Archive for the ‘Roux and Gravies’ Category

Filling cans

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Its 7am on a Monday morning, and while I am usually just starting to get ready for work I have decided to show you all what it is like for the Tony Chachere’s Production Team. The offices are empty but the production plant is hopping. Before I can go into the production area of the plant I have to put on a hair net and safety goggles for both my protection and the sanitation of the product, however, I will not show you pictures of me all deck out for safety (it is not a pretty sight)
On this particular day the Team is working on Tony Chachere’s Instant Roux and Tony Chachere’s Jambalaya. Starting with the roux side, this machine is the same machine that handles all of the products that are distributed in cans (seasoning, roux, and gravies). It all starts upstairs in the mixing room where the guys who know the secret recipe mix up all of the ingredients and send them on their way to be canned.

Back on the floor level the cans are getting ready to be filled.

Roux 1

They are filled, sealed, flipped and pushed along their way to be bundled into cases.

roux 2

roux2

They get wrapped and pushed out for stacking on a pallet.

roux 3roux 4

The pallet is then wrapped and pushed into the warehouse waiting for an order to your local grocery store.

roux 5

roux 6

Next week I will give you all of the info on the Jambalaya side of things.

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Petite Pois in a Roux, that’s Peas to You!

Monday, November 23rd, 2009
Hey, that's me cooking for our company Thanksgiving Feast!

Hey, that's me cooking for our company Thanksgiving Feast!

If you happen to have picky eaters who just love to say what they will not eat before they taste a dish (Oh, can I tell  you how this is my pet peeve!…that just did not happen in my home growing up, but I digress) this recipe will turn those non-peas eaters to scoop these up by the spoon full.  The roots of this recipe goes back to a much simpler time.

As I decided to share this recipe with you, I really started thinking, I know of no other family that prepares a dish like this and if you happen to have a similar family recipe, I would love to know.  Around 1950, when my mother was a little girl, every winter my grandfather would load up the family and head back to the swamp for 3 months to trap muskrat, nutria, raccoon and basically whatever else swam around that he could skin to earn money.

Everyone was expected to help skin the animals when Pop returned back to the camp.  My grandmother would always prepare a hearty lunch as this was hard work and the camp had absolutely no plumbing or heating.  Eating a filling and well rounded meal was essential to survival.  The original version of this recipe (which I still make) is served as a main course over hot rice.  It starts with a homemade roux and includes everything in this recipe minus the sugar, plus hard boiled eggs.  I’m going to share with you my adapted version which is a little sweeter and meant to be a side dish.

Petite Pois in a Roux

Here are your ingredients you will need to create my family favorite:

I present another simple board of ingredients

I present another simple board of ingredients

1 lb. fresh sausage, any variety

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 (15 oz.) cans petite pois (very young peas), my favorite brand is Dubon

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup Tony Chachere’s Instant Roux Mix

Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning to taste

In a skillet, brown sausage on both sides.  Remove from pan and drain. Chop sausage in chunky slices (it will not be cooked through).  In a large saucepan, heat oil. Brown onions.  Add remaining ingredients including sausage.  Slowly bring up to a slow simmer.  Keep heat at this level and cook until potatoes are tender and sausage has finished cooking through (approximately, 30 minutes).  *Please note, keep stirring to a minimum as to not break up peas or potatoes.

Here is a shot of the finished dish!

Savory and sweet, these peas are aimed to please!

Savory and sweet, these peas are aimed to please!

Being this is a holiday week, I would like to wish everyone a very blessed Thanksgiving.  I personally feel so fortunate to have this blog to share with you stories of my life growing up in Louisiana, specifically Bayou Lafourche.  My blog has brought back memories of my childhood and enlightened me to stories just as this one to my unique and special family.  I love all them so much and miss my grandparents (Reed and Mirza Plaisance) terribly.  So, if you make this recipe for your family, share with them the story of this humble meal.

Come back and visit again, because my husband and I are hosting Thanksgiving at our camp.  I have a fresh turkey on order from a local meat market in town.  My mom and I are going to open the back up and brine the beast.  Thanksgiving morning my hubby will start a fire.  Mr. Turkey will get injected and go into a Cajun Microwave to cook up.  Now, you know there is a blog coming of this event with photo evidence!  Have I told you lately I LOVE my life!  Talk to you next week!

Cindy Adams-Ardoin

Food Scientist

Tony Chachere’s

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Roux, Part 2…A Yummy, Healthy Alternative

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

While traditional roux is a staple in our culture, so is the fact that this rich diet has caused many health related problems. Here at Tony Chachere’s, we have developed a healthy and delicious alternative to the oil based roux. Our product is called Instant Roux Mix, which is a dry mix.

The cool thing with our Instant Roux Mix is its versatility. You can actually make a very traditional dark roux without any oil. From that point, you can add it to any recipe just as you would with any roux. It can also be sprinkled straight into any gravy while cooking.

Here is one of my favorite applications for our Instant Roux Mix that yields one of the best pot roast that is oh so fantastic, simple and affordable…

Cindy’s Simple Chuck Roast

Here are our ingredients:

3 simple ingredients

3 simple ingredients

1 large chuck roast

Tony Chachere’s Instant Roux Mix

Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

Rub down the chuck roast with both roux mix and seasoning to make a thick coating.

Give your roast a thick coating

Give your roast a thick coating

Place the roast in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours until roast falls apart.

Place roast in slow cooker

Place roast in slow cooker

Drain off liquids into a large measuring cup. Place liquid in freezer for about 1 hour and all the fat will come to the top and solidify. Remove the fat layer. Shred roast and return to slow cooker and pour over fat free gravy.

Shred that fork tender roast

Shred that fork tender roast

Turn slow cooker to warm to heat through. Roast may be served over rice for rice and gravy or on sub rolls for the best roast beef poboys!

Roast shown here piled on a wheat roll with Baby Swiss

Roast shown here piled on a wheat roll with Baby Swiss

Pick up yourself a can of our Instant Roux Mix for yourself to experience its rich goodness and versatility.

Cindy Adams-Ardoin

Food Scientist

Tony Chachere’s

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3 Questions Any Cajun will Ask You….Are you Catholic? Whose ya Momma? Can you make a Roux?

Thursday, July 9th, 2009
My Mom, Carol and Me, Cindy

My Mom, Carol and Me, Cindy

My answers: Yes, I am Catholic, although we have many religious denominations in South Louisiana. My mom’s name is Carol Plaisance Adams, a beautiful, very proud native Cajun French speaking (a dying native tongue of our culture) lady, born and raised on Bayou Lafourche (she is responsible for my love of Cajun cooking). And finally, OF COURSE, I can make a roux…did you not read who’s my momma….

That brings me to our topic….Roux. This is such a large topic, we are going to break it down to two discussions. First, what is a roux?…I am going to keep this simple to laymen terms so the everyday cook understands.

Roux (roo) is a blend of an oil base (butter, meat drippings, vegetable oils, etc.) and flour cooked to different browning points depending on the dish being prepared.

A blond roux is cooked only until the flour taste is cooked out of the combination. This type of roux is often used in white gravies, macaroni and cheese, and bisques, etc. Any sauce or gravy uses this colorless roux if you want thickening without coloring. Also please note, for any roux, you will only get the full thickening effect once the sauce has come to a boil.

A medium tone or often referred to as a “peanut butter” colored roux is used in etouffees, roast gravies, and some lighter colored stews. This colored roux will impart a more developed tone to a sauce or gravy.

A dark roux is the king of Cajun/Creole dishes. Much care must be given when cooking a roux to this state as there is a fine line between dark and burnt. Once you see black specs in your roux it is ruined and you must start over. So keep in mind, low and slow on your heat. Dark rouxs are the reason we have gumbo and fricassee (rich stew).

A rich dark roux, the beginnings of a great gumbo

A rich dark roux, the beginnings of a great gumbo

In the second part of this blog, I will introduce you to a healthy alternative to oil based roux. Tony Chachere’s Instant Roux Mix is so easy to use and flavorful, you will not miss all that fat….stay tuned!

Cindy Adams-Ardoin

Food Scientist

Tony Chachere’s

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