Wednesday, August 13, 2008

A taste of naw'lins.....



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GOOOD!!!



I love Zatarain's products.

I love their Shrimp & Crab Boil.

The spice mixture one is good, but I like the liquid stuff more.

The hubby's been working looooong hours this week (yesterday, he didn't even leave work until 8pm). So, it's been kinda all over the place trying to get dinner done.

I already planned on shrimp boil, but wow, it works so well for a night where you can't nail down a single hot dinnertime for everyone (even if the hubby did get home before I even drained the pot).

For my boil, I usually start with some waxy (red/white/yukon gold/etc.) potatoes in the pot of water. Add some salt and the Shrimp & Crab boil, cook until the potatoes are done. Turn off the heat, dump in your shrimp, some sliced polish or other smoked sausage, and perhaps some locally grown ears of corn, let sit at least 2 minutes, hopefully at least 15, and longer if you have it. It will stay warm. When it's dinner time, either fish out what you need to serve you and just cover the pot to keep it all warm and steeping, or drain it all and sit down with a plate of lovely, still perfectly cooked shrimp and other goodies. And don't forget the hot sauce.

We were lucky enough to enjoy ours with a nice Dixie beer (well, a "Jazz" for me - Dixie's light beer). For those who do not know... the Dixie Brewery in New Orleans was first massively flooded by Katrina, and after the waters dropped it was pretty much looted ceiling to floor. They haven't been brewing at their own facility since the storm. They've been working with local brewers in Louisiana for the Louisiana market, and a brewer in Wisconsin for national distribution, to get the product back out there. And for fans, it's a welcome re-introduction.

The beers with dinner were good. Very good. I don't know what it is about Dixie, but it is just perfect with the cajun spice blend. I might have to go back to the place I finally found them and get me some Blackened Voodoo. Also very good.

Hubby's got his fantasy football draft after work tomorrow, so I'm hoping to hit Costco after work tomorrow, maybe pick up a nice Cosi sammich for dinner. I also had some work for Old Company pop up this week. Nothing too big, but nice for the little extra work. If that one shop at the Flamingo still has the Onex leopard sandals I've wanted, I am buying them this time.

4 comments:

Hurricane Mikey said...

Coupla things. 15 minutes and the corn is done? Hmmm. I never do corn on the cob (too farkin' hot out here to boil food!), but that sounds good.

Also, I haven't had the Dixie beer, but I've had some shiat from N.O. called Voodoo beer and it was awful. Might try the Dixie beer if I get a hankerin' for some good Cajun food.

Love the Zatarain's stuff too, but I usually only get their rice boxes...

Unknown said...

Yep, you're supposed to let the shrimp cook in the water for at least 2 minutes so it cooks thru, and after about a 15 minute soak the corn is done to my liking (still got some crunch) and the shrimp are cooked but still not over cooked.

And, actually, an ear of corn (husks and silks and all) can be tossed in the microwave for a minute or two (per ear) to cook it. It can get a little mushy for my tastes, but it's better than no freshly picked corn at all! Smear that with some butter, a sprinkle of chili powder, a smear of sour cream and some limes to squeeze on it... happy tummy!

And it's actually not too bad in the heat... you just bring the water to a boil and kill the heat, so it's not like some hour-long boil time. Heck, you can even do it outdoors on a grill or burner, if you want.

And it might have been Dixie's Blackened Voodoo Lager... that one can be an aquired taste.

Hurricane Mikey said...

As far as corn on the cob goes, it sounds like you've got some good seasonings. But damn, I just can't stop using the Bacon Salt!

Unknown said...

I still need to get me some bacon salt. It's a local company, even!!