The Irish Cook can also be found at The Petit Chef.
This authentic cajun three pot meal consists of cajun meatloaf, dirty rice, and cajun maquechou--a cajun dish with corn as its basis. Cajun cuisine traditionally calls for a meat dish, a rice dish, and a vegetable dish--thus called the three pot meal. It is named for the French-speaking Acadian or Cajun immigrants deported by the British from Acadia in Canada to the Acadiana region of Louisiana. A rustic cuisine, it uses locally available ingredients, and preparation is kept simple.
The history of cajun cuisine: again, an authentic cajun meal is usually a three-pot affair, with one pot dedicated to the main dish, one dedicated to steamed rice, skillet cornbread, or some other grain dish, and the third containing whatever vegetable is plentiful or available. The aromatic vegetables bell pepper, onion, and celery are called by some chefs the holy trinity of creole and cajun cuisines. Finely diced and combined in cooking, the method is similar to the use of the mire poix in traditional French cuisine—which blends finely diced onion, celery, and carrot. Characteristic seasonings include parsley, bay leaf, green onions or scallions, and dried cayenne pepper, onion, and celery are called by some chefs the holy trinity of creole and cajun cuisines.
When the Cajuns arrived in Louisiana around 1768, Louisiana was already
occupied with European slave owners and African slaves. The African slaves
were rice growers from West Africa, expert farmers, domestic workers, and
cooks. The Louisian Cuisine was actually already developed in the homes of the
European slave owners. The Acadian refugees, who largely came from what is now
modern-day New Brunsick and Nova Scotia, were farmers rendered destitute by the British
expulsion and had
to learn from the African and Native American slaves to live off the land.
They adapted their French rustic cuisine to the local Louisiana cuisine and the
ingredients used in the already developed cuisine of the African slaves, such as
rice, crawfish, and sugar cane. Many households were large, consisting of eight to
twelve people; thus, regardless what other vocations may have been followed by
the head of household, most families also farmed. Feeding a large family, all
of whose members did hard physical work every day, required a great amount of
food. Cajun cuisine grew out of supplementing rice with white meat, game, or
other proteins where available such as crawfish or any other type of river
creature. In addition to African cuisine French, Spanish, and
Indian culinary
influences can also be detected in cajun food. Another hallmark of the cuisine
of the African slaves who developed the cooking styles in Louisiana was the art
of smoking food. Smoking techniques were developed by the Native Americans and
African slaves who came from nomadic cultures. The purpose of smoking meat was
to render a longer life onto the foods for the long journeys ahead. These
techniques of smoking were adapted to the Louisiana style of cooking and is
still used today in creole and cajun cuisines.
The traditional cajun methods of preparation
include: Barbecuing--similar to slow and low Texas
barbecue traditions but with cajun seasoning. Smoking--indirect dry heat taught to the
Cajuns by the Native Americans and African slaves. Baking--direct and indirect dry heat in a
furnace or oven, faster than smoking but slower than grilling.
Grilling--direct heat on a shallow surface.
Charbroiling-- direct dry heat on a ribbed surface,
fastest of all techniques. Griddling-- direct dry or moist heat along with
the use of oils and butter on a flat surface, also a very fast
method. Boiling--as in boiling of crabs, crawfish, or
shrimp, in seasoned liquid.
Braising--combining a direct dry heat charbroil grill with a
pot filled with broth for direct moist heat, faster than smoking but slower than
regular grilling and baking; time starts fast, slows down, then speeds up again
to finish. Étouffée--cooking a vegetable or meat in its own juices,
similar to braising
or what in New Orleans is called "smothering." Frying--also known as pan-frying.
Injecting--using a large
syringe-type setup
to place seasoning deep inside large cuts of meat. Stewing--also known as fricassée.
Deep-frying of
turkeys or oven-roasted turduckens entered southern Louisiana cuisine
more recently. Also, blackening of fish or chicken and barbecuing of shrimp in
the shell are not considered traditional cajun cuisine because again they are
more current additions to Louisiana cooking. Other
misconceptions regarding traditional cajun cuisine... These dishes are sometimes mistakenly called cajun:
Bananas Foster, beignets, bread pudding,
cajun fries, cajun sausage other than andouille,
calas,
chicken and dumplings, deep fried turkey (deep frying of whole turkeys outdoors
in a large pot,) oysters rockefeller or casino, Popeye's Fried
Chicken® (a
US chain founded in New Orleans, was intentionally "cajunified"), red beans and
rice, and
Spicy Cajun McChicken®.
Cajun or cajun-influenced chefs would include John Folse,
Emeril Lagasse, Paul Prudhomme, and Justine Wilson. As promised, some dreaded photos of my college
years... Recipes are courtesy of Cajun Cuisine of the
Bayou. Cajun Three Pot
Meal: Cajun Meatloaf, Dirty Rice, Cajun Maquechou
[Serves 6] Cajun Meatloaf Served with Very Hot
Cajun Sauce [Recipe included] Ingredients: Seasoning Mix: 2 bay leaves 2 tsp. of salt 1 tsp. of ground red cayenne pepper 1 tsp. of black pepper ½ tsp. of white pepper ½ tsp. of ground cumin ½ tsp. of ground nutmeg Meatloaf: 4 tbsp. of butter 1 medium onion, chopped ½ cup of celery, chopped ½ cup of green bell pepper, chopped ¼ cup of green onion (scallion), chopped 2 tsp. of minced garlic 1 tbsp. of tabasco sauce 1 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce ½ cup of evaporated milk ½ cup of catsup 1½ lb. of ground beef ½ lb. of ground pork 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 cup of dry bread crumbs Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°. Combine the seasoning mix ingredients
and set aside. Melt the butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add the
onion, celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic, tabasco and Worcestershire sauces,
and seasoning mix. Sauté until mixture starts sticking, about 6 minutes. Stir
occasionally. Stir in the milk and catsup, and cook about 2 minutes more. Remove
from heat and cool to room temperature. Place ground meats in a large mixing
bowl. Add the eggs, cooked vegetable mixture, (removing the bay leaves) and
bread crumbs. Mixed by hand until combined. Shape the mixture into a 1½” x
6” x 12” loaf. Place into an ungreased 13” x 9” baking pan. Bake
uncovered for 25 minutes. Raise heat to 400° and bake another 35 minutes. Serve
with the Very Hot Cajun Sauce. Very Hot Cajun
Sauce Ingredients: 1 onion, chopped ½ green bell pepper, chopped 1 stalk of celery, chopped ¼ cup of vegetable oil ¼ cup and 1 tbsp. of flour ¾ tsp. of red cayenne pepper ½ tsp. of white pepper ½ tsp. of black pepper 2 bay leaves ¼ cup of jalapeno peppers, chopped 1 tsp. of minced garlic 3 cups of beef stock Preparation: Combine the onions, bell peppers, and celery in a small bowl
and set aside. In a heavy 2-qt. Saucepan, heat oil medium-low heat. With a
whisk, add the flour a little at a time until smooth. Continue cooking, whisking
constantly, until light brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the
vegetable mixture and the red, white, and black peppers. Return to high heat and
cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the bay leaves, jalapeno peppers,
and garlic, stirring well and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove the
bay leaf before adding to beef stock. In a separate 2-qt. saucepan, bring the
beef stock to a boil. Add the vegetable mixture by the spoonfuls to the boiling
stock. Dissolve the vegetable mixture before adding another spoonful. Bring to a
boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until sauce reduces to 3½ cups, about 15
minutes. Skim any oil from the top. Makes 3½ cups or 6 servings. Dirty Rice
Ingredients: 1½ lbs. of chicken livers ½ cup of chicken fat 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 4 large garlic cloves, minced 3 cups of chicken stock 1 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper ¾ tsp. of red cayenne pepper Salt to taste ¼ cup of fresh flat parsley, minced 6 green onions, chopped 4 cups of cooked white rice Preparation: Finely chop the chicken livers. Heat the chicken fat in a 5-6
qt. very heavy kettle over medium heat. Add the chicken livers. Cook, stirring
until the mixture is browned, about 10 minutes. If needed, add additional
chicken fat to prevent sticking. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and
garlic. Cook until vegetables are slightly wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the
chicken stock, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low and
cook stirring often until thickened about 45 minutes. Fold in the parsley, green
onions, and rice. Stir well. Cook just to heat through. Cajun Maquechou Ingredients: 1/3 cup of bacon drippings 2 17½ oz. cans of whole kernel corn, drained [I prefer frozen corn, thawed and drained.] 2 small onions, chopped 2 medium garlic cloves, minced 2 medium green bell peppers, chopped 1 large tomato, peeled and chopped ½ tsp. of salt ½ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp. of sugar ½ tsp. of red cayenne pepper 1 cup of chicken stock 1 cup of milk 2 eggs Preparation: Heat the bacon drippings in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the corn, onion, garlic, and bell peppers; cook until the onion is wilted,
about 10 minutes. Stir often to prevent sticking. Add the tomatoes, salt,
pepper, sugar, and cayenne; stir until combined. Add the chicken stock. Reduce
the heat to low simmer, stirring often, until the liquid is almost evaporated,
about 30 minutes. The mixture will be thick and mushy. Stir in the milk and cook
until reduced by half. Increase heat slightly. In a small bowl, beat the eggs
until frothy, stirring constantly. Add to the pan in a slow, steady stream. Cook
just to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Next: Another three pot meal and traditional cajun ingredients
and seasonings.
