Friday, May 15, 2009

Maque Choux

Maque Choux is a Cajun corn and tomato dish that's really simple to put together and has a lot of flavor. It can be a side dish, or a main.

The other day, I did a riff on an Emeril Lagasse recipe and cooked up some bacon lardons, then used a tablespoon or so of the remaining grease to fry onions and mushrooms. I then added chopped tomato and sliced okra pods, seasoned the whole mess with Emeril's "Essence," then added the bacon back in.  I served the maque choux with rice and lobster tail meat cut into chunks and sautéed in butter. God, it was good. 

BTW, we use Essence a lot - it's a fantastic all-purpose seasoning, and it's outstanding in mashed potatoes. Sometimes Mr Minx puts so much in, the potatoes are faintly pink from the paprika. And they're good and spicy!  You can buy the stuff at the store, but why not make your own, especially since most people have all of the ingredients on hand already?

Emeril's Creole Seasoning (Essence)
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

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