Jambalaya

[hwilson41]

Lucille (again);

Oops. I got so excited talking about the hot links, I forgot my question . I gather you're from Louisiana. Is your recollection like mine, that the andouille was almost as hot as the Texas hot links? I live in northern VA now, outside DC, and there is one place that makes andouille (unsmoked, unfortunately) that I think is almost as hot as what I remember from trips to Baton Rouge and NO. The rest of the stuff being marketed around here as andouille is pretty wimpy by comparison, toned down to broaden market appeal I'm sure.

THW

[Lucille]

hwilson41,

Hey, I am in your camp experiment with a boudin recipe I am trying to duplicate.

Not there yet.

Unsmoked andouille? What the hell is that? So, what like, your posed to what with it?

I would say no, andouille in general is not as hot as those hot links. But there are so many different makers of andouille, Aidells, may be really hot, compared to others.

This is like boudin, there is only one maker that I am fond of, and the rest....patooey. But then again, I haven't tasted them ALL YET. This will not be a problem though.

[Lucille]

Suzanne F ,

Love that name.

Re: the dried shrimp, I think Mayhaw mand has the best use in mind.

Eat dry out the bag with beer. / brush teeth AND gargle.

Personally I have no use for the stuff.

[Mayhaw Man]

This andouille is pretty typical of the stuff that comes from LaPlace and surrounding St John Parish. Lucille is correct in that it does vary widely by maker (and by batch, if they are not careful with q.c.).

This would be a fine place to try out Andouille in it's native habitat with natives behaving like natives.

[fifi]

The Aidell's was pretty good in the flavor department, decidedly bland in the cayenne department. I compensated by adding cayenne. I have tried various andouille available around here (Houston) and don't find any that are as hot as hot links. (You are right. Those are getting hard to find.) I am sure that those do exist but it doesn't seem to be the norm. But then, what I call "nicely spicey" someone else might call "inhumanely hot".

[hwilson41]

Unsmoked andouille? What the hell is that? So, what like, your posed to what with it?

In our house, andouille is used for one of two things 99% of the time; as the sausage in jambalaya (mostly), or as an accent for gumbos. Occasionally, I also use it to spice up scrambled eggs for breakfast, but less often than the other two. With the jambalaya particularly, there is so much liquid in the dish and the cooking is so long that it doesn't make a hell of a lot of difference about the smoking...I don't think. I haven't ordered any andouille from any of the Louisiana makers (I'm also working on a recipe for that too ), so maybe I need to do that. But I'm just a little suspicious that most have been toned down to expand market appeal.

I would say no, andouille in general is not as hot as those hot links.  But there are so many different makers of andouille,  Aidells, may be really hot, compared to others.

Thanks for that. Maybe my memory is faulty (my wife would second that motion in a flash). Or maybe I got lucky and found the guys in Louisiana who liked their sausage as spicy as I like mine .

Good luck with the boudin. I'd love to read a progress report as that evolves.

THW

[fifi]

Jacob's in LaPlace! My favorite source. Though it is getting a little more difficult to stash some in the carry-on. It looks like sticks of explosive in the x-ray and when the TSA folks see what it is they "confiscate" it... probably for lunch. Hasn't happened to me, yet, but has happened to friends.

[Lucille]

Mayhaw,

I just saw your tag line...good one.

LaPlace is a strange place, le place...it's not New Olreans, and it's not Houma, it's not Westwego, nor Marrero....it a place all it's own. I find the locals there quite different from the counterparts going west from there.

Then there's Houma. I lived there for a while right off hwy 90, and I mean right off...acutally, Gray, LA. It was a smelding (made that word up, I think) of Thibodeaux and LaFouche peoples. I find the two quite different in dialect as well.

Both have very high regard for white shrimp boots. It's a uniform yanno.

[Mayhaw Man]

Jacob's in LaPlace! My favorite source. Though it is getting a little more difficult to stash some in the carry-on. It looks like sticks of explosive in the x-ray and when the TSA folks see what it is they "confiscate" it... probably for lunch. Hasn't happened to me, yet, but has happened to friends.

The results of a big session with andouille can be pretty explosive, but as of yet Homeland Security does not have it on thier list of Banned Carry On Items, but it might be because it is hard to categorize.

Explosive, incindiary, club like, disabling chemically? You tell me.

[hwilson41]

Thanks to all for the replies.

Mayhaw;

Special thanks for the link to Jacob's. A recommendation from a local who knows is worth more than all the advertising claims in the world. I'll call and give them an order tomorrow. Maybe I'll need to adjust my recipe after tasting. I have a big smoker, but can't get sugar cane this far north. Pecan, I can get with a bit of scouting. Maybe a mixture of Pecan and Apple? Hmmm....another experiment to try .

Fifi;

Thanks for the review of Aidells. Them being light on cayenne was exactly what I expected. As for the hot links, I have a close friend in Fort Worth whom I've known since we were babies, and he says you can't find hot links for love nor money any more, at least not any that taste like they did in the old days (1960s). How very sad. When I get my recipe perfected to my taste, I'll be glad to share if anybody's interested.

THW

[hwilson41]

But then, what I call "nicely spicey" someone else might call "inhumanely hot".

Yeah, but they're wrong and we're right .

THW

[Mayhaw Man]

You might want to this source as well. All of thier products are generally dependable, but I don't find their andouille to be particularly hot, but my tastes probably differ from yours (there is very little I find to be particularly hot ).

[hwilson41]

... but my tastes probably differ from yours (there is very little I find to be particularly hot  ).

Mayhaw;

I may or may not be in your league, but that description fits me pretty well also. Of course, there are always exceptions. I popped off one day to an Indian (Brahmin) neighbor about being from Texas and loving hot, spicy food. His mother-in-law was visiting from India, and she quietly handed me a little bottle of Vietnamese (I think) fish sauce and suggested I try some. I put a dollop on a cracker and downed it. Now that was hot, and of course everyone had a good laugh at my expense while I quaffed down a big glass of milk. But most of the time, I'm the last one out in a "hot" contest. If you're ever up toward DC, PM me and we'll have some fun experimenting .

THW

Edited to remove duplicate salutations (duh).

Edited December 28, 2003 by hwilson41 (log)

[hwilson41]

This andouille is pretty typical of the stuff that comes from LaPlace and surrounding St John Parish. Lucille is correct in that it does vary widely by maker (and by batch, if they are not careful with q.c.).

Mayhaw; Thanks again for the link. Ordered 6 lbs andouille and 3 lbs tasso from Jacob's. I asked how they smoked their andouille and was told they only use Pecan, unlike what I've read elsewhere (mixture of Pecan and sugar cane). Anyway, I'm anxious to taste the result and see if it is like I remember. Will file a report after a batch or two of jambalaya and gumbo. Best news is that even up here in northern VA, we can still get fresh okra (no idea from where, but I can't afford to be picky at this time of year ).

THW

[Jason Perlow]

We needed to clean out the freezer tonight, so in addition to finally doing something with all those poultry carcasses (making stock) it was time to start using some of the older stuff in our feezer inventory.

Here's a Jambalaya we made this evening:

It has Andouille from Wayne Jacob's Smokehouse in La Place, and tasso and chaurice from Poche's Market in Breaux Bridge.

[HungryC]

That's a great-looking jambalaya....what kind of rice did you use? Personally, I go for a drier, fluffier texture. To each his own...but don't bring those tomatoes to my house.

I'm really replying about the dried shrimp part of the discussion. I beg to differ with Mayhaw's assertion that they're only a beer snack. In the bayous of Lafourche & Terrebonne Parishes, dried shrimp are used in a variety of dishes: shrimp & potato stew, smothered mirliton & shrimp, in gumbo, with okra, etc. All of these dishes are hard-core home cooking, so unless you've got a cajun grandma or grandpa in the kitchen, you probably won't encounter them. Of course, they're a throwback to pre-refrigeration times, when shrimp were consumed fresh or dried--the only two options.

I think that dried shrimp have survived as an ingredient in this pocket of acadiana for a reason mentioned in a previous post: until the mid-20th century, southern Lafourche & Jefferson parishes were home to several Filipino fishing communities where shrimp drying was the main activity. Manila Village in Barataria Bay survived the longest--it was a community of raised houses on the water surrounding a large wooden platform where the shrimp were spread out to sun-dry. The villagers removed the shrimp shells by walking over the finished product, a process known as "dancing the shrimp". Modern processors use forced, heated air in a clothes-dryer like tumbler to dry & remove shells.

A few Filipino-americans raised in Manila village still reside in NOLA (or at least, they did before Katrina).

Rouse's Supermarkets (southern LA chain based in Houma) sells dried shrimp in bulk containers, not just the little snack packages. They're not cheap, but a little goes a long way. The last batch I purchased were dried/packaged in Grand Coteau (north of Lafayette)--Pappy's Gold or something like that. Compared to the imported dried shrimp in asian markets, LA dried shrimp are chewier (as opposed to hard or crumbly), meatier, and completely shelled. I find the asian imports too fermented to eat out of hand, but I freely cook with & snack on the local ones (the cat loves 'em too).

[My Confusing Horoscope]

As for this "dried shrimp thing", I have never seen anyone cook with them. OTOH I eat them all of the time. They are delicious little snack food and I highly reccomend them. THey are sold all over South Louisiana at the checkout stand of better Zippy Marts and gas stations. 

Incidentally, they are not a cheap snack. A 3 oz, bag will run you a couple of bucks.

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They work well in a shrimp and egg gumbo with a really dark roux.

[Jason Perlow]

That's a great-looking jambalaya....what kind of rice did you use?

Its a medium grain rice that we use for making Arroz con Pollo or Paella.

[Mayhaw Man]

We needed to clean out the freezer tonight, so in addition to finally doing something with all those poultry carcasses (making stock) it was time to start using some of the older stuff in our feezer inventory.

Here's a Jambalaya we made this evening:

It has Andouille from Wayne Jacob's Smokehouse in La Place, and tasso and chaurice from Poche's Market in Breaux Bridge.

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I am going to Jacob's in the morning as part of my "heading to the Delta for the Holidays" food roundup. I am making stops for shrimp, crabmeat, sausage, stuffed chickens, and tasso. It will take most of the day as I will be going to New Orleans, LaPlace, Breaux Bridge, and Lafayette. I love making that trip. Tomorrow, I will take a few photos of the meat counters that I encounter (that would be a great title for a book, I think). On the way up on Saturday afternoon I will make a detour into Clarksdale, MS for a big pile of Tamales made by my personal tamale hero Wayne Hicks. I will be, though late, very popular when I finally show up at my Mama's house. Think about it. What would you rather get for Christmas-a new tie or fresh pork and seafood products?

[Jason Perlow]

Actually, would you mind seeing how Wayne Jacob's Smokehouse is doing? Their operation looked a bit more fragile than Jacob's Andouille. And I'm not sure you've had the opportunity to try their stuff yet in comparison, I think its better. Their tasso and beef jerky is phenomenal, too.

[Mayhaw Man]

Actually, would you mind seeing how Wayne Jacob's Smokehouse is doing? Their operation looked a bit more fragile than Jacob's Andouille. And I'm not sure you've had the opportunity to try their stuff yet in comparison, I think its better. Their tasso and beef jerky is phenomenal, too.

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Of course, but I can tell you that however fragile he may be, this week? He's doing a land office trade. This is officially sausage week in South La. You have to buy it now so that you will be ready to turn that damned turkey into something useful like Jambo or Gumbo and there will be major shortages of quality pork products right after the holidays.

I remember when you went out there. It was the same day that we went and ate lunch with Austin Leslie. All in all, that was a pretty good day for the Perleauxs.

[Jason Perlow]

I remember when you went out there. It was the same day that we went and ate lunch with Austin Leslie. All in all, that was a pretty good day for the Perleauxs.

I'll treasure it always. That meal with Austin was literally the Last Supper.

[Mayhaw Man]

I remember when you went out there. It was the same day that we went and ate lunch with Austin Leslie. All in all, that was a pretty good day for the Perleauxs.

I'll treasure it always. That meal with Austin was literally the Last Supper.

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Well, if that's the case, then why don't the ministers hand out fried chicken and ice tea instead of stale wafers and wine? I'll bet attendance at communion would skyrocket. I, of course, will need to discuss this with the Big Guy before any changes are announced-but it makes perfect sense to me. I'll report back later on any breaking news.

[bavila]

...to the Lord, praises be.

It's time for dinner, now let's go eat...

Beautiful jambalaya, Jason.

As for the dried shrimp, I have no use for them myself, but I've certainly seen them used in gumbo (by a former co-worker from Houma), and I think in a cookbook by Marcelle Bienvenu. Must verify that.

[Mayhaw Man]

...to the Lord, praises be.

It's time for dinner, now let's go eat...

Beautiful jambalaya, Jason.

As for the dried shrimp, I have no use for them myself, but I've certainly seen them used in gumbo (by a former co-worker from Houma), and I think in a cookbook by Marcelle Bienvenu.  Must verify that.

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I love dried shrimp and I am really glad that you mentioned that. I need to find out if those guys down in Houma are in business at the moment. When I was a heavy consumer of fermented, malt based beverages I used to eat those things like candy. My blood pressure was about a million over a billion, but, man were they good. They are kind of salty I would think for cooking use, but if Marcelle (who is BACK IN THE PICAYUNE!) says OK, it's ok with me. She's my hero, you know.