice flavor. But I'll let you taste, and then you can make up your own mind," Eula Mae says. Jambalaya is also one of those popular Louisiana dishes that are very apropros for dining on the water. It's a one-pot meal, but you can serve it with a nice green salad and French bread. When you're browning the chicken and ham, scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. That gives the jambalaya a good flavor.

Editor's note: Oysters Bienville is usually served as an appetizer. Created at Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans, it is also found on many menus throughout the city and there are several versions. This one by the late Leon E. Soniat, Jr., is easy to prepare and quite authentic.

Up until the late 1950s, crawfish was eaten only by the fishermen who caught the crustaceans in the Atchafalaya Basin. Now, crawfish is king and is much sought after by both visitors and locals alike. This étouffée is a classic Cajun-style dish.

Here is a Cajun-style gumbo, a one-pot dish made with chicken and andouille from the farm, with the addition of salty oysters from the bays along the Gulf of Mexico. It is usually served with baked sweet potatoes or potato salad.

For this spiced coffee with brandy and orange, we ignite the spice- and citrus-infused spirits in the saucepan, add the coffee, and serve the glowing drink in demitasse cups. It’s a less risky—but equally astounding—spectacle.

Pronounced "mock shoe," this Louisiana staple (which is like a succotash) is a Cajun take on a Native American dish.

Sparkling cider, rather than sugar, gives our batter its touch of sweetness. The cider also ramps up the apple flavor and adds to the beignets' lovely golden hue.

Food lovers on America's coasts have long known that crab cakes make wonderful sandwiches. Here, tender lumps of sweet crab are seasoned (in the manner of traditional Louisiana deviled crabs) and lightly bound with egg and bread crumbs, then panfried until the cakes have a golden crust. A thin layer of tangy tartar sauce and crisp lettuce is all the accompaniment they need.

Catfish stays tender and moist when baked in a crunchy crust of bread crumbs and cornmeal. A take on traditional New Orleans rémoulade adds a piquant punch.

If you haven't had maque choux — corn and tomatoes stewed together — you're really in for a treat. In this favorite Cajun dish, the corn gains a lush, savory sauciness, while the tomato benefits from the kernels' gentle chew. Here, okra is added and cooked just until tender, bringing its own unique texture to the mix.