Loving Boudin!!

VeraBlue

Head Mistress
Gold Site Supporter
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??
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Never had it, would love to try it!

Did you close Red Gravy or leave it in the hands of your staff?

Lee

P.S. VB, I would never have passed up cracklins!!!
 

VeraBlue

Head Mistress
Gold Site Supporter
we're usually closed on Sunday...but have worked every day since Dec. 26 (Saints were home, and other assorted sporting events at the Superdome.) We did close today. We were very quiet last Martin Luther King day and took this as an opportunity to catch our breath.

Other food we enjoyed this weekend were blackened catfish. I'm not a huge catfish fan. I can taste dirt in the flesh..not gritty on my teeth, but the flesh tastes like earth, to me. Blackening, however, covered that flavour enough. We both had gumbos (I had seafood, he had smoked duck and andouille) Have to admit, I make a better gumbo. Mine is thicker, to say the least, and has vegetables and okra, as well. We had gulf oysters two ways - rockefeller and fried with tasso cream, both delicious. I had a ribeye topped with crawfish, too.
We also had an inordinate amount of Woodford Reserve bourbon, too.:drink2:
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Here is some advice on Boudin, don't buy any on the north side of I-10 or east of Lafayette exit on I-10. Now if on the south side of I-10 you are good to go for most of it to Lake Charles.

My favorite every day Boudin comes from either Jennings or Crowley and I have the owners recipe from him before his death. It isn't hard to make but is time consuming and wish I could get it here but no such luck. I do get about 50lbs a year with my grand daughter (lives in Jennings) when she comes a couple of times a year. She usually brings 25 Lbs each trip of the spicy version.

Jennings location: http://www.boudinlink.com/Jennings_BoudinKing.html
Crowley location: http://boudinlink.com/Boudin_King/Boudin_King.html

Here is another great site including Boudin cook offs. http://www.boudinlink.com/
Sorry I can't remember the name of the two in Baton Rouge but it was even in my opinion as good if not better than Boudin Kings. There is also a recipe section on this site as well.

Mud Bugs are also a favorite of mine.
 

luvs

'lil Chef
Gold Site Supporter
haven't tried it. luv gator & tasso, tho. tasso in limited amounts. so spicy! just got some they were passing to customers in an almost risotto-like dish the other day. yum.
 

Cooksie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
I like boudin, just grilled, cut into slices, and put on a cracker. BTW, I guess I've been pronouncing it incorrectly. I've always just called it boo-dan. And you can't beat andouille for gumbo, it just takes gumbo to a whole new level.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
I like boudin, just grilled, cut into slices, and put on a cracker. BTW, I guess I've been pronouncing it incorrectly. I've always just called it boo-dan. And you can't beat andouille for gumbo, it just takes gumbo to a whole new level.

Yes boo-dan is the proper way to pronounce it. You are also correct in that andouille sausage is a must for gumbo and also okra in my house. Though now living in Kentucky boudin is impossible to find locally (thanks to my grand daughter I do get enough to support my cravings), I do find a real good andouille sausage at Whole Foods locally. Now if I could talk them into bringing in some Savoie Dressing I could really make some perfect boudin in house. My grand daughter also brings it when she comes but rarely enough for my needs. We also do boudin grilled as well as smoke from time to time.
 

BamsBBQ

Ni pedo
Site Supporter
my best boudin other than in Jennings or Crowley was in Baton Rouge called Ronnie's Boudin and Cracklin House #2.... it is smoked here for a bit and adds to the flavor...their cracklins are one of the best i have ever eaten...there are two varieties of cracklins... seasoned or not

But the best by far i have ever eaten was at the Corn Festival in Bunkie,LA... it was a local vendor that i believe only makes it available for sale at this festival

and i say it boodin
 

VeraBlue

Head Mistress
Gold Site Supporter
This place I purchased from will ship their products. If you purchase in the store, the boudin is roughly 3.75 a pound. If you want it shipped, it's over 9 bucks a pound. It's almost worth the trip to go back.

There is a website called CajunGrocer.com that has hundreds of great products. They are located in Lafayette, LA. I used them several times when I lived and worked in NJ. Very reliable, and everything perishable comes on dry ice, overnight.
I made jambalaya last night with one of my andouille sausages. Now I only have two left!:mellow:
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
This place I purchased from will ship their products. If you purchase in the store, the boudin is roughly 3.75 a pound. If you want it shipped, it's over 9 bucks a pound. It's almost worth the trip to go back.

There is a website called CajunGrocer.com that has hundreds of great products. They are located in Lafayette, LA. I used them several times when I lived and worked in NJ. Very reliable, and everything perishable comes on dry ice, overnight.
I made jambalaya last night with one of my andouille sausages. Now I only have two left!:mellow:

I've also purchased from the CajunGrocer.com and they are great too. I mostly by condiments and spice blends from them, rarely anything that needs to be kept cold. Oh and Bam's correct some of the best boudin comes from the festivals as does some other dishes. As for andouille sausage it shouldn't be hard to find it where you are Vera. Here in Kentucky as I say Whole Foods has several good sausage products for various cultures including andouille.
 

Cooksie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
I like okra in my gumbo too, Joe. I don't always get to put it in there because of the okra-haters.

My first taste of andouille was eons ago at Commander's Palace. I had never heard of it, but I ordered eggs florentine with andouille sausage on the side. I just thought I was going to get the poached eggs over spinach with a side of sausage patties (lol, think Jimmy Dean). Boy was I ever surprised. One taste and I called the waiter over and asked what it was. It was sliced lengthwise and browned to perfection, and I was in love.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
I like okra in my gumbo too, Joe. I don't always get to put it in there because of the okra-haters.

My first taste of andouille was eons ago at Commander's Palace. I had never heard of it, but I ordered eggs florentine with andouille sausage on the side. I just thought I was going to get the poached eggs over spinach with a side of sausage patties (lol, think Jimmy Dean). Boy was I ever surprised. One taste and I called the waiter over and asked what it was. It was sliced lengthwise and browned to perfection, and I was in love.

My grand daughter who was born in Louisiana swear to this day you don't put okra in gumbo. We learned how the locals made it when we lived there and her mother was 15 at that time. Her mother learned how from my wife and I so I know she put it in also. I guess she is an okra hater. :mrgreen:

If you have a Whole Foods in your area see if they have Andouille as they do here. It is as good as anything I ever had in Louisiana too. Their Italian sausage isn't bad either but not up to what I used to get in Miami from the local Italian store there called Falcone and Italia Foods Inc. The made their own that was to die for really.
 
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