Date Night: Pandemic Edition

With statewide and city pandemic phasing and social distancing mandates still in place and a few tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico, it is easy to let everything consume your mood and completely kill the romance. But it’s important to make sure you and your partner are spending time together.

Quality time in the months, weeks and days leading up to your wedding is essential, so “Let Them Eat Cake” often features posts about date night. Lately, we’ve focused on socially distant date nights at home, COVID-style, if you will. Not only are local restaurants changing up their processes and menus to cater to delivery and to-go orders that are perfect for date night, but also MyNewOrleans.com bloggers have offered recipes that are easy to make at home, together with your significant other.

Read and click to create an interactive date night with a delicious shrimp dish and one (or more) tropical drinks.

First, food writer Jyl Benson recently wrote about shrimp season kicking up in the “Side Dish” blog. In addition to sharing local restaurants where you can order shrimp dishes, Benson included a Southern fried shrimp and Brabant potato recipe that is sure to be delicious. See the full recipe below.

To add to the fried shrimp and potatoes recipe, “Drink Up, Nola” blogger and New Orleans mixologist Daniel Victory offered up a few cocktail recipes to help hone your home bartending skills. The three cocktail recipes include a piña colada, a watermelon margarita and a watermelon cocktail. A watermelon cocktail or margarita pairs well with the waves of hot weather.

Do you have a go-to cocktail or food recipe for date night? Let everyone know in the comments below or email kelly@myneworleans.com and share it with us.

Southern Fried Shrimp

Makes 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

• oil for frying
• 2 dozen U-15 Gulf shrimp, peeled
• salt and black pepper
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning, such as Tony Chachere’s
• 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk mixed with 2 teaspoons Creole mustard

Directions: 

1. Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/ 4 teaspoon pepper.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and Creole or Cajun seasoning.
3. Heat oil to 350°F in a large pot or deep fryer.
4. Pour buttermilk mixture over shrimp and, working in batches, toss them in the seasoned flour.
5. Slip battered shrimp into hot oil and cook until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.
6. Drain on paper towels or brown paper.
7. Serve straight up or load on to slabs of French bread for poor boys.

Brabant Potatoes

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:

• oil for frying
• 8 Idaho potatoes
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil to 350°F in a large pot or deep fryer.
2. While waiting for oil to get hot, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2” squares.
3. Add potatoes and fry for 8 to 10, minutes until golden brown and tender.
4. Use a slotted spoon to remove potatoes from oil to a platter lined with paper towels.
5. Place fried potatoes in a large mixing bowl and add butter, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
6. Toss until potatoes are evenly coated.