Creole Classics From NOLA 'Palace'

Since 1880, the Commander's Palace restaurant in New Orleans has been a landmark known for its award-winning food. This fall marked the 125th anniversary of this legendary eatery, which has produced some of America's most talented chefs including Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse.

Like many businesses in New Orleans, the restaurant has been closed due to Hurricane Katrina. Executive Chef Tory McPhail visited The Early Show to showcase some of the restaurant's classic Creole dishes and to talk about the future of this legendary restaurant.

"We're working really hard to try to get the restaurant back up on track as quickly as we can and have a top notch crew in there working hard every day," says McPhail.

As for the restaurant staff, McPhail says all of the employees are OK and accounted for.

"I have staff spread out from Costa Rica to 15 or 18 different states," he says. "So it's challenging to keep track."

McPhail showcased a shrimp dish and shared recipes for several classic dishes, including jumbo lump crab cakes, oyster chowder, and Bananas Foster.

RECIPES:
Shrimp and Tasso Henican
Makes 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients:
24 jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 ounces tasso (see Note), cut into twenty-four 1-inch strips
½ cup all-purpose flour
any Creole seasoning mix
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup Crystal Hot Sauce Beurre Blanc
¾ cup Five-Pepper Jelly (recipe below) or a good-quality prepared pepper jelly
12 pieces pickled okra, cut in half top to bottom

Preparation:
CUT a quarter-inch-deep incision down the back of each shrimp where it has been de-veined, and place a tasso strip in each incision. Secure with a toothpick. Combine the flour with the Creole seasoning and lightly dredge each shrimp.

HEAT the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and fry the shrimp in the hot oil for about 30 seconds on each side. Shrimp should be firm with a red brown color. Remove the shrimp and drain briefly on a paper towel. Toss the shrimp with the Crystal Hot Sauce beurre blanc in a bowl, coat thoroughly, and remove the toothpicks.

PLACE a portion of five-pepper jelly on each of 8 appetizer plates, and arrange 3 shrimp on each plate, alternating with 3 pieces of pickled okra.

NOTE: Tasso is a seasoning ham widely used in New Orleans but hard to find elsewhere. You could order it by mail, or you could substitute one ounce of ham cut in one-inch strips and tossed with one part cayenne and three parts paprika.

Crystal Hot Sauce Beurre Blanc
Makes ¾ cup

Ingredients
1/3 cup Crystal Hot Sauce (another hot sauce can be substituted)
2 tablespoons minced shallots
6 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
¼ cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt to taste

Preparation
PLACE the hot sauce, shallots, garlic and cream in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, simmer until reduced by half, stirring frequently. Slowly whip the softened butter, a bit at a time, into the pot, being careful not to let the sauce break. (The cream acts as a stabilizer.) Strain and keep the sauce warm. Add salt.

CHEF'S TIPS
Because of the high acidity of this sauce, you may need to take it off the heat as you add the butter to keep it from breaking, which would require you to start over. If it seems to get too thick, return it to the heat.

Five Pepper Jelly
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients
1 ½ cups light corn syrup
1 ¼ cups white vinegar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 each large red, yellow, and green bell pepper, seeded, membranes trimmed, and finely diced
4 jalapeño peppers, seeds and membranes removed, finely diced

Preparation:
PLACE the corn syrup, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper in a small saucepan. Simmer to reduce by two thirds, until mixture is thickened. It will get even thicker as it cools, but the peppers will thin it again when they are added.

BRIEFLY place the peppers in a hot dry skillet and sauté until tender and their color is brightened, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peppers from the pan and add them to the corn syrup mixture.

USE as directed in the previous recipe. Five-pepper jelly also goes well on toast and as a glaze for roast chicken.

NOTE: This recipe can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. A good store-bought version is also available, by mail if necessary.

Gulf Fish Court Bouillon
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
¾ cup fresh tomatoes, julienne (peeled and seeded before slicing)
1/3 cup julienne onion
½ cup julienne roasted peppers (red, green, and/or yellow)
2 garlic cloves shaved thin
1/3 cup thinly diagonally cut celery
½ teaspoon Louisiana hot pepper sauce
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons red wine
2 drops liquid crab boil
2 bay leaves
2 lemon wedges
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless red snapper fillets
6 large Gulf shrimp, peeled and de-veined
3 tablespoons Creole Seafood Seasoning (page 157)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, peppers, garlic, celery, hot sauce, Worcestershire, wine, crab boil, bay leaves, lemon wedges, salt and pepper: set aside.

Cut an 18 x 18-inch sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and lay flat on the counter. Season fillets and shrimp with Creole Seafood Seasoning. Place fillets side by side in center of foil and top each fillet with 3 shrimp. Place half of vegetable mixture on top of each fillet and shrimp.

Cut another 18 x 18-inch sheet of foil and cover fish: align it with bottom sheet. Fold edges of foil together tightly, folding over 3 to 4 times on each side. Then fold each corner a couple of times. (This helps lock in the heat.) Place foil bag on a baking sheet and bake 25 minutes. Foil will puff up when finished cooking. Carefully cut foil open (to avoid a steam burn) and spoon fish and vegetables onto a serving platter or into a bowl.

CHEF'S TIPS:
Feel free to use another fish — white flaky fish works best. This is an easy, throw-in-the-oven dish. You can substitute a mélange of vegetables, add a touch of white wine and lemon, season and put into the oven. Use liquid crab boil sparingly! It is very intense and powerful.

Oyster Chowder
Makes 4 quarts, enough for 16 appetizer or 8 entrée servings

Ingredients
8 ounces salt pork or bacon, cut in small strips
2 medium onions, in small dice
3 stalks celery, in small dice
2 medium bell peppers, in small dice
¼ cup flour
1 quart clear chicken stock, clear seafood stock, or oyster liquor
3 bay leaves
1½ pounds potatoes, half of them cooked and put through a ricer, milled, or mashed, half uncooked but cut in small dice
1 cup heavy cream
3 pints shucked oysters in their liquor
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Hot sauce
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter (optional)

Preparation:
PLACE a soup pot on high heat for 1 minute. Add the salt pork and cook to render for about 5 minutes, or until fat is clear and colorless, stirring occasionally. Add the onions, celery, garlic and peppers, and cook for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and onions are clear. Stir occasionally.

ADD the flour, stirring constantly so that nothing sticks to the bottom during cooking. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the flour is well distributed and the mixture thickens. Add the stock and bay leaves and simmer uncovered over medium heat for 25 minutes. Add mashed potatoes, stir, and simmer for about 3 minutes. Add diced potatoes, simmer, and stir occasionally, cooking for about 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

STIR in the cream, bring to a boil, cook for 2 minutes, and add the oysters. Cook until the edges of the oysters curl, then season with salt and pepper. Spoon into serving bowls, add a dash of hot sauce and a sprinkling of green onions to each serving, and serve with a bit of the butter, if desired, floating on top.

CHEF'S TIPS:
It is much easier to cut salt pork when it is frozen.
Oyster liquor, also called oyster liquid, is the juice from the oyster that runs out during shucking. Chicken or seafood stock, or canned clam juice, are all great substitutes. Don't season to taste until you have added the oysters because they and the pork can be salty. You can adjust the consistency by adding a few tablespoons of blond roux to make thicker soup or adding more stock or cream for thinner soup.

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Sweet Corn and Jalapeno
Makes 4 entrees or 8 appetizers

Ingredients
Crab cakes:
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for bits of shell and cartilage (other crabmeat can be substituted)
1 small red onion, in small dice
½ large red bell pepper, in small dice
2/3 cup mayonnaise (homemade will be better), with Tabasco and freshly ground black pepper added to taste.
1/3 cup Creole mustard or other coarse mustard
2 teaspoons capers, drained and coarsely chopped
½ medium hard-cooked egg, diced small
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Creole Seafood Seasoning (page 294) or any Creole seasoning mix, or to taste
2 tablespoons butter

Corn accompaniment:
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups freshly shucked corn kernels, about 6 ears
2 jalapeno peppers, seed and membranes removed, in 1/8-inch dice
Kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

For serving:
1 green onion, finely sliced
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional garnish)

Preparation:
PLACE the crabmeat in a bowl, breaking it up as little as possible. In a separate bowl, combine the onion, bell pepper, mayonnaise, mustard, capers, egg, horseradish, salt, pepper, and seafood seasoning. Mix well, add the crabmeat, and fold together, again taking care not to break up the crabmeat.

SHAPE the crab cakes. If you wish, you can roughly shape them by hand before placing the mixture in metal rings or round cookie cutters, each about 2½ inches in diameter. Or you can place the rings on a flat surface, put 2½ to 3 ounces of the mixture in each ring, and press lightly on each cake.

PREHEAT a nonstick pan or seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter, but don't let it smoke. Using your finger and a small spatula, guide about four of the rings into the skillet. Cook the crab cakes for 1½ minutes, or until golden brown. Turn them over, using the spatula and cook again for 1½ minutes or until golden brown. Using the spatula, move the cakes to a sheet pan, and remove the rings. Repeat until the entire mixture is used. About halfway through, discard the butter and use a second tablespoon.

TO MAKE the corn accompaniment: Place a sauté pan over medium heat and add ½ tablespoon of butter. Be careful not to let the butter burn. Place the corn and jalapeno in the pan and stir constantly, seasoning with salt and pepper. When the corn is hot (1½ to 2 minutes) stir in the remaining 1½ tablespoons of butter and add the minced thyme. Cook until all the butter has melted. Season to taste.

SERVE one crab cake for an appetizer portion, two for an entrée. Spoon some of the corn mixture over the top of each cake, sprinkle with green onions and garnish, if desired, with thyme sprigs.

Bananas Foster
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons light or dark rum, divided
4 ripe bananas, peeled, sliced lengthwise and halved again into quarters
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Preparation:
In a flat sauté pan or medium skillet, add butter, sugar and 2 tablespoons rum; cook over medium-high heat while stirring to melt. Add bananas; use a table fork to lightly prick bananas while cooking. Sauté about 1 minute, or until bananas start to soften.

Carefully tilt pan toward you to get top half of pan hot, then remove pan from heat.

Pour remaining ¼ cup rum over bananas. To flambé bananas, carefully ignite rum by either tilting pan towards flame on range or cautiously lighting with a long taper match.

Gently shake flaming pan with one hand and sprinkle cinnamon over flame with the other hand. This makes the cinnamon sparkle and glow.

When flames die our, immediately spoon bananas and sauce over ice cream.

Ponchatoula Strawberry Shortcakes
Makes 6 large servings or 8 moderate servings

Ingredients:
Biscuits:
4 cups all-purpose four
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ pound (2 sticks) butter, cold and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 ½ to 2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda

Strawberry mix:
4 pints reddest strawberries (smaller berries are generally sweeter)
3 cups granulated sugar (adjust for the sweetness of the berries to your taste)

Topping:
1 ½ cups heavy cream, very cold
¼ cup granulated sugar

For serving:
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preparation:
PREHEAT oven to 400 degrees.

TO MAKE the biscuits, sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl. Gently work in the butter with 2 knives in your hands, breaking it into pea-sized pieces but taking care not to overwork the dough. Form a well in the center of the mixture, add 1½ cups of the buttermilk mixed with the baking soda, and lightly fold the mixture so that it's just sticky and the dry ingredients just moistened. If needed, add the additional buttermilk. The idea is to create layers so the butter will steam and serve as a leavening agent to help the biscuits rise. The less you handle the dough, the flakier the biscuits will be.

ON A WORK SURFACE lightly dusted with flour, flatten the dough to 1½ inch thickness. Using a flour-dusted cutter 2½ inches in diameter, cut the dough into 6 or 8 biscuits. Set the biscuits touching each other in an ungreased pie pan so that they stay moist while they bake. Bake biscuits for 20-25 minutes. Do not over-bake; remember that the final 10 percent of the cooking will happen after they are removed from the oven.

WASH and hull the strawberries, and cut them in half; if they are large, cut them in quarters. One hour before serving, combine the berries and the sugar. The berries will secrete a juice mixture that should not be gritty from the sugar. The sugar mixture should be of a syrup-like consistency.

TO PREPARE the topping, put the chilled heavy cream in a chilled bowl and whip with a whisk or an electric mixer. When the cream starts to thicken, add the sugar and whip to the desired consistency. Do not over-whip.

THE BISCUITS should be served warm (prepare and chill the dough the day before, if you wish, and bake before serving) but not so warm that they cause the whipped cream to melt.

TO ASSEMBLE, split the biscuits horizontally, and dust the top halves with powdered sugar. Place the bottom half of each biscuit on a dessert plate and top each with a portion of the strawberry mixture and some of the syrup. Top with a dollop of the whipped cream, and top each with a sugared biscuit top.