The Culinary Architect: Clam dishes make dinner special

Alexandra Troy

Mardi Gras takes place on Shrove Tuesday.

This year it is Tuesday, Feb. 28 and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and style in New Orleans.

Why not celebrate this wonderful tradition with Hurricanes, a potent combination of alcohols, and Jambalaya right here on Long Island?

Jambalaya, which according to the famous New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme is “pronounced djum-buh-lie-ya, comes from the French “jambon” meaning ham, the African “ya” meaning rice and the Acadian (langugage) where everything is “a la.”

This rice dish is highly seasoned and strongly flavored with any combination of beef, pork, fowl, smoked sausage, ham (or tasso) or seafood and often contains tomatoes.

Round out your celebration with an appetizer of Cajun meatballs and finish your meal off with the traditional Kings Cake, sold in many bakeries during Mardi Gras.

Decorate with the traditional colors of purple, green and gold.

Whatever you do for Mardi Gras, just let the good times roll.

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(Serves 12)

Hurricanes

Cajun Meatballs

Jambalaya

Kings Cake*

*Recipe Not Given

Hurricanes

1 part dark rum

1 part light rum

1 part lemon juice

1/2 part over-proofed rum

1/2 part passion fruit syrup

Orange slices (optional)

1. Fill a pitcher or cocktail shaker with ice.  

Add all of the ingredients.  

(Multiply according to your crowd.)

2.  Shake or stir.

3.  Fill glasses with ice.  

Pour Hurricanes over ice and serve.

4.  Garnish with orange slice, if desired.

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Cajun Meatballs

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 1/2 tsps. hot pepper sauce

1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tblsp dried parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped

onion

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 cup barbeque sauce

1/2 cup peach preserves

2 tblsp Cajun Seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Lightly grease a medium baking sheet.

2. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, hot pepper sauce and Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire Sauce, parsley, onion, bread crumbs, milk and egg or substitute frozen cocktail meatballs, if you are pressed for time.

3. Form the mixture into golf ball sized meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.  

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until there is no pink left in the middle.

4. In a small bowl, combine the barbeque sauce, peach preserves and Cajun seasoning.

5. When meatballs are done, place in a serving dish and cover with the barbeque sauce mixture.  

Toss to coat. 

Serve with toothpicks.

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Jambalaya

1 lb. Keilbasa, cut on the

diagonal

1 cup  finely chopped

onions

3/4 cup  finely chopped

celery

1 cup  chopped sweet

red peppers

6 chicken thighs with

skin on

2 large boneless chicken

breasts, cut into pieces

3 bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh thyme or

1 teaspoon dried

1 can (35 oz.) crushed

tomatoes

1 cup finely chopped parsley

Salt to taste, if desired

Freshly ground pepper,

to taste

Tabasco sauce to taste

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup water

1 1 /2 cups rice (I use

Jasmine rice)

1. Using a large kettle or Dutch oven, cook the Kielbasa, stirring often, until rendered of fat, approximately 8 minutes.  

Add the onions.  

Cook, stirring often until wilted and add the celery and red peppers. 

Stir and continue cooking.

2. Add the chicken thighs.  

Add the bay leaves, thyme, tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce.  

Continue cooking.  

Saute until thighs are golden, add the chicken tenderloins.

3. Add chicken stock and water.  

Cook, stirring once or twice from the bottom, about 10 minutes.

4.  Add the rice and stir gently.  

Cover and cook about 15 minutes.  

If necessary, add a little more stock and water to prevent sticking and to keep the Jambalaya from becoming too dry. 

(Be sure not to let the rice stick to the bottom of the pot.) 

Cook 30 more minutes or until rice is cooked.

5.  Ladle into individual soup plates.

6.  Serve with a bottle of Tabasco sauce on the side.

Alexandra Troy is owner of Culinary Architect Catering, a 32 year-old Greenvale-based company, specializing in private, corporate and promotional parties.  She lives in Manhasset with her husband and son.

 

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