East of Houston, West of Baton Rouge

Saveur ^ | May/June 2000 | Colman Andrews

[concentric circles]

Boudin Balls

In France, boudin is blood sausage; in Cajun country, says Glenn Daigle, ''it's basically rice dressing with pork.''

1/2 cup flour 2-3 pinches ground cayenne 1/2 cup milk 2 lbs. boudin Vegetable oil

Mix together flour and ground cayenne in a medium bowl. Put milk in another medium bowl. Remove and discard casings from boudin, then shape meat into 2'' balls. Roll 1 ball at a time in the milk to moisten, then dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess, and set aside on waxed paper. Pour vegetable oil into a medium, heavy-bottomed pot to a depth of 2'' and heat over medium heat to about 350° on a candy thermometer. Fry boudin balls in hot oil, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, until browned and crisp on the outside, 8-10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Serve hot.

[basil]

Having grown up in Beaumont, I loved reading this. It really brought back some fond memories. Thanks for posting it.

[concentric circles]

[Fiddlstix]

Ah Yes, Boudin J

(Makes ya wanna lissun ta Jole Blond )

[concentric circles]

Jole Blond...

Merci, tres bien! Makes me want to hear some Jimmy Breaux!

[okie01]

The author blew the Golden Triangle description, though.

...the so-called Golden Triangle, defined by the Texas towns of Beaumont, Jasper, and Orange,

That would actually be Beaumont, Port Ar-toor and Orange, would it not?

Texas and Louisiana are Axis of Goodness when it comes to food. From chicken-fried steak, to chili, to barbecue to huevos con chorizo, to pico de gallo, to chiles relleno, to tacos al carbon, to boudin, beignets, crawfish etoufee, barbecued shramps and chicken sauce piquant "it don't get no better than this".

Aiiiiiieeeeeeee!!!

[Magic Fingers]

Born and raised in Lake Charles - lived there 21 years, 25 more in Beaumont/Galveston/Houston before moving to Arizona. AZ's beautiful, but for great eats there's no place I've ever been that compares to that part of the country. Thanks for posting!

[concentric circles]

How about some of...

Delsie Vital's Sweet Dough Pies (Sweet Potato Pies)

FOR THE DOUGH:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
8 tbsp. vegetable shortening
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING:
1 large ''yam'', peeled and sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp. evaporated milk
2 pinches ground cinnamon
Pinch ground allspice

1. For the dough: Sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder into a bowl. Use a pastry cutter or 2 knives to work shortening into flour until it resembles coarse meal. Add eggs and vanilla, stirring with a fork to form a stiff dough; shape into a ball and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. For the filling: Cook ''yams'', sugar, butter, and 1 3/4 cups water in a medium pan over medium heat, stirring often, until liquid is nearly gone, 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside to cool. Mash ''yams'' with a fork until smooth. Beat in egg, evaporated milk, cinnamon, and allspice; set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350°. Divide dough into 6 balls, then roll out on a floured surface into 5'' disks. Spoon 3 tbsp. filling into center of each, fold dough over to form a semicircle, and crimp edges closed with a fork. Put pies on a foil-lined baking sheet. Prick tops all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Makes 6, the "yams" are sweet potatos.

[deport]

Don't forget the Oriental influence now with the influx of the Vietnamese, some Koreans/Chinese....

[Servant of the Nine]

I spent almost my whole life there. It brings tears to my eyes just reading the town and cafe names.

So9

[okie01]

"Don't forget the Oriental influence now with the influx of the Vietnamese, some Koreans/Chinese...."

Not to mention Thai.

Both Thai and Vietnamese cuisines have found immediate acceptance in Texas. I suspect the same is true for Louisiana.

However, the absolute best Thai restaurant I've ever dined in was located in, of all places, Montgomery, Alabama.

[Khurkris]

Thank you for posting this. Having lived, worked, ate & drank in the Beaumont area for a while years back. It shore do bring back the smiles.

[Servant of the Nine]

Don't forget the Oriental influence now with the influx of the Vietnamese, some Koreans/Chinese....

Plus the Mexican, Czech and German influences from just West of Houston.

So9

[basil]

Yes--of course it's B0mont, Port Ar-Toor and Arrnge. I completely missed that. Jasper is a bit away--my uncle was mayor there in the 50's.

[Flyer]

Thanks, C. Circles, we are thinking about Cajun dining for our next FReeper meeting and this is timely.

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[lonestar]

Nothing better than biscuits and mayhaw jelly.

And no better place to eat them than right here...

in Jasper!

Ted Koppel is coming to town. There will be a "Nightline" Townhall Meeting in Jasper on January 23.

It's about the James Byrd, Jr. mess. I won't be there!

[concentric circles]

If you're thinking of dining out I would be interested in hearing where you end up going.

If you're doing pot luck this site has a great selection of recipes culled with one thing in mind, great eating.

GumboPages

[dtel]

What's the difference between a coon-ass and a dumb-ass?
The Sabine River.
Aiiiii-eeeeee, let the good times roll.

[dtel]

Justin Wilson Twice-Baked Potatoes

4 larget taters
4 slices crisp bacon
1c Green onion
1/2c Fresh parsley
1lb fresh ground pork
1c Sour cream
1c grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1T Lousiana Hot Sauce

Bake potatoes, cool and cut in half length-wise
Scoop out insides and mash with the crisp, crumbled bacon.

Saute green onions, parsley and pork, until browned.
Drain and add to potato mixture. Stir

Add sour cream. Stir

Add cheese, salt and hot sauce. Stir

Spoon mixture back into shells and bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes or so.

Enjoy.