This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Dining In: A Cajun Superbowl Party

Amy Baker discovers Cajun roots run deep on both sides in this year's Superbowl.

It's that time of year again. Time to get together with good friends, drink beer and eat copious amounts of junk food… oh, and watch some football.

I'll admit I'm a fair-weather football fan, but a fan who enjoys planning a Superbowl menu themed on my favorite team's locale. I was hoping this year's bill of fare would be a New York motif, but since that wish is no longer a viable option I came up with another… A Cajun Superbowl Party.

The menu: Hot Creole Crab Dip with Chips, Boiled Shrimp with Remoulade Dipping Sauce and Muffuletta Sandwiches.

Find out what's happening in Bedford-Katonahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Now before you Colts fans get all riled up, just remember the roots of your quarterback, Peyton Manning. He was born in New Orleans. He attended high school in New Orleans. His father, Archie Manning, played for the New Orleans Saints for 10 years, and retains a New Orleans address today. So there's a bit of the Creole fused into the Indiana team as well.

For my party, I prepared a creamy warm crab dip, spiced with cayenne, horseradish and hot sauce. Despite all this spice, the dip remains pleasantly mild-to-medium in heat, rich in flavor from the crabmeat. I love the cornbread topping, but you could easily use toasted breadcrumbs instead.

Find out what's happening in Bedford-Katonahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Another appetizer is a riff on shrimp cocktail — shrimp with a remoulade dipping sauce. Make things easier on yourself and purchase cooked shrimp. Sgaglio's Market in Katonah is a good choice for this. However, if you decide to cook them yourself, try adding some cayenne to the stockpot to spice up the shrimp.

Finally, a Muffaletta — a New Orleans signature sandwich. Think of this as a hoagie using good crusty bread, and dressed in a delicious olive salad. Easy to make, and better prepared beforehand, unlike the other signature sandwich, the Po' Boy. And if you are wondering what drink to serve alongside, I suggest another French Quarter classic — the Hurricane cocktail

Let the games begin! 

Hot Creole Crab Dip

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons Creole mustard, or spicy brown Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon creamy-style prepared horseradish

1 ½ teaspoon Worchestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ cup red onion, diced small

¼ cup jarred roasted red pepper, diced small

1 pound fresh crabmeat

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Hot sauce, to taste

¾ cup crumbled cornbread.

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
  2. Mix all the ingredients, except the cornbread, together in a bowl. 
  3. Place the crab mixture in a small baking dish – mine is 6 ½ in. by 6 ½ in.
  4. Sprinkle the top of the mixture with the crumbled cornbread.
  5. Place the baking dish in the oven on the middle rack.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling.
  6. Serve with tortilla chips, and crudités if desired.

 

BOILED SHRIMP WITH REMOULADE DIPPING SAUCE 

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound cooked extra large shrimp

Remoulade Sauce:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup spicy brown or Dijon mustard

1 bunch scallions, chopped (white and pale green parts only)

2 ½ tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1 ½ teaspoons prepared horseradish

1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic, finely minced

½ teaspoon hot sauce

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Keep shrimp chilled until ready to serve.
  2. For the remoulade sauce:  Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse to combine.  Transfer to a serving bowl.  Keep chilled until ready to serve.

 

MUFFELETTA SANDWICH

INGREDIENTS: 

Olive Salad:

1 cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped

1 cup pitted black olives (kalamata is preferred), coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon tiny capers

¼ cup jarred roasted red pepper, diced

¼ cup red onion, diced

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Sandwich ingredients:

1 round crusty Italian bread, unsliced

¼ pound thinly sliced Genoa salami

¼ pound thinly sliced mortadella lunch meat

¼ pound thinly sliced provolone cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Prepare the olive salad.  Combine the ingredients and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
  2. Slice the bread in half cross-wise, using a serrated knife, so that you have a top and a bottom.  Scoop out the insides with your hands. 
  3. Spread half of the olive salad on the bottom half of the bread.  Layer with salami, mortadella and provolone; then top with the remaining salad.  Wrap in plastic wrap.  Press down the sandwich and let stand for 1 hour.
  4. Unwrap and slice into six wedges.  Serve or wrap individually in plastic wrap until serving.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?