Galatoire’s Cookbook

By Leon Galatoire

From the historic New Orleans restaurant, a cookery of time-tested Cajun and creole recipes from the fourth generation proprietor and chef.

In the New Orleans French Quarter there is a dining room whose fine French cuisine attracts visitors from all over the world. It is Galatoire’s, a family-run restaurant in operation for more than nine decades. Leon Galatoire, a fourth-generation member of the founding family of Galatoire's Restaurant, knows that recipes designed for feeding large numbers of people will not work by reducing them proportionally. With this in mind, he has redesigned recipes for home use that retain the tastes he knows so well. Now, for the first time, the classic versions of dishes such as Shrimp Remoulade, Crawfish Etouffée, Stuffed Creole Tomato with Grilled Chicken, and Steak au Poivre can be prepared at home with ease.

This cookbook serves as an anthem to traditional French menus in New Orleans. There are two hundred recipes in this gourmet collection, each one offering practical advice on preparation and complete lists of ingredients. These are time-tested favorites from the experience of master chef Leon Galatoire and represent the quintessential old-time standards for chefs and fine homes alike.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: May 31, 1994
• ISBN: 9781455604692

Book preview

Appetizers

ANCHOVY CANAPE

Nothing could be more appealing to the lover of the anchovy and no dish could be more simple. In years past, the import business in New Orleans brought goods from all over the world that were often unheard of elsewhere in this country. Anchovies were considered a delicacy, especially with the Italian community here who had their own shops and market stalls that dealt exclusively with imported Italian products.

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Cover each slice of toast with 6 anchovy filets. Trim the crusts from the toast with a sharp knife. Cut each slice of toast into four pieces. Garnish each plate with a lettuce leaf filled with some of the chopped hard-boiled egg. Serves 6.

CRABMEAT COCKTAIL

This appetizer is called a cocktail because it is served in a cocktail glass. It is also interesting to note that the word cocktail was coined in New Orleans.

This cold, ketchup-based sauce is one that is used with all boiled and fried seafoods, as well as with raw oysters on the half-shell. It can be made and kept tightly covered for two weeks in the refrigerator.

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Arrange four 4-ounce chilled or frosted cocktail glasses with 4 oz. of crabmeat in each. Top with 2 oz. of cocktail sauce and serve cold with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

SPLIT ARTICHOKE WITH GARLIC CREAM

The artichoke is another product that arrived with the Spanish during their possession of Louisiana. It remains a popular vegetable, cooked in more ways here than in most other cuisines of the world, having even become part of the traditional meal served on the Catholic-observed Good Friday.

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Trim the tip ends of the leaves from artichokes using a pair of scissors. Add vinegar to the cold water and then soak the artichokes. Soaking in the vinegar will prevent discoloration.

In a large pot, bring the salted water to a rolling boil. Drop in the artichokes and allow to boil for 35-40 minutes, or until a leaf pulled from the choke proves tender.

During this time, prepare the mustard sauce as follows. In a medium mixing bowl, combine mustard and garlic. Using a wire whisk, slowly incorporate olive oil at a dribble, constantly whipping until sauce becomes thick and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and refrigerate.

Drain the artichokes in a colander and, when cool enough to handle, split into lengthwise slices with a serrated knife. Remove and discard chokes.

Serve cold, with the mustard sauce—garnished with the chopped parsley—in a side dish for dipping. Serves 8.

CELERY RIBS STUFFED WITH ASPARAGUS AND BLUE CHEESE

Simple as this may seem, hot summer meals in New Orleans often call for simple fare and cool tasty tidbits to compliment cocktails before dinner.

The crispness of the celery, the tastiness of the asparagus, and the smooth saltiness of the blue cheese meld well together for this