Lou and I have worked at the restaurant 20 days straight without closing or a day off. Mardi Gras is just a little over 30 days away, which translates to more 18 hours days, more days on than off, and huge crowds! We've lived in New Orleans just over 19 months now and have yet to see anything other than New Orleans (we did travel to Grand Isle, once, and Biloxi once, too....don't need to do either again)
So, we got int he car and headed to a cabin in Acadiana (Breaux Bridge, Lafayette, St. Martinville, etc) for two days of R&R and some local cuisine. We also got a very thorough history lesson on just how Acadians (acadee, cajuns, etc) found themselves from Nova Scotia in Lousianna.
And then we discovered authentic boudin.
One of my cooks informed me that I could not travel in Acadiana without getting boudin, cracklin's and tasso. I did pass on the cracklin's, but not the boudin! It's a spicy pork and rice blend forced into sausage casing. Then, grilled, steamed or boiled...you simply eat it from your hand. You can also make boudin (pronounced boo-de, soft emphasis on the boo, harder emphasis on the 'de' and e sounds like the e in the word 'men') fried into balls by squeezing the filling out, rolling the contents into balls, breading and frying.
Amazing. I can get this in New Orleans, but I just know it's not going to be the same as Poche's Bridge in Breaux Bridge.
We left the shoppe today with over a hundred bucks worth of sausages, andouille, tasso, boudin, stuffed pork chops, and filet of alligator.
I want to take the boudin, force some of the blend between puff pastry, and serve with a poached egg and my cranberry habanero jam. This has brunch written all over it.
Any other boudin lovers here??
So, we got int he car and headed to a cabin in Acadiana (Breaux Bridge, Lafayette, St. Martinville, etc) for two days of R&R and some local cuisine. We also got a very thorough history lesson on just how Acadians (acadee, cajuns, etc) found themselves from Nova Scotia in Lousianna.
And then we discovered authentic boudin.
One of my cooks informed me that I could not travel in Acadiana without getting boudin, cracklin's and tasso. I did pass on the cracklin's, but not the boudin! It's a spicy pork and rice blend forced into sausage casing. Then, grilled, steamed or boiled...you simply eat it from your hand. You can also make boudin (pronounced boo-de, soft emphasis on the boo, harder emphasis on the 'de' and e sounds like the e in the word 'men') fried into balls by squeezing the filling out, rolling the contents into balls, breading and frying.
Amazing. I can get this in New Orleans, but I just know it's not going to be the same as Poche's Bridge in Breaux Bridge.
We left the shoppe today with over a hundred bucks worth of sausages, andouille, tasso, boudin, stuffed pork chops, and filet of alligator.
I want to take the boudin, force some of the blend between puff pastry, and serve with a poached egg and my cranberry habanero jam. This has brunch written all over it.
Any other boudin lovers here??