Mardi Gras Recipes: Cajun Style Meals, Snacks, Drinks and More

The King Cake has a long history in the tradition of Mardi Gras. Brought to America by the French in the 18th century, the King Cake is usually oval shaped, with a texture more like french bread or doughnuts than a typical cake. Today, a plastic baby is placed inside. Whoever the lucky person is to get the piece with the baby is said to have good luck for the year, but also has to bring the next King Cake.

KING CAKE

PASTRY
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 (.25 ounce) pkgs. dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2/3 chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup melted butter

FROSTING
1 cup confectioners sugar
1-2 tablespoon water

Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
When yeast mixture is bubbling, add the cooled mild mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. When risen, puch down divide dough in half.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

To Make Filling
Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup raisins. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the mixture and mix until crumbly.
Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (about 10x16 inches or so). Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the side. Bring the ends of each roll togeher to form 2 oval shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. With scissors make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled size, about 45 minutes.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake. Frost while warm with the confectioners sugar blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
Be sure to inform people to be careful of the plastic baby inside.

CRAWFISH PIE
1 (10 ounce) package frozen puff pastry shells, thawed
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon tabasco
2 pounds peeled crawfish tails
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped green onion (green only)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll each puff pastry shell into a 7 inch round. Place on a cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes or until shells are golden; cool slightly and remove centers.
Meanwhile, melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, green pepper, celery and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add salt and tabasco sauce; reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add crawfish, lemon juice, and parsley and cook 10 minutes longer. Just before serving, stir in green onions.
To serve, spoon crawfish into cooked patty shells, allowing some to spill over sides.
www.tabasco pepperfest

SHRIMP ETOUFFEE
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups canned chicken broth or homemade stock
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, shelled
2 scallions including green tops, chopped
Boiled or steamed rice for serving

In a large frying pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over moderate heat until almost smoking. Add the flour and whisk until its the color of peanut butter, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the broth and continue whisking until the sauce starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper, celery, onions, bay leaf, salt, cayenne, black pepper, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the shrimp and scallions and simmer until the shrimp are just done, about 3 minutes. Serve the etouffee over rice.
www.phillyburbs.com

CARNIVAL OYSTER LOAF SANDWICH
1 pint medium sized oysters
6 slices bacon
1 10 inch round boule (round loaf of crusty bread)
4 tablespoons butter
1 minced garlic clove
3 eggs
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 cups cooked chopped spinach
pinch of nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp and brown; drain.

Slice the top of the boule, and hollow out the center, leaving about a 1 inch shell. Process the soft bread in a blender for crumbs for another use. Spread the inside of the lid of the bread with butter creamed with garlic. Whisk the eggs in a bowl with the mayonnaise; add the spinach, bacon, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange half the oysters on the bottom of the boule, cover with half the spinach mixture, half the tomato slices, a layer of crumbs, and half the cheese. Repeat the layers and replace the bread lid. Wrap the loaf in foil and bake for 45 minutes. Cut into 6 wedges with a serrated bread knife and serve.

MARDI GRAS FLASHER
6 oz. ginger ale
1 teaspoon grenadine
2 oz. dark rum

Mix together with crushed ice in a glass and garnish with mint leaves.
www.idrink.com

CANAL STREET DAISY
Juice of a lemon
Juice of an orange
1 slice orange
1 oz. blended rye whiskey
Carbonated water

Pour blended whiskey, juice of orange and juice of lemon into Collins glass over ice cubes. Fill with carbonated water and stir.
www.idrink.com

HURRICANE DRAGON
1 1/5 oz..mango juice
2 oz.. Remy Martin V.S.O.P
1 teaspoon of mashed fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
splash of lemon juice
splash of grenadine
splash of tonic water

Mix dices ginger root with sugar. Add lemon juice, mango juice and Cognac. Shake and strain over ice into a highball or hurricane glass until 3/4 full. Then add a splash of grenadine, fill the glass with tonic water. Garnish with a slice of ginger root. (Cocktail created by: Alex Ott)
www.Liquor Snob.com