People who live outside the United States need to realize three things about today: it’s Super Bowl Sunday, the only day Americans all watch television simultaneously. It’s American football –- the underdog favorite New Orleans Saints against the Indianapolis Colts –- a game that lasts four hours because the athletes all stop to have a chat between each play. And last, what you eat while watching the game reflects your team allegiance and your ability to cook.
On this day, the entire Page family clan looks upward, to Mount New Orleans, and takes down the precious recipe tablets from my nephew Peter Page, executive chef of the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Peter captains the 60-member all-star team of chefs, cooks and stewards at this 500-room Bourbon Street landmark, in the heart of the French Quarter, with two restaurants, PJ’s Coffee Shop, and a tapas-rocking, party-headquarters-in-the-city-of-Mardi-Gras-parties bar, the Irvin Mayfield Jazz Playhouse. After eating room service in the Royal Sonesta, you could die and not really feel too bad about it.
My nephew Peter — let’s put it this way. Peter is the Drew Brees of New Orleans cooking. He builds passion for food in a city famous for chefs — Paul Prudhomme, Emeril Lagasse, John Folse, John Besh –- and he is a rock star. Forgive my fawning mixture of metaphors, but anyone who has eaten at the Royal Sonesta realizes Peter deserves it, today is Super Bowl Sunday, superlatives are expected and grammar is not.
This is what Peter is serving at the Desire Bourbon Street Oyster Bar: Grilled Shrimp and Grits, a New Orleans riff on a classic South Carolina low-country dish. And on this football day, if you cannot live without beef grilled over fire, his receipt for Steak Fajitas Quesadillas follows. Peter created these dishes for Sean Payton, coach of the Saints. If he thinks they’re good enough for Payton, they’re good enough for us.
‘Desire’ Grilled Shrimp and Grits
Serves 10
Ingredients
2 pounds Gulf shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 c. Herb oil (see recipe to follow)
To Taste Creole Seasoning or Kosher Salt
2 T. Unsalted butter
2 T. Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 bottle domestic beer
3 T. Parmesan, grated
1 # Tasso Ham, diced
1 tsp. Olive Oil
4 each green onions, sliced (reserve some sliced green tops for garnish)
2 oz. White wine
1 T. Creole seasoning blend
½ tsp. Cayenne pepper
½ c. Roasted red peppers, peeled and diced (canned is fine)
1 c. Alfredo Sauce (see recipe to follow)
2 c. Prepared Yellow Stone Ground Grits (or your favorite kind)
Instructions
Mix gulf shrimp with herb oil in a bowl, cover and marinate overnight.
Melt 2 T. butter, olive oil, 1 clove chopped garlic, 1 bottle of beer and Parmesan and hold beside grill for basting shrimp.
Warm Grits for on the grill side burner, cover and hold for service.
In a heavy pan on the grill side burner, brown Tasso with 1 tsp. Olive oil. When Tasso is brown add green onion bottoms, Creole seasoning and cayenne pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes until onions are tender. Add white wine and cook for five minutes until mixture reduces to half its volume. Add roasted red peppers and Alfredo sauce and bring to a simmer. Add salt if necessary. Hold beside grill for service.
When grill is hot, drain shrimp from marinade and line on the grill across the grates so that they don’t fall through. Sprinkle with Creole Seasoning or salt. Brush with basting sauce as they cook, being careful not to let them burn. Once they are cooked through, spoon grits into 10 eight-ounce bowls. Place 4-5 shrimp on top of grits in each bowl, smother with Tasso gravy and garnish with green onions.
Herb Oil
2 c. Salad oil (canola oil)
4 cloves Garlic, peeled
2 heads Shallots, peeled and quartered
4 ea. Bay leaves
1 T. Ground black pepper
1 bunch Parsley, cleaned and dried
1 T. Basil, fresh or dry
1 T. Thyme, fresh or dry
1 T. Red pepper flakes
2 ea. Whole green onions
Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
Alfredo Sauce
1 c. Whole milk
1 c. Heavy cream
2 cloves Garlic chopped
2 T. Butter
2 T. Flour
1 tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. White pepper
½ c. Grated parmesan cheese
In 2 qt. sauce pan melt butter and cook garlic over medium heat. Do not brown. Add flour and stir with wooden spoon or whisk until flour absorbs all of the butter. Add ½ cup of the milk and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Add remaining milk and cream and return to a simmer, continuing to stir. Do not allow to stick on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low, add salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes, stirring to keep sauce from sticking on the bottom of the pan. Add parmesan and stir until parmesan is melted. Remove from heat.
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Steak Fajita Quesadillas
Ingredients
1 piece Beef flank steak, 2-3 pounds
2 c. Herb oil (see recipe below)
1 T. Chili powder
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Cayenne pepper
2 T. Kosher salt
2 each Yellow onions, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
1 each Red, yellow and green bell peppers
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
¼ c. Chopped cilantro
6 each 10-12 inch flour tortillas
2 T. Butter
2 T. Olive oil
1 cup Poblano Salsa (recipe below)
1 cup Pico de Gallo (recipe Below)
1 cup each salsa, sour cream, guacamole
Instructions:
Place Flank Steak in a shallow dish and cover with herb oil. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator over night. Mix dry spices together in a small bowl and reserve for grilling.
Heat grill. Remove flank steak from herb oil and pat dry. Reserve herb oil for onions and peppers. Season both sides of the flank steak and place on the grill. Rotate 90 degrees after 2 minute. Turn over two minutes later and cook to desired temperature.
Cut tops and bottoms from bell peppers and make an incision in the sides of each pepper from top to bottom. Open peppers and remove seeds and ribs. Brush the peppers and onions with the remaining herb oil and place on the grill. Keep onions and peppers moving to avoid flame-ups. Season on all sides with spice mix. Grill until soft and tender. Set steak, onions and peppers on a cutting board and wait until cool enough to handle. Slice steak across the grain of the meat. Roughly chop onions and peppers into pieces roughly 1 inch square.
In small pan, melt butter and combine with oil. Brush a tortilla with butter and oil and place on the grill, lowered to a medium heat. Cover tortilla evenly with both cheeses and top with steak and onions on the left half of the tortilla. When cheese begins to melt, fold tortilla in ½, folding the right half over the left to form a half circle. Brown tortilla for 30 seconds and flip quesadilla to brown the top. Remove quesadilla from grill to cutting board and cut in 4 wedge shaped pieces. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Serve with condiments in serving bowls.
Herb Oil
2 c. Salad oil (canola oil)
4 cloves Garlic, peeled
2 heads Shallots, peeled and quartered
4 ea. Bay leaves
1 T. Ground black pepper
1 bunch Parsley, cleaned and dried
1 T. Basil, fresh or dry
1 T. Thyme, fresh or dry
1 T. Red pepper flakes
2 ea. Whole green onions
Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
Poblano Salsa
3 each Poblano Chiles (charred, peeled and seeded)
1 cloves Garlic, peeled
1 bunch Green Onions
1 bunch Cilantro, without stems
1 T. Red pepper flakes
1 T. Honey
1 T. Kosher Salt
2 each Juice of lime
2 T. Salad Oil
Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
Pico de Gallo
2 each Ripe tomato, diced
1 each Red onion, diced
1 each Fresh jalapeno, diced (remove seeds for milder sauce)
1 clove Garlic, chopped
3 T. Cilantro, chopped
2 each Limes, juiced
1 T. Kosher Salt
Place all ingredients in a glass bowl and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Photograph from the Royal Sonesta Hotel.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Awesome! Makes me proud to be a humble member of the Page clan. You rock, Peter Page.