Take a culinary tour of the Big Easy with these New Orleans favorites, including bananas foster, gumbo, and crawfish étouffée.
Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia DeGaris PursellCajun Bloody Mary
For a pretty presentation, rub the rims of glasses with lemon wedges, and dip in a mixture of black pepper and coarse salt.
5 to Try: New Orleans Classics
BBQ Shrimp takes just 5 minutes to prepare, plus 35 minutes of bake time that you can spend whipping of a quick side of cheese grits or salad. This simple dish gets its flavor from ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Old Bay seasoning, and dried rosemary and thyme.Recipe: BBQ Shrimp
Grilled Seafood Po'Boy
Stuff a French sandwich roll with grilled shrimp and catfish for a lighter version of this traditional New Orleans sandwich.Recipe: Grilled Seafood Po'Boy
Crawfish Étoufée
Étoufée is an elegant, yet earthy, example of New Orleans home cooking. Thicken sautéed onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and shallots with flour, then simmer with chicken broth, seasonings, and cooked crawfish tails. Serve over hot cooked rice.Recipe: Crawfish Étoufée
Chicken-and-Sausage Gumbo
There are so many variations of this one-pot soup. Start with a classic roux of oil or flour and butter. Then add the "trinity"–green bell pepper, celery, and onion–before stirring in the meat and other vegetables and spices. Serve with rice, or over potato salad for authentic southern Louisiana presentation.Recipe: Chicken-and-Sausage Gumbo
Brennan's Bananas Foster
This super-sweet dessert features bananas smothered in a sauce made from melted butter, brown sugar, banana liqueur, cinnamon, and dark rum. Served with creamy vanilla ice cream.Recipe: Brennan's Bananas Foster
