Maquechoux Oysters Food

RED PEPPER MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• Roast pepper over a gas flame or under broiler until skin is completely blackened. Place in a paper bag until cool. Peel and seed pepper.
• Place pepper in a blender or mini food processor with all ingredients except oil. Blend until smooth. With the motor running, add oil a few drops at a time. As mixture starts to thicken, pour in remaining oil in a slow, steady stream and mix until incorporated. Cover and refrigeratefor up to 3 days.

SUNNY'S SWEET QUICK KENNER MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• In a large pan with straight sides, add the bacon and cook over medium heat, rendering the fat until crispy, about 8 minutes. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, butter and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until the veggies are tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, garlic, corn and chicken stock. Stir and bring to a low simmer, then cook until everything is tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the yogurt and a generous amount of black pepper, more salt and cayenne pepper.
• Transfer to a platter and serve.

MAQUECHOUX OYSTERS

Steps:

• Scrub oysters well with a brush under running water. Discard any that are open or have broken shells. Shuck oysters, saving all liquid and bottom halves of shells. Scrub shells inside and out, and set aside. Refrigerate oysters in reserved liquid, covered, until ready to use.
• Cut corn from cobs; set aside. Heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, covered, until translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Add corn and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until corn is softened. Add salt, cayenne, red pepper, and jalapenos and cook for 2 minutes.
• Drain oysters, reserving liquid. Measure liquid and add enough water to make 1 cup. Pour into pan. Turn heat up to medium and cook about 10 minutes, or until liquid is mostly reduced. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat about 1 inch of oil to 375 degrees. Dredge oysters in cornmeal, coating them entirely. Fry in batches (don't overlap) and drain on paper towels.
• Arrange 4 or 5 oyster shells on each plate. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of Red Pepper Mayonnaise into each shell, and top with an oyster and some of the corn mixture. Serve immediately.

CAJUN CORN MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• 1. Cut the kernels off of the corn into a large bowl. Using the back of the knife, scrape the sweet corn milk from the cobs to extract about 3 tablespoons and add it to the bowl. Set aside.
• 2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside. Add the butter to the skillet and when melted, add the celery, bell peppers and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes. Add the milk, scallion whites, garlic, tomatoes and corn. Cook until thickened, 10 minutes.
• 3. Serve garnished with the scallion greens and reserved bacon.

MESQUITE OYSTERS

Steps:

• Brown the bacon in a skillet. Remove and allow to cool, reserving the bacon fat. Add Worcestershire sauce to the bacon fat. Add the shallots and garlic to the bacon fat and saute until clear. Crumble the cooked bacon and add back into the skillet. Pour mixture into a metal bowl, and place in a corner of the grill to keep hot.
• Place oysters (in the shell) on a hot grill. As soon as the oysters start to open, remove from grill and discard the empty half of the shell. Loosen the foot of the oyster and place the oyster in the shell back on the grill. Pour a tablespoon of the bacon mixture on the oyster and top with Parmesan cheese. Cook until done, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with a small bowl of pico de gallo for a condiment. Bon Appetit!

MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• Working with 1 corn cob at a time, set the ear of corn upright in a medium bowl. Shave the corn from the cob by slicing down the sides using the tip of a sharp chef's knife, holding the knife almost vertical. (This gives you neat tablets of corn that land squarely in the bowl and keeps the kernels from scattering all over the counter.) Using the back of the knife, scrape each cob to release all the nibs and the "milk" of the kernels into the bowl. Repeat with remaining ears of corn, then snap the cobs in half, and add them to the bowl.
• In a large, deep sauté pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and celery, and season with 1 or 2 pinches of kosher salt. Stir constantly until softened and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add 2 tablespoons butter and the bell pepper, poblano and serrano, and stir constantly, adding another pinch of kosher salt, letting the butter melt and the peppers soften and become translucent, about 2 or 3 minutes. You will smell the peppers' sweetness and their mild capsaicin releasing.
• Add the final 3 tablespoons butter and the corn mixture from the bowl, cobs included, and another pinch of kosher salt. Stir constantly to coat with the butter and combine thoroughly.
• When everything starts to hiss and sound hot, but isn't cooking so hard as to take color, add 1/2 cup water and a healthy few grinds of black pepper, and cover the pan for a couple of minutes to steam/shallow braise the mixture.
• Remove the lid, and stir well, noticing the corn releasing its liquid and the kernels softening, and the cobs turning somewhat translucent, if however vague. You will notice a general softening and melding together. Return the lid, and let cook a few more minutes, noticing the water evaporating and the remaining liquid reducing and gaining some "body" and gloss. Discard the corn cobs, but do suck them before tossing - those buttery juices make a nice cook's treat.
• Taste for salt, and serve. It should be sweet, spicy, a bit wet and surprisingly complex, given the few ingredients and their ordinariness. If you want a smoky taste, add a good pinch of smoked paprika.

LOUISIANA MAQUECHOUX

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium-size non-stick skillet.
• Add onion and red pepper and cook, over medium-high heat until the vegetables are soft and well browned (10 to 15 minutes).
• Add corn, tomatoes, salt, sugar and cayenne pepper.
• Heat until mixture starts to bubble over high heat, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until corn is tender.
• Check and stir occasionally.
• It will take about 20 minutes for fresh corn to cook and about 10 minutes for frozen corn.
• When corn is done, stir in half and half and cook until it is hot.
• Garnish by sprinkling with freshly ground black pepper and chopped parsley.

MAQUE CHOUX - CAJUN

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook it until it is browned up and crispy, approximately 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon, with a slotted spoon, to a paper towel lined plate so it can drain.
• Add butter and onions to the pot and cook until soft, approximately 5 minutes. Add the Creole seasoning and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Increase the heat to med-high and then add the okra, bay leaf, thyme, black pepper and cayenne. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until the okra is crisp tender, approximately 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring once and a while. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Last, add the salt and reserved bacon, stir to combine and serve!