As Hurricane Andrew neared the end of its mission of destruction last August, it took a swipe at Louisiana`s Avery Island, south of Lafayette and west of New Orleans on the Gulf Coast. Luckily for aficionados of good eating, the island withstood the blow, as did its only factory, the pepper-perfumed plant where Tabasco sauce is made.
For about a century and a half, Tabasco has represented one of the most effective ways to cure the curse of blandness in food. Remarkably pure and flavorful, it is made from a mash that contains only red peppers, salt and water and is aged, like wine, in small wooden barrels. It can be applied either by a diner, who uses it as a condiment at table, or a cook, who may employ it as a ”secret” ingredient in the kitchen. So potent is its magic that the addition of even a couple of drops enlivens a dish.
Tabasco is made in the heart of Cajun country, but neither the sauce nor much of the home cooking of the region is mindlessly incendiary. Hot pepper provides an accent, but the taste of the famous ”holy trinity” of vegetables-onion, celery and bell pepper-that forms the base of many soups, stews and stuffings comes through when a dish is made properly. Cajuns respect the mild but memorable flavors of fish, shellfish and poultry too much to bury them under a blanket of pepper.
As a practitioner of the calmer side of Cajun cooking, I present Eula Mae Dore. Proprietor of the Tabasco Deli on Avery Island until her retirement a couple of years ago, she uses the local hot sauce in everything she makes except dessert. But with balancing flavors in mind (and perhaps because she knows a bottle of hot sauce can be found on every dining table on the island), she uses it with discretion, as the two savory recipes that follow illustrate. Dore is really only semiretired. She still caters meals for members of the McIlhenny family, owners of Tabasco, and their guests. Here are three of her trademark dishes I tasted during a visit to Avery Island last year.
Incidently, the McIlhenny Co., which also markets a very good Bloody Mary mix and chili, has expanded its line with a number of ”McIlhenny Farms”
products. Among them are a superb Tabasco-spiced mayonnaise and hot and sweet pickles. For a catalogue, or to order, write the Tabasco Country Store, Avery Island, La. 70513 or call 1-800-634-9599.
EULA MAE DORE`S JAMBALAYA
Six to eight servings
1 chicken (3 pounds)
2 tablespoons chicken fat or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 pound cooked ham, cut into cubes
2 large onions, chopped
1 medium green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped celery
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 can (16 ounces) whole, peeled tomatoes with juice
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce, Tabasco preferred
2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
1. The day before or the morning of making the jambalaya, cut up the chicken. Remove skin and bones and cube the meat. Refrigerate the meat. Place the skin and bones in a pan with water to cover. Bring to a boil, skim scum from surface, lower heat, partially cover pan and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Strain broth. Discard skin and bones, return broth to a clean pan and boil to reduce to 3 cups. Cool and refrigerate until needed. (Note: Add sliced onion and carrot and a bay leaf, if desired, when making the broth.)
2. Spray bottom and sides of a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven with non-stick vegetable spray. Add 2 tablespoons chicken fat skimmed from the broth or vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. Combine salt and black and cayenne peppers and sprinkle over cubed chicken. Add to the pot and cook until browned on all sides. Remove chicken to a bowl.
3. Add cubed ham and saute until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer ham to bowl with chicken.
4. Add onion, green pepper, celery and garlic to the pot and saute until softened and lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Scrape brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Return chicken and ham, lower heat, cover and cook on low for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Drain tomatoes, reserving juice. Add chicken broth and tomato juice to the pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour. Use a spoon to mash softened cloves of garlic.
6. Chop tomatoes and add to the pot along with parsley, shrimp and hot-pepper sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.
7. Rinse rice, drain and add to the pot. Lower heat, cover the pot and cook-stirring every 5 minutes-until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve in soup plates or bowls.
EULA MAE`S POTATO SALAD
18 servings
5 pounds medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 tablespoon salt
1 dozen eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce, Tabasco preferred
2 sweet pickles, chopped fine
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1. Fill a 3-quart saucepan two-thirds full of cold water and bring to a boil. Add salt and potatoes. Cook over medium heat for 7 minutes, then add the eggs. Continue cooking until eggs are firm and potatoes are tender, about 10 additional minutes.
2. Remove eggs and drain potoatoes. Peel eggs and separate yolks and whites. In a large bowl, mash yolks and stir in oil and vinegar. Add mayonnaise, cayenne pepper and hot sauce.
3. Dice the potatoes and add to the mayonnaise mixture along with the pickles, celery and bell pepper. Cut egg whites into small pieces and add to the salad. Stir to mix. Refrigerate until 15 minutes before serving.
EULA MAE`S PECAN TARTS
Four dozen
Cream-cheese pastry (recipe follows)
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups (about) finely chopped pecans
1. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry, half at a time, to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into 2 1/4-inch rounds. Press evenly into bottom and sides of 1 3/4-by-1-inch muffin cups. Refrigerate.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla until well blended. Spoon about 2 teaspoons pecans into each pastry-lined cup. Spoon about 2 teaspoons corn-syrup mixture over pecans.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean and tarts are lightly browned. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Store in a tightly covered container. CREAM-CHEESE PASTRY
1 3/4 cups unsifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat together butter, cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Press dough firmly into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
