Now that Christmas has come and gone and New Year’s Eve celebrations are under our belts, it is time to take a moment to sit back and relax. But not for long—because Carnival season is upon us.
Mardi Gras is a favorite time of year for us. We really tap into our New Orleans roots and embrace the festivities for this unique regional holiday. That is why this month, we decided to dedicate a meal to the night that kicks off the Carnival season, Jan. 6, with a Twelfth Night Menu.
Twelfth Night has been celebrated for centuries, dating back to the Roman era, when it was observed as a pagan holiday having to do with the winter solstice. In the early days of Christianity in Europe, the celebration became associated with the birth of Jesus and marked the day the three wise men arrived with their gifts. Over centuries, the tradition and celebrations evolved and followed settlers to the New World. New Orleans, a city settled by French and Spanish, took it and made it their own.
For our Twelfth Night menu, we wanted to make something festive but easy. The centerpiece of the dinner is a traditional French king cake, or Galette des Rois. Mind you, a Galette des Rois is not like the enriched yeast dough desserts or Danish-style pastries we have come to know. Rather, this Medieval-era confection is a flaky pastry filled with a sweet almond paste—and, done correctly, it is divine. Tracey’s version is simple, made from puff pastry found in the freezer section of most grocery stores.
We suggest serving another easy-to-do-ahead and traditional New Orleans main course—grillades. Instead of making it with veal or beef, we adapted it by using chicken. This is a dish that tastes better if made in advance and goes well with all types of sides.
To keep the dinner festive and in keeping with the occasion, the starter course is an impressive Flash-fried Oysters on Pernod-scented Spinach. Don’t let the name scare you off. It’s really not difficult to make, as we explain in the recipe.
Finally, we have included a recipe for a traditional New Orleans cocktail, the Sazerac. It is made with bourbon or rye whiskey and has a hint of Pernod or Herbsaint liqueur. It is the essence of a New Orleans cocktail and has been sipped since the early 19th century.
As always, the idea is to get together with friends and family, share a meal and have a good time. What better occasion than a kick-off to Carnival?
Recipes by Tracey Koch
• Sazerac Cocktails
• Flash-fried Oysters on Pernod-scented Spinach
• Chicken Grillades
• Galette des Rois
Sazerac Cocktails
Yields 1 cocktail.
1 to 2 dashes of Pernod or Herbsaint liqueur
1 sugar cube or 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 oz. bourbon or rye whiskey
2 dashes bitters
1/2 cup ice
Lemon peel for garnish
1. Swirl a couple dashes of Pernod around the inside of an Old Fashioned cocktail glass to coat it. Discard any extra Pernod.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add the sugar, water, whiskey, bitters and ice.
3. Shake well then strain the Sazerac into the prepared glass.
4. Garnish with lemon peel and serve.
Chicken Grillades
Serves 6.
1 1/2-2 lbs. chicken breast
3 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cups chopped bell pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-oz.) can petite diced stewed tomatoes
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1. In a large skillet, brown the chicken in 1 tablespoon of the oil until it is just cooked through.
2. Remove chicken from skillet and add in remaining oil and flour to make a roux.
3. Stir the roux over medium heat until it is light brown. Add in the onion, celery and bell pepper. Sauté for three to four minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic, chicken broth and seasonings and stir until smooth.
5. Pour in the stewed tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a simmer.
6. Fold in the chicken and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking. Serve with grits, rice or quinoa.
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Using a food processor, finely grind almonds and set aside.
3. On a well-floured surface, roll out one sheet of puff pastry.
4. Using a 10-inch dinner plate, cut the pastry dough into a circle and place it onto the lined baking sheet.
5. Repeat this step and set the second circle aside while you assemble the filling.
6. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light in color.
7. Add in the flour and salt and mix to incorporate.
8. Add in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the extracts.
9. Spread the mixture into the center of the puff pastry on the baking sheet, making sure to leave a couple of inches around the edges.
10. In a small mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks with 2 tablespoons of water, and brush the egg wash around the edges of the filled pastry.
11. Top the pastry with the second puff pastry round and fold the edges over. Crimp them well to make sure the Galette des Rois is well sealed. Brush the top with the remaining egg wash.
12. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
13. Dust the top with powdered sugar and serve warm.
1. Drain and rinse oysters well and set aside.
2. Place the flour in a shallow baking dish and season it with half the Creole seasoning.
3. In a second dish, whisk egg and milk and season that with the remaining Creole seasoning.
4. In a third dish, combine the corn meal mix with the garlic powder, lemon peel, cayenne pepper and onion powder and set aside.
5. In a deep skillet, heat the oil to 350 degrees.
6. While the oil is heating, dredge the oysters in the flour, then the egg mixture, then the seasoned corn meal mix.
7. Shake off excess batter and fry oysters in batches, two to three minutes on the first side, and one to two minutes on the second side, depending on their size.
8. Place the oysters on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and keep them warm in a low-heat oven until ready to serve.
1. In a large skillet, melt olive oil and butter and sauté the shallot for one to two minutes.
2. Add in the garlic and continue sautéing for 5-10 seconds, being careful not to overcook.
3. Pour in the Pernod and stir for one more minute.
4. Fold in the spinach and sauté until it has just begun to wilt.
5. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Place dollops of spinach on oyster plates and top with flash fried oysters.
7. Drizzle with a little Creole Aioli and serve.
Serves 6.
1 cup mayonnaise
1 clove minced garlic
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Combine all ingredients together and chill until ready to serve.
2. Keep leftover aioli in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
