The Story of the Real Cajun Mardi Gras and The Walkers Experience
Mardi Gras- or Carnival- is celebrated in many cities worldwide with strong Catholic ties. Although legend tells of French explorers Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and Sieur de Bienville hosting America’s first Mardi Gras celebration near present-day New Orleans in 1699, historical record says it was first celebrated in the 1700s in present-day Mobile, Alabama, the capital of the French Louisiana Territory. Today, communities along the gulf coast from Texas to Florida celebrate Mardi Gras season. Each area prides itself on its own unique customs, from parades, costumes, and formal balls to special food and libations.
Mardi Gras season begins on January 6th, called Epiphany or Twelfth Night, the fay the three kings reached baby Jesus in Bethlehem. To mark the occasion, local bakeries make a flaky, oval-shaped pastry called a king cake. Inside each king cake is a plastic baby that signifies the baby Jesus. The person who finds the baby in their slice has to host next year’s mardi gras party and provide the king cake. The Carnival Season culminated on Fat Tuesday (“Mardi Gras” in French), the day before Ash Wednesday, and the Christain Lent. On Fat Tuesday and the weeks leading up to it, Catholics- and many Protestants- eat and drink whatever they wish before giving up meat and other luxuries during the Lenten season of sacrifice and repentance.
Just 10 miles from Ville Platte is the small town of Mamou (pronounced Mah-moo), which hosts one of the traditional Cajun Mardi Gras Celebration in the United States. The Courir de Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday run) dayed back to the fête de la quémande (feast of begging), of medieval France. Mamou revelers on horseback go door to door begging for ingredients to make a communal pot of gumbo. Dressed in simple costumes made of colorful scraps of fabric and donning a mask and capuchon (cone-shaped hat), men sing ballads in French. One home might provide a bell pepper, well and other provides an onion or celery stick or even a live chicken.
“The Capitaine leads close to 200 men on horseback, and they dance on their horses,” says Jennifer. “they get permission to go on farmers’ lands to chase their chickens. The captured chickens are used in the gumbo. Behind them are trailers of men, women, and children throwing loot to the crowd, everyone having a good time.”
Afterward, the fun goes on at Fred’s, a famous Cajun French Music lounge in Mamou that opens every Saturday Morning for the locals to dance. “Fred’s Lounge was the first bar I went to in my life,” says Jack. “I think Joe and I were 8 and 10 years old, maybe younger. But it was just so cold and the only place we could go.”
After the Mardi Gras fun, the walkers invite their friends back to their Ville Platte house to warm up over a big pot of chicken and sausage gumbo–the true Cajun way of making gumbo, without tomatoes, okra, or seafood.
“New Orleans does things on a much grander scale with elaborate floats and balls,” says Jack. “But Cajuns are more simplistic. We do the traditional Mardi Gras here. It’s a big to-do because of all the people who get together.”
Mama’s Chicken & Sausage Gumbo
Looking to experience some of Louisiana’s finest dishes? Try Slap Ya Mama’s Chicken & Sausage Gumbo recipe. Delivering unparalleled Louisiana Cajun flavor from our home in Ville Platte, LA. After trying our recipe, you’ll love it so much you’ll want to come on down to visit us at our home.Gumbo is one of those authentic dishes whose roots are deeply ingrained in Louisiana’s culture and people. There are many variations of gumbo all over Louisiana and each variation is authentic and delicious in its own right. With Ville Platte being located in south-central Louisiana, we didn’t have consistent access to seafood or many other ingredients you might find in other gumbos. We instead made a gumbo with the ingredients that are most abundant in our area, such as chicken and pork. For that reason we traditionally prepare a Chicken & Sausage Gumbo with a dark roux. During the cold winter months a very large pot of gumbo was often made and we would eat on it for a couple of days. We had no complaints of eating leftovers when it came to gumbo because it actually gets better with time.This winter, try preparing a chicken & sausage gumbo. Make a large pot of it so you can eat on it for days and keep the smiles coming from all that get to enjoy it.
In a 10-12 quart pot over high heat, fill ½ way with water and bring to a boil. Add ¾ jar of roux, boil until roux is completely dissolved, stirring occasionally. Reduce to medium heat; add sausage, onions, bell peppers, garlic and 2 tbsp of Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Seasoning. Boil for 15 minutes. With the remaining ½ tbsp. of Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Seasoning, season chicken and add to pot. Add water to pot until it is almost full. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 hour. With 10 minutes remaining of the hour boil, add parsley and green onions. Reduce low heat. Serve over rice, add a few dashes of Slap Ya Mama Pepper Sauce and enjoy!
If you are having trouble finding Roux or Smoked Pork Sausage, try Teet’s Food Store of Ville Platte, Louisiana.
Étouffée, pronounced “eh-too-fey”, has been deeply rooted in Louisiana culinary history since the 1920s. Initially, it was only popular with Cajuns who lived along the bayous of South Louisiana and was later introduced in restaurants around the Breaux Bridge area in the 1950s. It wasn’t until the 1980s that a server from the very popular New Orleans restaurant, Galatoires, brought the dish to his boss and asked him to give it a try. His boss enjoyed it so much, Galatoires added it to their menu and from then on, étouffée was solidified in Louisiana History as one of our greatest dishes. Today, ètouffée is a familiar dish around the country but is most commonly found in South Louisiana.
What is Étouffée?
Did you know Étouffée derives from the French verb etouffer, which means “smothered”? In simple terms, crawfish étouffée could be described as smothered crawfish! In more detail, ètouffée is a seasoned dish where shellfish are simmered with the holy trinity in a sauce made out of roux and served over rice.
There are many variations of étouffée, from the protein used to the thickness of the stew, and the level of spiciness. While all variations are delicious, here in Louisiana, étouffée is most commonly made with crawfish or shrimp. Many who don’t have access to shellfish have used chicken as a substitute. For us, we don’t mind if it’s thick or a little thinner, what matters is that our ètouffèe is full of flavor and seasoned with Slap!
Feel like being a Cajun Chef Make Mama’s Crawfish Étouffée from scratch?
Click Here for Growing Up Cajun Series Recipe VideoNothing is more satisfying than Mama’s Crawfish Étouffée. Crawfish tails cooked in vegetables and spices, served over hot rice-what could be better to serve the ones you love?
garnish: chopped fresh parsley, chopped green onion
Instructions
In a large Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and tomato; cook until tender. Add garlic; cook for 2 minutes. Add crawfish, and stir to combine. Add stock; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, simmer until liquid is reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes. Add Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Cajun Seasoning and Slap Ya Mama Hot Sauce. Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Cut remaining 3/4 cup butter into cubes. Remove pan from heat; fold in cubed butter, stirring until a creamy sauce forms. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish with parsley and green onion, if desired.
Save time with Slap Ya Mama’s Cajun Étouffée Sauce!
Mama’s Cajun Étouffée Sauce is an authentic down-home etouffée base that is so much like our grandmother’s, you’d swear we have Wilda Marie in the back cooking up batches by the tons…from scratch. Here at Slap Ya Mama, we really like to use it with crawfish but if you can’t get crawfish you can use shrimp or chicken. All you have to do is add water and your protein of choice. Serve it over rice or pasta, an amazing and incredibly fast Cajun meal that can feed the family. One jar serves approximately 4-5 people.
Cooked with vegetables and seasoning, this hearty stew is a fresh way to serve pork chops. Find more delicious recipes in our cookbook Growing Up Cajun! You’ll find everything in this cookbook for an authentic Cajun feast, like Mama Jen’s Cajun Cornbread and Cajun Mardi Gras staples, such as Chicken & Sausage Gumbo. From squirrel season to crawfish season, you’ll be inspired by the true flavors of Louisiana.
In a Dutch oven, whisk together Dark Roux and 3 cups water until blended. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, and Slap Ya Mama Hot Cajun Seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
Add pork chops; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Rotate chops. Add green onion and parsley; cover and cook until a meat thermometer inserted in pork registers 145°, 3 to 5 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish with green onion and parsley, if desired.
The quintessential Cajun meal- find a reason to celebrate and enjoy. Pop off the head and suck the juices, peel off the shell and pop the meat in your mouth.
In a large bucket or cooler, place live crawfish, 3 cups salt, and water to cover. Let stand for 30 minutes, discarding any crawfish that float to the top (which indicates crawfish are dead). Rinse crawfish thoroughly using cold water.
In a large outdoor 60-gallon pot with a crawfish basket, place 2 bags Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seafood Boil, lemons(squeezing juices), and remaining 3 cups salt. Fill halfway with water, and bring to a boil over high heat on a heavy-duty outdoor burner. Add potatoes, corn, and garlic; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Submerge crawfish, and add sausage and remaining 2 bags Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seafood Boil. Return water to a boil. Turn off heat, and cover. Let stand until crawfish are tender and float to top, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately. Sprinkle with Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Cajun Seasoning to taste.
This cross section cuts of whole dressed catfish are covered in quickly cooked broth that poaches the meat and creates a delicious dish. This amazing recipe comes for our cookbook Growing Up Cajun. Whether it’s a holiday, a family gathering, or just a Saturday spent with friends eating crawfish, these dishes are made for joyful occasions spent with music, laughter, and everyone pitching in to create a delicious meal.Trust us, this collection of favorites is sure to leave you feeling a little Cajun yourself.
In a large cast-iron stock pot or dutch oven, heat oil over low heat.
Sprinkle catfish with Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Cajun Seasoning; place fish in pot. Layer with onion, bell pepper, and garlic; top with tomato sauce. (Do not stir.) Cover and shake pot in a circular motion. Fish will put out a little water. If not enough, you can add a little. Cook for 1 hour, shaking occasionally.
Add green onion and parsley; cook for 10 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice.
Black-eyed Peas are a southern good luck tradition for New Years Day. Start soaking your peas for luck and prosperity. This tasty recipe was created by our wonderful ambassador Joy.Instagram: @joy.purejoyFacebook: Pure JoyBlog: Pure Joy Living
While it's impossible to get tired of fried chicken, you can shake things up by covering it in C'est Bon Slaw to create a deep-fried club sandwich. This recipe if from our cookbook Growing Up Cajun. You’ll find everything in this cookbook for an authentic Cajun feast, like Mama Jen’s Cajun Cornbread and Cajun Mardi Gras staples, such as Chicken & Sausage Gumbo.
Add chicken to dish, making sure meat is submerged. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
In a large cast-iron skillet, pour oil to depth of 1 inch, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°.In another 13x9-inch baking dish, stir together flour and Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Cajun Seasoning.
Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture, discarding marinade. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, turning to coat. Working in batches, fry chicken until browned on both sides and a meat thermometer inserted in thickest.
C'est Bon Slaw
In a large bowl, combine cabbages, carrot, and onion.
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and all remaining ingredients. Pour mayonnaise mixture over cabbage mixture, stirring to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
A good party snack should be irresistible and addictive, and this dip is just that. You'll never have to ask, "What can I bring?" again. For more delicious recipes like this check out our cookbook Growing Up Cajun !
In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add crabmeat and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add bourbon; cook until liquid is reduced, about 2 minutes.
Fold crabmeat mixture into cream cheese mixture. Transfer to prepared pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake until mixture is hot and bubbly and cheese is light golden brown, about 24 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with green onion, if desired. Serve with pita chips.
What could possibly make a cheesy dip filled with savory vegetables and crawfish batter? Aunt Celeste knows-- serving it in a bread bowl, of course.For more delicious recipes like this check out our cookbook Growing Up Cajun !
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté until tender. Stir in Worcestershire. Add cream cheese, stirring until melted. Add soup, tomato sauce, and vegetable juice, stirring until well combined. Add cheese and half- and-half, stirring until cheese is melted.
Cut top off bread round, and set aside. Hollow out inside of loaf. make sure enough bread is left inside so that the bread does not have any holes. Press bread down inside bowl. Left over bread can be cubed and baked for dipping in crawfish dip.
Place bread bowl on a baking sheet. Pour crawfish mixture into bread bowl.
Bake for 30 minutes. Return top of bread round to bread bowl, and cover entire round with foil. Bake 20 minuted more. Remove top of bread round, and garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve warm with bread pieces and crackers.
Chef Elliott Wilson regularly travels to New Orleans which inspired his Muffuletta Egg Rolls. An original New Orleans Muffuletta is a sandwich on round Italian bread, with cold cuts, cheese, and olive salad. Elliot really took this dish to the next level by turning them into Egg Rolls!
Mix 1 cup pitted brine-cured black olives, sliced 1 cup large pimiento-stuffed olives, sliced ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons minced yellow onion, 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery, 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, Juice of 1 lemon, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 ½ teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Cajun Seasoning and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
Super thin cut on all the cheese and meats.
Rolling the Egg Roll
Take a look at the pictures to see how to construct the rolls, be patient with them, and make sure they are sealed well.
Place the meat inside of the cheese
Lay the Eggroll paper like a diamond. Place meat, and cheese in the middle. Then add the creole olive salad (see picture to see location).
Perfect for passing around a family party or just frying up for fun, these bite-size boudin balls are deep-fried and seasoned with two famous Slap Ya Mama Products. For more tasty recipes like this check out our cookbook Growing Up Cajun!
Working in batches, dip balls in egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Roll in bread crumbs, coating evenly.
In a large Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 2 inches, and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360°. Fry balls, in batches, until light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Let drain on paper towels. Serve warm.
Chicken Sauce Piquante is a traditional Cajun recipe that has been around for generations. With a reddish spicy gravy, it has incredible flavor and is fairly simple to prepare. Served over rice, the dish was and still is a staple in many households in and around the Acadian area. For more recipes like this check out our cookbook Growing Up Cajun!
In a 4-quart stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until browned on all sides. (Don't be afraid to burn the chicken a little or for it to stick to the bottom of the pot. This is where the gravy will come from.) Remove chicken from pot.
Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and just enough water to cover bottom of pot (about 1 cup); saute until vegetables are softened. Add tomato sauce; saute for 10 minutes. Add broth, cream, mushrooms, and remaining 1 tablespoon of Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Cajun Seasoning; saute for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; return chicken to pot, and fill pot with just to top of the chicken (about 1 quart). Cover and boil, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender, about 1 hour.
Reduce heat, and uncover; stir in green onion and parsley. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice.
Ingredients: Slap Ya Mama Cajun Pepper Sauce (Aged Pepper Mash, Vinegar, Salt, Xantham Gum, Garlic, Other Spices) Canola Oil, Butter Buds, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Garlic Juice, Xantham Gum
View Ingredients
Ingredients: Tomato Puree (Water, Tomatoes), Distilled Vinegar, Cayenne Mash (Cayenne Peppers, Salt), Sugar, Ground Celery Seeds, Vegetable Juice Concentrate Blend (Carrot, Celery, Beet, Parsley, Lettuce, Spinach, Watercress, Salt, Ascorbic Acid, Natural Flavor, Citric Acid, And Spice), Salt, Citric Acid, Dark Brown Sugar, Onion Powder, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Slap Ya Mama Low Sodium Seasoning (Red Pepper, Salt, Black Pepper, Granulated Sugar, Granulated Garlic, Granulated Onion, Ground Celery, Granulated Green Bell Pepper), Worcestershire Powder (Dextrose, Caramel Color, Spices, Garlic*, Salt, Cellulose Gum, Malic Acid, Onion*, Natural Flavors, No More Than 2% Silicon Dioxide Added As An Anti-caking Aid.), Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Slap Ya Mama Regular Seasoning (Salt, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Garlic), Molasses, Seasoning, Lemon Pepper, Xanthan Gum, Ascorbic Acid, Lemon Juice, Celery Salt. Contains Soy. No MSG, Kosher, Certified Cajun.
Original Blend Cajun Seasoning
Ingredients: Salt, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Garlic. No MSG, Kosher, Certified Cajun, Gluten-Free.
Low Sodium Blend Cajun Seasoning
Ingredients: Red Pepper, Salt, Black Pepper, Granulated Sugar, Granulated Garlic, Granulated Onion, Ground Celery, Granulated Green Bell Pepper. No MSG, Kosher, Certified Cajun, Gluten-Free.
Hot Blend Cajun Seasoning
Ingredients: Salt, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Garlic. No MSG, Kosher, Certified Cajun, Gluten-Free.
White Pepper Blend Cajun Seasoning
Ingredients: Salt, Red Pepper, White Pepper, Garlic. No MSG, Kosher, Certified Cajun, Gluten-Free.
Cajun Pepper Sauce
Ingredients: Aged Pepper Mash, Vinegar, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Other Spices (Salt, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Garlic). No MSG, Kosher, Certified Cajun, Gluten-Free.
Cajun Hot Sauce
Ingredients: Aged Pepper Mash, Vinegar, Other Spices (Salt, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Garlic), Salt, Xanthan Gum. No MSG, Kosher, Certified Cajun, Gluten-Free.
Jalapeño Pepper Sauce
Ingredients: Jalapeno Peppers, Vinegar, Other Spices (Salt, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Garlic), Salt, Xanthan Gum. No MSG, Kosher, Certified Cajun, Gluten-Free.
Red Beans & Rice
Ingredients: Red Beans, Par, Boiled White Rice, Dried Onion, Smokey Ham Flavor, Hydrolyzed Soy And Corn Protein, Maltodextrin, Salt, Natural Smoke Flavor, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Natural Flavors, Natural And Artificial Pork Flavor, Silicon Dioxide, Caramel Color, Dried Bell Pepper, Dried Garlic, Dried Onion, Chili Powder, Spices, Salt, Tricalcium Phosphate (Flow Agent). Contains Soy. No MSG, Certified Cajun.
Just 10 miles from Ville Platte is the small town of Mamou (pronounced Mah-moo), which hosts one of the traditional Cajun Mardi Gras Celebration in the United States. The Courir de Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday run) dayed back to the fête de la quémande (feast of begging), of medieval France. Mamou revelers on horseback go door to door begging for ingredients to make a communal pot of gumbo. Dressed in simple costumes made of colorful scraps of fabric and donning a mask and capuchon (cone-shaped hat), men sing ballads in French. One home might provide a bell pepper, well and other provides an onion or celery stick or even a live chicken.
Mama’s Cajun Étouffée Sauce is an authentic down-home etouffée base that is so much like our grandmother’s, you’d swear we have Wilda Marie in the back cooking up batches by the tons…from scratch. Here at Slap Ya Mama, we really like to use it with crawfish but if you can’t get crawfish you can use shrimp or chicken. All you have to do is add water and your protein of choice. Serve it over rice or pasta, an amazing and incredibly fast Cajun meal that can feed the family. One jar serves approximately 4-5 people.
