Yesterday, I decided we were way overdue for a rabbit dinner. Rabbit is one of my favorite meats, probably because I don’t get it very often. Since we’re coming up on the Mardi Gras grand finale, I decided to pull out a Cajun recipe from Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen, Smothered Rabbit. The recipe was très simple – pan fry the rabbit, make a dark rous with the leftover oil and flour, add a bit of celery and onion, and mix it all into a boiling pot of stock. So off to the store I went to pick up the vegetables, along with a little TurboDog and Dixie beers to round out the perfect Cajun meal.

On the way back from the store, I decided instead of serving this with white rice or mashed potatoes as suggested, I would whip up a bit of dirty rice instead, which was out – of – this – world! (more…)

Filed under:
Cajun & Creole, Comfort food, Dairy free, Dinner, Gourmet by Courtney

To be fair, oysters pair quite well with a number of alcoholic beverages. Champagne, riesling, stout. However, this was a dinner fit for a birthday boy, and given that the birthday boy wanted some nice Cajun food, we went for a nice Cajun beer with his appetizer.

Dixie beer has long been my favorite of beers. It’s one of those I’ve always had to search out, as only liquor stores with a large selection seem to carry the beer outside of New Orleans. During Katrina the brewery was damaged, and for a couple of years thereafter, there was no Dixie to be had. They eventually got up and running again, but not utilizing the original brewery. I’ll take what I can get after a two year dry spell, and it still holds the spot as my favorite beer, even if it comes from a different location.

For the oysters – well, we’re not on the Gulf here, so we went with a Pacific variety, Kumamoto oysters. They’re one of our favorites, with a briny, salty flavor that tastes as if they’ve just been plucked from the sea. Add a bit of horseradish and cocktail sauce, and you’re good to go!

Filed under:
Appetizers, Drink Time by Courtney