New Orleans Chefs Share Labor Day Recipes

NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Chefs Nina Compton, Isaac Toups and Bryan Landry have shared a few of their favorite recipes ahead of Labor Day celebrations.

Chef Brian Landry, Bayou Bar

• 1&1 Burger with Hickory BBQ Sauce – No other food says Labor Day like a juicy and delicious burger. Chef Brian Landry shares his wildly popular burger recipe, with cheddar cheese curd, homemade hickory sauce, and onions. Perfect burgers guaranteed every time. (Makes four burgers.)

Ingredients: 

• 4 Brioche Buns
• 2 lbs Premium ground beef (made into 8 oz each)
• 8 oz Cheddar Cheese Curd
• ½ C Mayonnaise (Blue Plate recommended)
• 8 oz Hickory Sauce recipe below
• 1 Vidalia Onion, sliced thinly
• 4 T Steen’s Cane Vinegar or equivalent
• 1 head Butter Lettuce, washed and shredded
• 1 Creole Tomato, sliced for sandwiches
• 1 C Sweet & Spicy dill pickle (Mount Olive brand recommended)
• 4 oz Butter, unsalted, cut in cubes
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Using a cast iron griddle, melt four cubes (about 2 Tbsp) of butter. Season the prepared patties with salt and pepper, and place into hot butter.
2. Sear the patties until a golden-brown crust forms (about 2 minutes). Flip, and cook to desired doneness.
3. In a separate non-stick pan, use the remaining butter to toast the slider buns until golden brown.
4. As the burgers finish cooking, place 2 tablespoons of hickory sauce on each burger and top with cheese curd.
5. As the cheese starts to soften, toss thinly sliced onion with a pinch of salt and cane vinegar and allow to marinate. Coat the insides of the top and bottom bun with mayonnaise. (*to really melt the cheese place the burgers with sauce and cheese on top under the broiler in the oven for 1 to 2 minutes)
6. Assemble the burger starting from the bottom with bun, patty, sliced onion, sliced pickles, tomato slice, shredded lettuce, top bun, and hold together with a toothpick

Hickory Sauce (makes 2 cups)

• 1 Yellow Onion, peeled, julienne
• 4 T Canola Oil
• 1½ C Ketchup
• ¾ C Apple Cider Vinegar
• ½ C Brown Sugar, unpacked
• 1 T Black Pepper, ground
• ¼ C Worcestershire
• ½ T Chili Flake
• Salt

1. Use the oil to caramelize onions in a sauce pan.
2. Once onions are caramelized, combine all other ingredients in saucepan and cook until
   combined.
3. In blender, starting on low speed and gradually increasing, puree all ingredients until
   smooth.

• Sticky Rib Tips – Turn on the fryer and get ready to feast on Chef Brian Landry’s scrumptious Sticky Rib Tips. It’s the perfect recipe to make during the long weekend. (4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 slabs pork rib brisket (approx. 2 lbs. each)
• 2 cups yellow onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 ea. carrot, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stem fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1 ½ quarts pork stock or chicken stock
• ½ cup crab boil seasoning
• 3 cups rice flour
• 1 cup pepper jelly
• Salt and pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions:

1. Season the pork briskets liberally with both salt and pepper. Sear on both sides in a large cast iron pot with a lid.
2. Remove the ribs from the pot, and add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Sweat until caramelized.
3. Deglaze with red wine, and add the rosemary, thyme, and chicken stock.
4. Return the ribs to pot making sure they are almost submerged in liquid (add a little water if necessary).
5. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid and cook for 2 hours or until fork tender.
6. Remove from heat. Place the ribs in a food safe container. Strain the vegetables from the cooking liquid, and pour the cooking liquid over the ribs.
7. Refrigerate overnight.
8. Remove the ribs from the container making sure to scrape off the chilled cooking liquid.
9. Cut the ribs into 1 ½ inch squares
10. Liberally season the ribs with the crab boil seasoning.
11. Roll the rib tips in rice flour, and fry in 350-degree vegetable oil for approximately 3-5minutes until heated through.
12. Remove the rib tips from the frying oil and reserve over absorbent paper towels. Season with salt.
13. Place the rib tips on a serving plate, and cover in pepper jelly (*recipe below)
14. Eat with your hands

Jalapeño Pepper Jelly (makes 2 quarts)

• 2 cups rice vinegar
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 cup sambal
• 2 quarts apple juice
• 1 cup jalapeno, sliced
• 2 cups sweet bell pepper, diced

1. Combine all ingredients and slowly reduce by 33 percent
2. Jelly should coat the back of a spoon.
3. Check seasoning

Chef Isaac Toups, Toups’ Meatery

• Grilled Garden Vegetables with Bacon Vinaigrette – Fire up the grill for this family friendly veggie recipe that even kids will love. With thick-cut fatty bacon, pungent garlic, and a hint of spice from crushed red pepper, this dish is certain to make you come back for seconds.

• Fish Fry – Try this recipe with a fresh catch or store bought fillets. In Isaac’s words “Forget plates and a table. We shovel it in with one hand, a cold beer in the other, while standing over the pile that’s draining on paper towels.” Isaac’s famed fish fry is quick, easy, and in true Isaac Toups fashion, packs a ton of flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fish filets (about 1⁄2 inch thick or thinner), skin removed
• Deep fryer (or a large, deep cast iron skillet or Dutch oven)
• About 2 quarts peanut oil
• 3 cups corn flour (it’s finer than cornmeal and adheres better)
• 3 tablespoons popcorn salt
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon celery salt

Directions:

1. If using a deep fryer, fill with oil to the fill line. If using a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, fill with peanut oil to a depth of 1 1⁄2 inches. Heat the oil to 350° F over medium-high heat.
2. In a ziplock bag or large Tupperware container with a lid (a ziplock is what we’d have at the camp; it’s one less thing to wash), combine the corn flour, popcorn salt onion powder, white pepper, granulated garlic, cayenne, and celery salt. Seal the bag or cover the container and give it a good shake to mix well.
3. Add one-third of the filets to the bag or Tupperware. Seal and give the fish a good shake to coat well with the corn flour mixture. Remove the fish and shake the excess back into the bag. Gently lay the filets into the hot oil. I lay them in with my hand but the oil will pop a little bit. If you prefer to use tongs, you can be careful not to puncture the filets or remove any breading. Cook in the oil for 1 minute, until the fish is crispy and golden brown on both sides. If they’re super thin, you likely don’t need to turn them over, but if they are thicker, you might need to turn them (gently) with tongs to brown them evenly. Cook them until they have an internal temperature of 135° F, but I’ll tell you, I have never once stuck a thermometer into a piece of fish. You just want it golden and crispy.
4. Remove the fish with a spider or a large slotted metal spoon and place it on a wire rack or a plate with paper towels to drain. While the first batch is cooking, bread the second batch so it’s ready to go as soon as the first batch comes out of the oil, and on with the third batch.
5. Serve hot.

Chef Nina Compton, Bywater American Bistro

• Pickled Shrimp with Celery & Buttermilk – Recreate Chef Nina Compton’s refreshing Pickled Shrimp with Celery & Buttermilk, great for the hot summer days and a real crowd pleaser. (makes 6-8 portions)

Ingredients:

• 4 ea stalks celery
• 1 ea yellow onion
• 1 ea fennel bulb
• 1 c white wine
• 2 ea lemon
• 2 ea lime
• 2 ea orange
• 1 gallon water
• 4 T salt
• 1 qt rice vinegar
• 1 head of Gulf shrimp, U-10

Directions:

1. Peel onions, wash celery and fennel, cut into 2-inch mirepoix. Add to large rondeau with water, add salt, mirepoix, wine and bring to simmer for 20 min.
2. Add citrus, squeezing and dropping each half directly into the bouillon.
3. Simmer and additional 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Strain and return liquid to pot.
5. Skewer shrimp with wooden dowels to keep straight while cooking (this will make them more uniform when cleaning and portioning).
6. Poach shrimp until just cooked through3-5 minutes. Check by removing head. Meat should be just slightly translucent in center.
7. Shock in ice water and allow to fully chill, 5-10 minutes.
8. Peel shrimp and marinade in rice vinegar for 30 minutes, fully submerged.
9. Strain and save rice vinegar.Devein and portion shrimp cutting them in half lengthwise, removing vein and slicing into 3rds on a bias.1.5oz per portion.

Buttermilk Dressing:

• 1/2cup mayonnaise
• 1 pint buttermilk
• 2 t Dijon mustard
• 2 ea garlic
• 1 cup grana padana, or parmesan
• 25 g red wine vinegar
• 15 g Worcestershire
• 5 g white pepper
• 11 g salt
• 1 ea anchovy
• 10 g lemon juice

Place all ingredients in vita mix, puree until smooth. Fold in aioli. Adjust seasoning.