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Immigrants,
most of French peasant ancestry, settled the "Acadian"
region of the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia from 1604 to 1654. By 1713
the total population of Acadians in the Bay of Fundy area was 2,000;
by 1755, the population had grown to 15,000. These settlers subsisted
on cereal crops such as wheat, barley and oats, and garden vegetables
such as field peas, cabbage, and turnips. This diet was supplemented
by domestic livestock, wild game, and fishing.
Because of increased
tensions between the French settlers and the British, the Acadians
were ultimately forced out of Nova Scotia. This was a long and
gruelling journey for those that survived it; many of the Acadians
were sent first to Maryland, then to France, and finally to Louisiana
where they attempted to reunite with their family members. The name
"Acadian" was transformed to "Cajun" by the
English-speaking inhabitants of Louisiana.
Cajun cuisine originates from
these French-speaking Acadian or "Cajun" immigrants.. It is
what could be called a rustic cuisine and an authentic Cajun meal is
usually a three-pot affair, with one pot dedicated to the main dish,
one dedicated to steamed rice, skillet cornbread, or some other grain
dish, and the third containing whatever vegetable is plentiful or available.
Fish and shellfish are very
important in Cajun Cuisine as are chicken and beef. Pork is the base
for many Cajun favourites such as Andouille - a spicy dry smoked
sausage, characterized by a coarse-ground texture ; Boudin - a fresh
sausage made with green onions, pork, and rice. Pig's blood is
sometimes added to produce "boudin rouge" ; Chaurice,
similar to the Spanish chorizo ; Chaudin - a pig's stomach, stuffed
with spiced pork & smoked. Also known as ponce ; Gratons - hog
cracklings or pork rinds; fried, seasoned pork fat & skin,
sometimes with small bits of meat attached. Similar to the Spanish
chicharrones and Pork sausage (fresh) - not smoked or cured, but
highly seasoned. Mostly used in gumbos. The sausage itself does not
include rice, separating it from boudin as well as Tasso - a highly
seasoned, smoked pork shoulder
Other popular dish use alligator,
frog legs, nutria, rabbit and turtle.
Boudin
Boudin is a type of sausage made
from pork, pork liver, rice, garlic and green onion, and other
spices. It is widely available by the link or pound from butcher
shops. Boudin is usually made daily as it does not keep well for very
long, even frozen. Boudin is typically stuffed in a natural casing
and has a softer consistency than other, better-known sausage
varieties. It is usually served with side dishes such as rice
dressing, maque choux, or bread.
Gumbo
High on the list of favourites of
Cajun cooking are the soups called gumbos. Gumbo exemplifies the
influence of African and Native American food cultures on Cajun cuisine.
A filé gumbo is thickened
with sassafras leaves after the gumbo has finished cooking, a
practice borrowed from the Choctaw Indians. The backbone of a gumbo
is a dark roux, which is made of flour, toasted until well browned,
and fat or oil, not butter as with the French. The classic gumbo is
made with chicken and the Cajun sausage called andouille, but the
ingredients all depend on what is available at the moment.
Jambalaya
Another classic Cajun dish is
jambalaya. The only certain thing that can be said about a jambalaya
is that it contains rice and almost anything else. Usually, however,
one will find green peppers, onions, celery and hot chile peppers.
Anything else is optional.
Crawfish boil
The crawfish boil is a
celebratory event where Cajuns boil crawfish, potatoes, onions and
corn over large propane cookers. Lemons and small muslin bags
containing a mixture of bay leaves, mustard seeds, cayenne pepper and
other spices, commonly known as "crab boil" or
"crawfish boil" are added to the water for seasoning. The
results are then dumped onto large, newspaper-draped tables and in
some areas covered in spice blends, such as Zatarain's, Louisiana
Fish Fry or Tony Chachere's.
Boucherie
The traditional pig-slaughtering
party, or Boucherie, where Cajuns would gather to socialize, play
music, dance, and preserve meat does still occur in some rural communities.
Beef Gumbo
3 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 lb. beef chuck, diced
3 strips bacon
1 green pepper, diced
1/8 tsp. thyme
1 tbsp. flour
2 cup hot water with 2 tbsp. catsup
1 can okra and tomatoes
1 tbsp. file powder
8 stuffed olives, chopped
1 tsp. chopped parsley
1/2 tbsp. steak sauce
Use 3 quart boiler to braise
beef, bacon, pepper in hot butter or margarine until light golden
brown. Add flour, mix well until smooth. Add hot water and catsup,
okra and tomatoes, simmer slowly, stirring often for 20 minutes
remove from fire, add file powder, parsley, olives, salt and steak
sauce. Serve with croutons.
Croutons:
Fry in 2 tablespoons of hot
butter or margarine, small squares of bread until brown.
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