The Cruise Chef
Favorite recipes of cruise chefs from around the world and of restaurants in ports
where they go
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SECRET RECIPES FROM THE RIVERBARGE CRUISE LINE
A few weeks go we cruised on the River Explorer barge from New Orleans along the
lower Mississippi and the connecting waterways and bayous. For seven days we explored
the lower Louisiana, much of it through Cajun and Creole country. Here are some
of the wonderful recipes for traditional regional foods we got from the chefs
on board and from the food and beverage manager.
CRAB BISQUE
3/4 cup butter
1 large onion
1/4 cup celery
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons crab base (use seafood base if no crab base)
3/4 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay
1 1/2 pounds crabmeat
1 cup heavy cream
1 quart shrimp stock
pinch of salt
dash of pepper
Sauté celery and onion in butter; blend until onions are clear. Add seafood base,
tomato paste, and paprika. Blend well. Add Old Bay and flour to make a roux. Cook
to medium brown. Deglaze with white wine. Strain the stock and add it to the roux.
Stir with whisk until there are no lumps. Add crabmeat and liquid. Blend well.
Add cream and blend. Salt and pepper to taste.
Yield: 7-10 servings
CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE
1/3 cup of butter
1/2 medium onion
1/4 cup celery (diced into ¼ inch pieces)
1/3 green bell pepper
1/4 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 1/3 cup shrimp stock
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups tomato paste
1 bay leaf
2 pounds of crawfish tails
1 teaspoon seafood base
10 whole crawfish, steamed, cooled
pinch of salt and dash of pepper
On top of stove, sauté vegetables in butter. Add paste and seafood base. Add flour
to make a roux. Transfer mixture to steam kettle. Cook for 20 minutes. Add shrimp
stock to roux and mix thoroughly until there are no lumps. Add salt and pepper
and crawfish tails. Taste for seasoning. Serve with white rice in center of plate,
crawfish around the rice, and a cooked whole crawfish in center of rice for garnish.
Yield: 10 servings
CREOLE 6-BEAN SOUP
8 oz. black beans
8 oz. red beans
8 oz. pinto beans
8 oz. black-eyed peas
8 oz. navy beans
8 oz. green beans
1 ham hock
1/4 head celery (diced)
1/2 large onion (diced)
1/4 diced tomato
1 gallon chicken stock
1 teaspoon of Zatarain’s Cajun/ Creole Seasoning
Add all ingredients to large soup pot and cook for approximately 2 hours, until
all beans are tender. Add water as needed. Adjust seasoning before serving, the
more Zatarain’s seasoning, the spicier the soup.
Yield: 7-10 servings
HOT SAUSAGE AND SHRIMP JAMBALAYA
1 1/2 pounds hot link sausage, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/4 cup water
4 oz diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 cups rice
1 pound shrimp
1 teaspoon salt if needed
Put sausage in large, heavy iron skillet and cook. Add onions and let cook with
sausage until onions are clear. Add parsley and garlic. Cook for a few minutes
until parsley is limp. Add water, tomatoes (mashed with spoon), thyme, and salt.
Bring to a boil. (May be prepared in advance to this point). If made in advance,
bring this mixture to a boil again. Add rice and shrimp. Bring to a boil. After
boiling, stir once and put heat on low and cover. Check mixture and lift with
a fork if it is sticking. If it looks like liquid is needed, add another 1/2 cup
of water.
Yield: 10 servings
PORTABELLA MUSHROOM ENTREE
1 cup canola oil
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dry basil
10 portabella mushrooms, cleaned
Combine all ingredients mixing well. Clean mushrooms by removing stern and scraping
out the inside with a spoon. Dredge each cap through the marinade then turn the
cap upside down on a sheet pan. Let stand for one hour then grill to medium rare.
Tomato Topping:
5 diced tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
4 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons honey
shredded mozzarella
Mix all ingredients together; let stand for one hour. Top each mushroom with 2
ounces of tomato mixture, shredded mozzarella and bake for 10 minutes at 350º.
Yield: 10 servings
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HAPPY COOKING! HAPPY CRUISING!