Homemade Fermented Remoulade Sauce/ Sourdough Crabcakes

I am a big fan of seafood!  Living by the coast gives me plenty of opportunity to eat seafood... if only my family shared my love of salt-water dwellers :(  Thankfully, I was able to squeeze in a meal I have been craving for quite some time:  crab cakes with fermented remoulade sauce. 

 

Since living in the New Orleans area, I have been wanting to make a homemade version of that spicy, tangy sauce that is so good on... well, everything!  Since the base is mayonnaise, you can use it to spruce up anything that you would eat with mayo- even sandwiches (especially po-boys).  Here is my version of remoulade that will have your taste buds singing:

 

 

For a truly fermented sauce, make this one day ahead of time

1 c homemade mayo (for this recipe, I used Kelly the Kitchen Kop's copycat recipe for Hellmann's)

2 T Dijon mustard

2 T ketchup

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1/2 c chopped green onion

1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

1 stalk chopped celery

2 cloves garlic, pressed

2 t Tabasco

1/4 t ground black pepper

(the original recipe called for 1 t paprika, but I left it out)

1 T whey

 

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Place in a jar and cap.  Let sit for about 8 hours on your counter, then refrigerate.  The whey will help your sauce stay fresh for longer and add probiotics for your tummy :)

 

Here's my remoulade, fermenting happily on the counter!

 

 

 

 

For the sourdough crab cakes, I tweeked a Paula Deen recipe from Food Network.  She knows her way around a southern kitchen, although some of her ingredients are less than ideal.  I have switched the bad ingredients for better ones, as well as adding a bit of homemade flavor :)

 

What you'll need for homemade, delicate crab cakes:

1 lb lump crabmeat, flaked

1/3 c sourdough bread crumbs (I processed a couple dry pieces of homemade sandwich bread)

3 finely chopped green onions
1/2 c finely chopped green pepper
1/4 c homemade mayo
1 egg
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t dry mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 t garlic powder
1 t sea salt
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 c coconut oil
sourdough crumbs for sprinkling

Mix all ingredients in a bowl (except coconut oil and remaining sourdough crumbs), using hands to really mix well.  Shape into patties and sprinkle with remaining sourdough crumbs.  Heat coconut oil to 350 F.  Fry crab cakes in batches- cook about 5 minutes on each side, careful to flip them without breaking.  Let rest on paper towel before serving warm with homemade remoulade.

 

 

Treat yourself with these homemade beauties!  They are worth the extra effort :)  Enjoy!

 

Homemade Sausage and Seafood Gumbo

This is the real thing, y'all- real Creole gumbo, straight from New Orleans.  Did you know that the word "gumbo" traces its root back across the Atlantic, where it derived from an African word meaning "okra"... Okra is what makes this soup thick.  It is the combination of African, French and Spanish cuisine that makes Creole food so delicious, sometimes a bit spicy, and always unique.

 

 

 

 

My mother-in-law, a Creole food master, passed her recipe on to me and I'm going to share it with you today.  She learned it from her mother-in-law, who grew up in the French quarter- the heart of New Orleans.  This soup is usually served with rice and French bread (great for sopping up the remaining broth), but as you can see from the picture I am nixing the rice and bread because I am trying to eat fewer grains.  It is fantastic as is!

 

What you'll need for a little bit of Creole heaven:

 

1.5 lbs raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined

12 oz lump crab meat, flaked

6 oz oysters (optional)

1 lb smoked sausage or andouille, sliced in disks

1/2 lb okra, cut in disks (discard the tops)

butter

1 med. onion (chopped)

2 ribs celery (chopped)

1 green bell pepper (chopped)
2 large garlic cloves (pressed)
3 bay leaves
1/4 t dried thyme
1 T Cajun seasoning ( I like Tony Chachere's)
1/4 t red pepper
1/2 t black pepper
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juice
7 cups water
2 t dried parsley
rice and French bread (optional)

Brown sausage in a large pot, then remove.  In the sausage drippings, saute the okra for about 5 minutes (add butter if too dry).  Add the other vegetables to the pot and saute for another 3 minutes.  Add meat, tomatoes, water and other seasonings to the pot (except parsley and seafood).  Simmer over med. heat for 30 minutes.  If you want a thicker soup, simmer uncovered- if you like broth, cover while simmering.  Finally, add seafood and parsley to pot and simmer another 10 minutes. 

Serve with a scoop of rice on top of the gumbo (That's the New Orleans way) and a large slice of French bread on the side.  You may want to put a bottle of Tabasco on the table for those who like to spice it up!  Enjoy!