Mardi Gras Recipes

Cajun Crawfish Beignets

Recipe: Natallia Nice

Ingredients

Beignet Dough

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Crawfish Filling

  • 1 pound frozen crawfish, thawed and drained
  • Cajun seasoning, to taste
  • Cream cheese, to taste

Remoulade

  • 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup green onion, sliced
  • 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons horseradish
  • 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Tabasco

Method

Crawfish Filling

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine crawfish, blackening seasoning, and cream cheese.
  2. Mix until fully incorporated and evenly seasoned. Adjust seasoning as needed before filling donuts.

Remoulade

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine onion, green onion, celery, garlic, and parsley.
  2. Add mayonnaise, horseradish, whole grain mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, and Tabasco.
  3. Mix until fully combined and smooth.
  4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to develop.

Beignets

  1. In a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, combine flour, yeast, sugar, milk, egg yolks, and salt. Mix until combined.
  2. Add melted butter and continue mixing until the dough is smooth and fully developed. Cover the dough and let rest for 1 hour.
  3. Portion dough into 40 g pieces and shape into balls. Flatten each piece, place 1 teaspoon of crawfish filling in the center, pinch tightly to seal, and place seam side down on a tray. Cover and proof in a warm area for 45–60 minutes, until slightly puffy.
  4. Heat frying oil to 340–350°F. Fry donuts for about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove and drain briefly.
  5. Sprinkle with blackening seasoning

Cheesy Cajun Dip

Recipe: LifeSpice Chefs

Ingredients

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1–2 tbsp Cajun seasoning (adjust to taste)
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Stir in sour cream, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and hot sauce.
  3. Fold in shredded cheeses, green onions, and optional meat.
  4. Spread mixture into a greased 8-inch baking dish. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly with lightly golden edges.
  5. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving with tortilla chips

Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

Recipe: Renan Lopes

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs. Chicken Breast, cubed
  • 1 lbs. Andouille Sausage, sliced
  • 1 Tomato, sliced
  • 1 Red Onion, diced
  • 1 heart Celery, sliced
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
  • 3 Tbs. Blackened Cajun Seasoning
  • 2 cups Long Grain Rice
  • 4 cups Chicken Stock

Method

  1. Add 1 Tbs. of Cajun seasoning to the cubed chicken
  2. Sauté chicken and sausage until browned. Set aside.
  3. Add onion, pepper and celery and sauté until onion softens.
  4. Add tomato, remaining seasoning and bay leaves.
  5. Add chicken, sausage, rice and stock and bring to a boil.
  6. Reduce to low and cover for 25 minutes.

Brûléed Toast with Chicory Coffee Ice Cream

Recipe: Renan Lopes

Ingredients

Chicory Coffee Ice Cream

  • 454 g. Milk
  • 454 g. Heavy Cream
  • 4 large Eggs
  • 99 g. Sugar
  • 10 g. Chicory Coffee

Brûléed Toast

  • 1 thick slices of Brioche
  • 40 g. Butter, softened
  • 20 g. Brown Sugar
  • 20 g. LifeSpice Cinnamon Beignets seasoning (or substitute for 20 g. more Brown Sugar and 1 tsp. of Cinnamon)
  • 20 g. Honey
  • Maldon Salt for finishing
  • Powdered Sugar for finishing

Method

Chicory Coffee Ice Cream

  1. Bring milk, cream and coffee to a boil in a large saucepan.
  2. Cream the egg, sugar together in a large bowl.
  3. Temper the egg mixture by slowly adding some of the milk mixture into the bowl while stirring. When warmed, add egg mixture back into the pan.
  4. Heat, while stirring, until thickened to a custard texture (175°F).
  5. Refrigerate overnight, and then churn in a ice cream machine.

Brûléed Toast

  1. Pre-heat a oven to 350°F.
  2. Mix sugar, seasoning, butter and honey until fully combined.
  3. Spread mixture on all sides of brioche, including edges.
  4. Bake at 350°F for 18 minutes, flipping halfway.
  5. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
  6. Plate toast and top with chicory coffee ice cream, Maldon salt, and powdered sugar.

Reach out for Seasoning Samples

Interested in making these recipes at home? Reach out today about samples of our Blackened Cajun Seasoning or our Cinnamon Beignets seasoning!