February 2011 – The Louisville Chef

Creole Jambalaya

February 27, 2011March 24, 2025Leave a comment

When you look closely at the word jambalaya, you notice that it is actually three words. “Jambon”, from the French for ham, “ala”, as in the style of and “ya”, the West African word for rice. Shortened and pronounced as jambalaya.

Jambalaya is one of those dishes that seems to be claimed by both Creole and Cajun alike, so here’s my hat in the ring.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. Butter

1 lb. lean Pork, cut into ½ inch squares1 lb. Andouille, Creole or Chaurice sausage, cut into ¼ inch pieces

2 large Onions, finely chopped

½ cup Green Pepper

1/2 cup Celery

4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Parsley

3 Sprigs fresh Thyme, or ½ tsp. dried thyme

Pinch of ground Cloves

A few grindings of fresh Black Pepper

1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper, if you do not like it spicy, this can be omitted.

1 – Bay leaf

1 tsp. Salt

4 ½ cups of low sodium Beef stock

2 tsp. of Liquid smoke

2 cups of white Rice

¼ cup of green Onions, to finish

Preparation:

Melt butter to a large heavy saucepan or cast iron stockpot. Sauté onions, green pepper, garlic and lean pork for 5 minutes and then add the parsley, thyme and green onion and continue cooking for a few more minutes.

Then add all the rest of the spices and sausage and slowly brown for 5 minutes. Then add the rice, stir and coat thoroughly and then the beef stock and bring back to a boil, now add the liquid smoke, stir again and cover, and turn heat down to low.

Cook for approx. 35 min. stirring on occasion until liquid is fully absorbed, Take off the heat and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then stir in green onions and serve in deep bowls with hot sauce.

Note: Thank you for use of the pic. Hopefully I can recover mine soon.

Pistachio Sauce

February 12, 2011March 24, 2025Leave a comment

I think this sauce is wonderful and it is just perfect on any sort of kebab or grilled meat. I have not tried it on chicken yet, but I can imagine it would be great.

As it keeps well in the refrigerator, you can make a batch and then just allow it to come up to room temperature before serving it. You can always add a bit of water to thin it down as well.

Ingredients:

10 oz of pistachios, shelled and ground in a small food processor
1/2 cup tahini
Juice from three lemons
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 cup of water

Preparation:

Begin by grinding your pistachios in your food processor. You want them to be finely ground, so the sauce will be smooth. Then add the lemon juice, garlic and pulse until mixed. Add in the tahini a bit at a time. It will get very thick, but don’t be concerned, as you will add your water to thin it down. If it is still thick, you can always add more water. You want it to be the consistency of a thick sauce.

When you are ready to serve it, just pour it over your kebabs or other meats and enjoy.

Kebabs with Pistachio Sauce

February 12, 2011March 24, 2025Leave a comment

I really like this recipe for a few reasons. One, it is easy to prepare, two, it can be made in advance and three, it tastes amazing. For me, this ticks all my boxes.

The important part here is to make sure you read through the recipe first. Also, have your meat ground twice. In other words, ask your butcher to run it through the grinder a second time, and three would be even better. It really integrates the fat into the meat and gives you the moistest kebabs you can imagine.

Ingredients:

2 lbs of ground Lamb or Beef or combination of the two.
3 Garlic cloves, crushed
10 oz of finely chopped shelled Pistachios, I find it easier to grind/chop them in a small food processor.
1/2 tsp ground Cardamom
1tsp ground Cumin
1 tsp smoked hot or sweet Paprika
1 tsp ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
1/2 tsp ground Coriander seeds
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf Parsley, finely chopped
2 red Onions, finely chopped.

Preparation:

Begin by chopping/grinding your pistachios and put into a bowl with all of the other dry spices. In a food processor, pulse the onions until they are finely chopped then add the parsley which has been roughly chopped and the crushed garlic. Then continue to pulse it until it is almost a puree.

Now in a large bowl pour the onion mixture over the ground meat and work in well with your hands until it is completely blended. Then sprinkle on the pistachio and spice mixture a bit at a time and incorporate it into the meat until it is all completely mixed. This will take about 5 minutes of working the mixture.

Put into the refrigerator allow it to rest. This can be as little as 30 minutes, or up to overnight. However, I think it is easier to form them into the kebab shapes after a shorter period of time and then let them rest in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook. I have left them up to two days and they have been absolutely fine.

When you are ready to form them, make sure that you make them about the size of a short Italian sausage. Approx. 4 inches long by 1 1/2 inch around. This should make about 12 kebabs. I find it much easier to split the meat mixture into 4 equal parts and then each part into three parts and then mold them. This ensures that they are all the same size and that they will cook evenly.

When ready to cook, bring them out of the refrigerator and allow them to sit for at last 30 minutes, so they are not quite so cold. Otherwise, you will find that they will be well done on the outside and raw on the inside.

There are four ways to cook these kebabs. You can brush them with olive oil and cook in a pan/griddle until browned all over, or you can put them on a baking sheet and into a preheated 350 degree oven for approx. 20-25 minutes. Or you can grill them under the broiler for approx. 8-10 minutes, turning them once during grilling. Or, you can cook them on a outside grill.

In the previous post, I gave you the recipe for the pistachio sauce. It can easily be made while the kebabs are cooking.

Thank you to Rumi Spice for the picture.

Prawns with Orange and Cilantro

February 9, 2011March 30, 2025Leave a comment

This is a perfect light salad or mezze to compliment any sort of kebab, or even on it’s own. The freshness is just stunning and carries the prawns to an entirely different place.

Ingredients:

12 large Prawns/Shrimp, shelled and boiled just until they turn pink.
2 Blood Oranges, or if not available, a normal orange or tangerine, peeled, segmented and seeded
15 small Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
2 Shallots, chopped finely
1 Garlic clove, chopped
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 inch piece of fresh Ginger Root, grated
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 /2 tsp Cumin
1/4 Sea Salt
4 Tbsp chopped Cilantro

Preparation:

Peel, segment and seed the oranges, and set aside. Boil the prawns until just pink, maybe 3-4 minutes maximum and allow to cool and then mix with the oranges in a serving dish.

Slice the tomatoes and then add with all other ingredients into a food processor and blend, then toss over the prawn and orange mixture and serve or refrigerate.

Ravioli with Fresh Thyme and Ginger

February 5, 2011March 30, 2025Leave a comment

This is my interpretation of a meal I had in the Piedmonte region of Italy. We drove for hours into the hills above Turin and finally reached an old villa, and I ordered this dish. It was stunning and well worth the drive.

It is an interesting and subtle flavor. The combination of the fresh thyme and the fresh ginger really work well together. Use only fresh thyme and fresh ginger, as otherwise the results will not be acceptable.

Ingredients:

8-10 fresh Ravioli or Tortellini

4 Tbsp Butter

5 fresh Thyme sprigs, whole not chopped

1 tsp freshly grated Ginger Root

Parmesan

Preparation:

Start the water for your pasta. Heat your sauté pan and add the butter, thyme and grated ginger root and gently sauté. Do not brown.

Cook the pasta in salted water until just slightly under done. It will cook very quickly, so watch it carefully.

Drain the pasta and transfer to the sauté pan with the butter, fresh thyme and fresh ginger, and toss to finish the pasta, finish with the parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Beef Stroganoff- A classic dish from a bygone era.

February 3, 2011March 30, 2025Leave a comment

This is a classic dish that has fallen off of many European restaurant menus, but has remained as a house specialty in a few. The Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa is just such a place.

A meal at the Mount Nelson is like a trip back in time to colonial South Africa. Many dishes on their excellent menu are reflective of the new South African cuisine, but this one is a classic of an age gone by.

This dish was originally named for the Stroganoff family of Russia. During the time of Imperial Russia, they were probably the most wealthy and influential family second only to the Czar and his family, the Romanoff’s.

It is quite easy to prepare and just requires a bit of organization to get it right. As the French say, “mis en place.” Loosely translated to “everything in its place.”

Since it is very rich, I would recommend serving it with a Burgundy(Pinot Noir), St Emilion or a Rhone. I do not recommend this with a big meaty Cabernet Sauvignon or other Bordeaux, as it will be potentially overwhelming.Ingredients:

1 lb of Sirloin, cut into ¼ inch pieces of 3 to 4 inches long. I find that the meat will be easier to slice if it is slightly frozen before cutting. When slicing, always remember to slice across the grain of the meat otherwise it will be tough. Once sliced, toss with salt, pepper and the sugar and then refrigerate.

1lb of Mushrooms sliced

1 large Onion thinly sliced. Using a Mandoline is the easiest option here.

1 lb of wide Egg Noodles

2 tsp. of Sugar

½ cup dry White Wine

5 Tbsp of Butter

16 oz of Sour Cream, at room temperature

Freshly grated Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper
Fresh Parsley, chopped – Optional

Preparation:

Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in the sauté pan and lightly brown the beef. There is no need to cook it completely, as it will be added in again, closer to the end. Remove and set aside.

Now add the rest of the butter to the sauté pan and sauté the onion until translucent, then add the mushrooms and cook until they reduce in size. Start a large pot of salted water for the noodles. Bring to a boil and add the noodles.

Add the wine, deglaze the pan and continue cooking until the wine has mostly evaporated. Now add back the meat and residual juices and the nutmeg and cook for another few minutes. Don\’t overcook, you want the meat to be slightly pink.

Drain the noodles after they have cooked slightly under the recommended time and add the sour cream into the hot noodles immediately and then add the meat mixture. Stir well until the mixture is well mixed and serve on warm plates. You may garnish with freshly chopped parsley if desired.