Mardi Gras (observed)

We had a fine Mardi Gras party last night, with voidampersand, spikeiowa, Ruth, and Ian. Ruth came over early to sous chef, which was fun. I found an intriguing recipe in a Paul Prudhomme cookbook for roasted chicken with oyster dressing and gingersnap gravy. He called for boning the chicken pieces (I used just legs), which made for a rather pleasant dining experience at the table. The pieces looked like hell after they were boned, but after I rubbed them with spices, plumped them up into neat packages, and roasted them, they were great. The bones were then roasted and made into stock for the gingersnap gravy, which was yummy.

I always eye his recipes with a bit of suspicion. In the chicken recipe, for instance, he called for an entire half of a chicken per person. I don't think so! In the oyster dressing, we cut out half the butter called for and it was still oozingly rich. It also didn't make very much, but given its richness, that was probably fine. And I always cut the cayenne in half the first time I make one of his recipes, after having one be almost inedibly hot. These, as it turns out, could have had the full allotment. So now I know.

For an appetizer we had shrimp with remoulade sauce. He called for too much mustard in the sauce, imho, but it went great with the salami spikeiowa brought, which also went well with the Sazeracs. voidampersand found a website that claims the very first Sazeracs were made with cognac instead of rye, so he mixed one for himself that way. We agreed it was a smoother, slightly sweeter taste, but I still prefer the rougher, more assertive flavor of rye. (Bourbon is right out!)

voidampersand made two recipes from the Prudhomme cookbook also: red beans & rice, and candied yams. Both of which either called for way too much water or needed to be boiled like hell instead of gently simmered. And if you're making notes, he verified that you can easily leave out half the butter from the candied yams with no problem (1/2 lb instead of 1 lb; possibly 1/4 lb would even be okay -- it's no wonder Prudhomme weighed what he did!). The Meyer lemons gave the candied yams a great, fresh flavor.

The king cake, purchased from the local bakery, was disappointingly boring, although much hilarity ensued when a plastic baby missing an arm was found. I can imagine a good version of a king cake, but this wasn't it.

Also on the table: mustard & turnip greens, turnip pickles, crudités. Just in case you were worried about us not eating our vegetables.