southern accents | july/august 200956-w2

ENTERTAINING food

by Alice Welsh Doyle photographed by Chris Granger

Real CajunIn this new cookbook by New Orleans chef Donald Link, you’ll find not only great recipes but also engaging stories that honor his Cajun roots

Summer Crab and Tomato Salad works as lunch or an appetizer. Donald Link’s restaurant Herbsaint, on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, serves French-inspired cuisine with a Southern flair. His other restaurant, Cochon (French for pig), serves authentic Cajun fare. R

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ENTERTAINING

When I lIved In neW York, I lIked to tell people that I was part Cajun just to add some spice to my Mississippi roots. On one visit home, my mother informed me that I was not Cajun at all—she grew up in southeastern Louisiana, about five parishes away from Acadia. So much for the story, but I still savored the flavors of that region, such as my grandmother Bebe’s seafood gumbo, which I’ve never attempted to make, and her shrimp Creole, which I successfully have. My first fine dining experience as a child was in New Orleans for late lunches at Galatoire’s after shopping the Quarter, and I’ll never forget my first crawfish étouffée at The Bon Ton Café on Magazine Street.

Chef Donald Link of Herbsaint and Cochon in New Orleans evokes memories of such unpretentious fare in Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking From Donald Link’s Louisiana (Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2009, $35). Besides the mouthwatering recipes, what makes it so enjoyable is the lively stories and tidbits about Link’s early exposure to great food, as well as more recent experiences. Like Link, I too went crabbing in the summer. He says that cleaning crabs is a labor of love, and I wholeheartedly agree. After reading this cookbook—and you will read it, not just skim it—you feel as if it is all about love without any of the labor. Here’s a taste.

Summer Crab and Tomato Salad yield: 4 lunch or appetizer servings

As much as I love warm, bubbling crab dishes, I still favor my crabmeat cold and “dressed” in mayo, especially when it’s super-fresh and in luxuriously large pieces. The acidity of ripe tomatoes is a natural combination with the crab’s clean sea-food flavor and a rich, creamy dressing. Peppery watercress, simply dressed with oil and vinegar, makes a great addition on the side and creates a well-rounded salad.

1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Generous pinch of cayenne pepper

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, carefully picked over for shells

and cartilage (not pasteurized)

2 large ripe tomatoes

Sea salt[continued on page 56-w6]

ENTERTAINING food

1. Combine jalapeño pepper, lime zest and juice, and white wine vinegar in the bowl of a mini food processor, and purée until smooth. 2. Transfer to a medium bowl, and fold in mayonnaise, mint, salt, red pepper flakes, and cayenne.3. Add crab to the dressing, and gently fold together. 4. Slice the tomatoes a little shy of ½-inch thick. Divide tomato slices among four salad plates, and season with sea salt. Top tomatoes with equal portions of the crab salad, and serve immediately.

Note: When picking over lump crabmeat for bits of shell or cartilage, take your time and try to keep the crab in big chunks. It will break down a bit when you combine the meat with the other ingredients, so the less handling early on, the better.

One time at Herbsaint we had 10 pounds of some of the most beautiful white crabmeat I’d ever seen. Without con-sulting anyone, one of the prep cooks decided to pick through it, and he tore it to shreds. It looked as if someone had put the crab through a food processor and then ran it over with a car. Of course, then I had to kill him.

[continued on page 56-w8]Link’s childhood amusements in southwestern Louisiana included crabbing with his sister.

ENTERTAINING

Strawberries With Cornmeal Shortcakes and Fresh Whipped Cream

yield: 8 servings

One of my earliest food memories is my first strawberry. It was a hot and dry day in Louisiana, and we were driving north of Lake Charles for the sole purpose of picking strawberries. When we got to the farm, we each got a straw basket and walked out into the field to pick our bounty. The first one I found was dark red and supersweet, and the juice exploded when I bit into it. On a recent trip to Burgundy with my family, I was reminded of that day. We stayed at a farmhouse, and the strawberries in the rough garden out back were the only I’ve had since that came close to that amazing flavor.

I have been accused sometimes of not liking fruit. That couldn’t be further from the truth; what I don’t like is underripe, hard fruit that’s out of season. I save this recipe for that special crop of perfect strawberries at the peak of the season, even if that’s only once or twice a year.

The point of covering the strawberries in sugar is not only to sweeten them up but also to create the juice that will soak

Louisiana is famous for decadence, and its desserts

are certainly no exception. I am

fondest of desserts that let the beauty of fresh fruit stand front and center. —chef Donald Link

ENTERTAINING

into the bottom layer of the shortcake. If the berries are supersweet, use less sugar.

1 quart ripe strawberries, hulled and rinsed3⁄4 to 1 cup granulated sugar, divided

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup fine cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ cup lard, cold

2 tablespoons butter, cold

Pinch of salt

1 egg

½ cup milk

2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Cut strawberries into quarters and toss with 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar. Let sit for a few hours to give the sugar time to extract some juice.2. Preheat oven to 400°. Place a rack in the highest position.3. Combine flour, cornmeal, 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar, and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add lard, butter, and salt; cut into flour mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingertips.4. Whisk egg and milk together, and stir into the dry ingredients.5. Drop the batter onto a lightly but-tered sheet pan with a 1⁄4-cup dry measuring cup. Bake for 15 minutes on the top rack, until lightly golden. (If you have a convection oven, now would be a good time to use it.) Cool on a rack.6. Pour cream into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, and whip until soft peaks form. Add con-fectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and beat a few minutes more, until soft peaks form.7. Cut shortcakes in half, and place a heaping spoon of strawberries with juice on one half. Cover with whipped cream, top with other half, and add another dollop of whipped cream. ♦Herbsaint, 504/524-4114, www.herbsaint.com; Cochon, 504/588-2123, www.cochonrestaurant.com.