Chicken Tenders with Pepper Jelly and Spinach Salad
Watercress and Spinach Salad with Pecans
Squid with Spicy Creole Vinaigrette
Chicken Tenders with Pepper Jelly and Spinach Salad
Watercress and Spinach Salad with Pecans
Squid with Spicy Creole Vinaigrette
Sometime in late May or early June in New Orleans, a day will begin hot and will just keep getting hotter. It’s the first of many such days, and by September, it seems as if they will never end. This has a definite effect on our dining habits. Suddenly the idea of replacing a plate of red beans and rice or a bowl of gumbo with a refreshing salad sounds very good, indeed.
Even at those times, Orleanians remain suspicious of salads. It wasn’t until recent memory that local greens were good enough to hold up their end of the flavor bargain. Even expensive restaurants kept throwing jejune stacks of iceberg lettuce at us until the 1990s. Fortunately, we’ve managed to move past that, and both stores and restaurants provide Orleanians with interesting greens and vegetables for the salad bowl.
The most popular big salads in New Orleans are those made by tossing some of those leaves with our big boiled shrimp, lump crabmeat, or both. Fried oysters or crawfish tails also become salad garnishes, functioning like the most interesting croutons you can imagine. Such salads are easy enough to figure out. Here are a few more complicated salads for the end of summer, when you’ve worn out all of the obvious ideas. Many of them can do duty not just as salads, but as cold appetizers or even light, fresh summer entrées.
Chicken Tenders with Pepper Jelly and Spinach Salad
This dish will help you get rid of some of that pepper jelly you’re always getting as gifts (or the pepper jelly you made yourself that you can’t seem to unload). Maybe the stuff would be in greater demand if it came with a recipe like this one.
1 cup pepper jelly
2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. salt-free Creole seasoning
2 Tbsp. salt
2 lb. chicken tenders, or chicken breasts cut into thirds
1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter
8 oz. crumbled blue cheese
Two 10-oz. bags of fresh spinach leaves, well washed and dried
1 cup Creole Mustard Vinaigrette (see recipe, this page)
1. Preheat the broiler with the broiler pan about 4 inches from the heat.
2. Whisk the pepper jelly and orange juice together and set aside. Combine the flour, Creole seasoning, and salt in a wide bowl. Dust (don’t dredge!) the chicken tenders with the seasoned flour.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (preferably stainless steel) skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. (They will not be cooked all the way through at this point.) Add more butter, as necessary, to cook all the chicken.
4. Generously coat the chicken with the pepper-jelly mixture and place the pieces on the preheated broiler pan. Broil the chicken pieces until they are fully cooked and browned on top. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes, then cut them on the bias into ¾-inch-thick slices.
5. Toss the chicken slices, blue cheese, and spinach with the Creole mustard vinaigrette and serve. MAKES EIGHT ENTRÉE SALADS.
This salad came from Chef Gary Darling when he was one of the corporate chefs for Copeland’s—although I don’t remember that it was ever on the menu there. It’s a good change of pace from salads made mostly of green leaves. It’s refreshing and light, but the andouille makes you feel as if you’ve actually eaten something. It also comes out well with firm, well-seasoned grilled fish or chicken in place of the andouille.
1 Tbsp. sugar
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. Creole mustard
½ tsp. garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. green onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. fresh, seeded jalapeño, finely chopped
¼ cup sesame oil
4 peeled, seeded cucumbers
½ lb. grilled andouille sausage, diced
1. In a mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar in the vinegar.
2. Add the mustard, garlic, cilantro, green onion, and jalapeño to the sugar mixture and mix well. Add the sesame oil and mix well.
3. Quarter the cucumber lengthwise, then slice into thin disks. Marinate for 30 minutes in the sauce.
4. Drain the cucumber from the marinade and reserve the marinade for the next batch. Toss the andouille with the cucumber. SERVES FOUR.
What makes this Cobb salad different is that the chicken is seasoned with Creole seasoning and grilled. The dressing also includes a few local favorites among its ingredients. The result is a classic Cobb with a bit more bite. The choice of greens is critical. Use at least two varieties: one mild (such as Boston, iceberg, or romaine), the other sharper (such as escarole, frisée, or arugula). Ratio: about two parts mild to one part sharp.
CHICKEN
2 chicken breasts
Blackening Seasoning (see recipe, this page)
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
DRESSING
1 Tbsp. Creole mustard
3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp. tarragon vinegar
¼ tsp. salt
5 dashes of Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce
1 Tbsp. paprika
½ cup olive oil
SALAD
Enough mixed greens to make 4 salads (about 2 standard bags)
1 green onion, tender parts only, thinly sliced
1 hard-boiled egg, finely diced or crumbled
2 ripe but not soft avocados, cut into medium dice
2 ripe tomatoes, cut into medium dice
1 red radish, chopped
6 slices thick bacon, fried crisp
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
1. Generously season the chicken with the blackening seasoning. Brush with the butter and either grill or broil until cooked through and crusty. Let cool, then chop into medium dice.
2. To make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of water. Add the oil a little at a time, whisking constantly, until emulsified.
3. The greens are best torn into small pieces, not chopped. Either way, prepare them right before serving. In a bowl, combine the chicken and all the remaining salad ingredients, except the greens, and toss with three-quarters of the dressing. Add the greens and toss gently until all the leaves are coated. Add more dressing if necessary. SERVES FOUR.
Although frying is by far the best way to prepare catfish, the fish is so inexpensive and available that it’s hard to resist using it in other styles. I find that blackened catfish can be cooled off and then added to a salad with good effect. Blackening works best with larger fillets, which are less good for frying.
To blacken fish properly requires a very hot skillet, which will throw off a lot of smoke and perhaps even a few flames when the butter-coated fish hits the pan. Be sure to have a good exhaust fan going. Or take the whole shooting match outside and do it on an outdoor grill.
Four 8-oz. catfish fillets
1 stick butter, melted
½ cup Blackening Seasoning (see recipe, this page)
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
8 oz. Creole Mustard Vinaigrette (see recipe, this page)
2 bags spring mix salad
8–12 spears fresh asparagus, poached
8 wedges tomato
4 lemon wedges
1. Heat a black iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Turn the exhaust fan on.
2. While the skillet is heating, pass the fillets through the melted butter and shake off the excess. Then generously sprinkle the blackened seasoning on both sides of each fillet (you can even dredge it through the seasoning if you like).
3. Place the fish in the skillet and sear it for 1–2 minutes per side, depending on thickness. (Check to make sure the fish is done by piercing the thickest part with a kitchen fork. Hold it in the center for a few seconds, then carefully touch the fork to your lips. If the fork seems even a little warm, the fish is done.)
4. Let the fish cool for a few minutes, then cut into strips or large chunks.
5. Mix the feta cheese into the dressing. Toss the greens with the dressing, then place on a salad plate. Top with the asparagus, tomatoes, and catfish. Drizzle a little more dressing and lemon juice over all. MAKES FOUR ENTRÉE SALADS.
Watercress and Spinach Salad with Pecans
This is one of my favorite salads. I love the way the softness and pepperiness of the watercress plays against the crisp nuttiness of the pecans. And it doesn’t have ambitions to become an entrée. Don’t even try it unless the watercress is very fresh. Any yellow at all is bad news.
SALAD
1 bag of spinach, picked and washed
1 bunch of watercress, trimmed and washed
1½ cups sliced white mushrooms
DRESSING
¼ cup chopped toasted pecans
½ cup walnut oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 grinds fresh black pepper
Generous pinch of salt
½ tsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1. Tear the larger spinach leaves into pieces. Toss the spinach with the watercress and mushrooms in a salad bowl.
2. Put the dressing ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until emulsified. Add the dressing to the greens and toss until the leaves are well coated. SERVES FOUR.
This pasta salad has a distinctly Creole flavor, along with a clear Italian accent. It was created by chef Ron Wilemon, who’s turned up in a number of great restaurants over the years, including one of his own—the Allegro Bistro.
2 lb. cheese tortellini, preferably tri-color
2 Tbsp. Creole mustard
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
1 lb. andouille (see this page) or other smoked sausage, cut into small slivers
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cubed
16 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked a few minutes in warm water, sliced into julienne strips
3 cans artichoke hearts packed in water, drained, rinsed, and quartered
20–30 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1 each red, yellow, and green bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. dried oregano
1. Cook the tortellini in rapidly boiling water until still firm to the bite. Drain and refrigerate.
2. Whisk the mustard and the vinegar together in a large bowl. Add about a third of the oil, whisking until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of cold water, then gradually add the rest of the oil while whisking constantly.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, along with the tortellini, and toss carefully (avoid breaking the pasta) to distribute the ingredients evenly. Let it sit for about 15 minutes before serving. SERVES EIGHT TO TWELVE.
Squid with Spicy Creole Vinaigrette
One of the best ways to serve squid is as a salad. This is sort of that, although it’s really more akin to Shrimp Rémoulade with Two Sauces (see recipe, this page) and Crabmeat Ravigote (see recipe, this page). The best squid to use are the small ones, about three to four inches long.
2 lb. small squid
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
¼ tsp. cracked black peppercorns
1 sprig fresh thyme
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4½ tsp. Creole mustard
4½ tsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup thinly sliced white onion
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stems
1 rib celery, chopped
½ tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
1. The only difficulty with squid is cleaning it, and even that task is easy if you remember that the undesirable parts are where the tentacles meet the body. Cut out the ¼-inch section that includes the beak and the eyes. Then carefully remove the ink sac and the cartilage pen from the body and rub off the dark, thin skin. On the tentacle part, make sure there is a clear ring you can see through and remove any thin skin that may be there. Then slice the body into rings about ½ inch thick.
2. Put 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the wine, the crushed red pepper, black peppercorns, thyme, and ⅓ cup water into a saucepan. Add the cleaned squid and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 2 minutes more. Drain.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, salt, remaining vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of water together in a large bowl. Add the squid and all the other ingredients, and toss to combine.
4. Let the squid marinate, refrigerated, for about 4 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving. SERVES FOUR.
This is a little more complicated than most guacamole recipes and probably not authentic, but it sure tastes good. If you have fresh chile peppers available, chop about two tablespoons’ worth and substitute it for some or all of the Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce. To keep the avocados from browning, don’t cut them until everything else is chopped and combined. At this point, I’d like to apologize for the green ketchup. But blind tasting doesn’t lie: The ketchup adds a nice little something, and the green makes it greener.
1 medium white onion
10 sprigs cilantro, leaves only
Juice of 1 small lime
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large clove garlic
3 Tbsp. Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce, plus more to taste
3 large, very ripe tomatoes, seeds and pulp removed
½ tsp. salt, plus more to taste
1 Tbsp. ketchup (preferably green ketchup)
4–6 ripe Hass avocados (depending on size)
1. Put the onion, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and green pepper sauce into a food processor and chop finely, but don’t let it become a slush. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Chop the tomatoes coarsely and add to the bowl. Add the salt and ketchup.
3. Cut the avocados in half. Remove the pits. With a spoon, scoop out the flesh into the bowl, avoiding any discolored or stringy parts. Using a large wire whisk, mash and mix everything together. The guacamole should be on the chunky side, not a puree. Add more green pepper sauce and salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips. SERVES TEN TO FIFTEEN.
Cole slaw is an essential part of my barbecue menu. My wife, who is not given to spewing unwarranted praise and who is a cole slaw fan, says this is the ultimate. And you know she’s never wrong. This makes quite a bit—enough for 20 or 30 portions.
VEGETABLES
1 head green cabbage, finely shredded or finely chopped
1 head red cabbage, finely shredded or finely chopped
2 bunches of green onions, finely chopped
1 lb. carrots, peeled and finely shredded
DRESSING
1 quart mayonnaise
1¼ cups cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. celery seed
1½ tsp. dried dill
¼ tsp. dried tarragon
¼ tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce
1 cup buttermilk
1. Toss all of the vegetables together in a large bowl and set aside
2. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Pour about half the dressing over the vegetables and toss until well coated. Add more dressing to coat but not to make a puddle of dressing in the bottom of the bowl. SERVES TWENTY TO THIRTY.
Deviled eggs are not thought of as a particularly brilliant appetizer, but I say that’s because most people have never eaten them with New Orleans–style red rémoulade sauce. That combination was a specialty at the historic, lost Creole cafe called Maylie’s. Arnaud’s revived the idea some years ago with its superb rémoulade sauce, and it still holds up. Add some sliced ripe avocado, lettuce, and tomatoes to the plate, and you have a fine little salad. For an extra touch, garnish each serving with a couple of boiled, peeled shrimp.
8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
1 Tbsp. chopped yellow onion
1 Tbsp. chopped celery
½ tsp. small capers
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
⅛ tsp. salt
4 dashes of Tabasco
4 small ripe but not soft Hass avocados, halved, pitted, and peeled
2 large ripe tomatoes (Creoles or beefsteak), cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices, then into half-moons
One 8–10-oz. bag of baby lettuces or spring mix
½ cup red rémoulade sauce (see Shrimp Rémoulade with Two Sauces, this page)
1. Scoop the yolks out into a bowl. Reserve the egg-white halves.
2. Add the onion, celery, capers, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and Tabasco to the yolks and mix well with a whisk. (You can even beat it to fluffiness.)
3. Load the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe it into the centers of the egg-white halves.
4. Cut the avocado halves into ¼-inch-thick slices. Fan out each sliced avocado half on one side of an individual plate, with the slices overlapping. Place an egg half in the avocado’s pit indentation. Put 2 tomato half-moons and another egg half on the other side of the plate. Surround all with lettuce leaves. Drizzle the rémoulade sauce generously over each salad and serve chilled. SERVES EIGHT.
Have you ever wondered why French dressing is orange in America but nowhere else? No? Well, the orange element is paprika, and originally the dressing included enough paprika to make it spicy. The French eventually cut back on the paprika, but in America—where the paprika rarely had much spice—it was left in. I have gone back to using the spicy paprika, and I enjoy the effect it has on an otherwise straightforward vinaigrette.
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. Hungarian spicy paprika
3 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese
⅛ tsp. salt
Pinch of ground white pepper
1. Whisk the mustard, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of water together in a bowl. Add the olive oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly, until the dressing takes on a smooth, almost opaque quality.
2. Whisk in the paprika, cheese, salt, and pepper. Store in a tightly closed bottle in the refrigerator until ready to use. This dressing can be stored, refrigerated and covered, for 2 weeks. MAKES ABOUT A CUP AND A HALF OF DRESSING.
Here’s a tart, refreshing salad dressing that’s especially good on bitter greens like arugula, radicchio, endive, or frisée.
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. ground white pepper
Combine the mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of cold water together in a bowl with a wire whisk. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly, until incorporated fully. Add the salt and pepper, and toss with salad greens. This dressing can be stored, refrigerated and covered, for 2 weeks. MAKES ABOUT A HALF CUP.
Whoever came up with idea of making a vinaigrette with our pungent Creole mustard instead of the standard Dijon mustard was really onto something. It’s the dressing I most often make at home, and it’s good on all sorts of salads, from simple greens to seafood salad to even pasta salads.
2 Tbsp. Creole mustard
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
⅛ tsp. ground white pepper
1. Whisk the mustard, vinegar, 1 tablespoon of cold water, and a third of the oil together in a bowl. Add the remaining oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly, until emulsified.
2. Add the white pepper and whisk. You can also do this in a shaker bottle, but whisking gives a much better, creamier consistency. This dressing can be stored, refrigerated and covered, for 2 weeks. MAKES ABOUT A CUP AND A HALF OF DRESSING.
Roasted Onion (or Garlic) Vinaigrette
Onions give this great dressing a touch of sweetness. You can also get more or less the same result with a head of garlic.
½ medium yellow onion, diced, or 1 head garlic, peeled and chopped
½ tsp. salt-free Creole seasoning
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Combine the onion (or garlic, if using), Creole seasoning, and 2 tablespoons of the oil in an ovenproof pan with a lid. Cover and bake in the oven for 2 hours. Cool to room temperature.
2. Whisk in the vinegar, remaining oil, and salt and pepper to taste. This dressing can be stored, refrigerated and covered, for 2 weeks. MAKES ABOUT A CUP OF DRESSING.
Every time I look at this recipe, the image of an avocado ranch comes to mind. Rounding them up . . . branding them . . . Okay, enough. As is the case with any dish using avocados, the challenge here is to make it during the half-hour or so when the avocados you have on hand are perfectly ripe. Also, make only enough of this dressing for one use, as it does not hold up well, even refrigerated.
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. dried tarragon
½ tsp. dried dill
1 tsp. celery seed
2 Tbsp. Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
2 medium ripe Hass avocados, halved and pitted
1. Whisk all of the ingredients, except the avocados, together in a bowl. Let this sit for about an hour before moving on.
2. Scoop the avocados out of their skin with a spoon. Avoid any stringy parts at the stem end. Add the avocados to the other ingredients and mash with a whisk. Add ¼ cup of cold water and whisk until smooth. Add a little more water to thin the texture, as desired.
3. Right before serving, toss the greens (red and green leaf, romaine, or Boston lettuces recommended; watercress makes a nice accent) with the dressing. Garnish individual salads with thin slices of avocado and tomato. MAKES ABOUT A CUP AND A HALF OF DRESSING.
For a long time, this meant that thick, gluey stuff made with mayonnaise and so heavy it’s a wonder any salad survived it. Lately many of us are going back to the original blue cheese salad, which was essentially a green salad dressed with vinaigrette and sprinkled with blue cheese. This recipe puts the cheese in the dressing, but it’s still pretty light. It also works very well with feta cheese.
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup olive oil
½ tsp. dried dill
¼ tsp. Tabasco
4 oz. blue cheese (Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola, or domestic) or feta
1. Whisk the vinegar, mustard, and 2 tablespoons of water together in a bowl. Add the olive oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly, until the dressing takes on a smooth, almost opaque quality.
2. Add the dill and Tabasco, and crumble the cheese into the dressing. Stir well with a fork. This dressing can be stored, refrigerated and covered, for up to 1 week. MAKES ABOUT A CUP AND A QUARTER OF DRESSING.
