02 Feb Mardi Gras Dinner Party
Note: This entire menu is featured in our Gilded Fork: Entertaining at Home cookbook.
Some call it Fat Tuesday, others Carnavale, but no city quite captures the essence of Mardi Gras like New Orleans. This month’s menu is spicy, rich and full of Nawlins flavor, so set a festive table, gather your friends and laissez les bon temps rouler!
Color. Texture. Spicy. Sweet. We never need an excuse to celebrate, but we took special advantage of this month’s opportunity.
FIRST COURSE
Bon Temps Crab Cakes with Rémoulade
Suggested pairing: Beer
(see Pairing Notes below for further details)
MAIN COURSE
Mardi Gras Chicken and Andouille Gumbo
Suggested pairing: Beer
New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
DESSERT
COFFEE
PAIRING NOTES
Rather than feature wine pairings for this particular menu, we think beer is a better match. Given the spicy, rich flavors in these Mardi Gras recipes, light ales or lagers will provide balance to the overall flavor and texture impact of the meal.
After dessert, go for a flaming cup of Café Brulot, the famous coffee drink of the Big Easy.
MISE EN PLACE
For those curious about the meaning of mise en place, it is a French culinary term for “set in place.” If you have ever watched a cooking show, or been inside a restaurant kitchen, you will notice that next to the cooking area, things are set up just so. Ingredients, sauces and critical elements are ready to be used, whether pre-cooked, pre-chopped, or ready as a garnish. This kind of organized setup enables a cook to focus on the actual act of cooking itself without distraction. Our intention with this section is to use the same approach at home, enabling you to host your own special occasions with flair.