Cajun Style—A Celebration of Food and Friends
When Hank Williams wrote "Jambalaya" in 1952, he captured the essence of the Cajun self-proclaimed passion for good food and good friends. The French people who settled in the bayous and swamps of Southern Louisiana developed a unique and authentic cooking style. But there is more to the Cajun appeal than just the food.
"What we admire — and secretly covet — is their love of good food combined with a zest for life that they proudly call joie de vivre," says Linda Carman, Martha White baking expert and editor of Southern Traditions, 100 Years of Recipes from the Martha White Kitchen.
Although, Hank Williams obviously appreciated Cajun food, it would be another 30 years before it became popular with chefs and food writers — finally earning the attention it deserved outside Louisiana.
Now, Cajun cooking is a respected regional American cuisine. Cajun cookbooks abound, restaurants all over the country feature Cajun inspired dishes and Cajun ingredients continue to be more available outside Southern Louisiana.
Cajun History: From France to Southern Louisiana
For the Cajuns, the trip from France to Southern Louisiana was long and hard. Early in the 17th Century, rugged French settlers immigrated to a part of Canada called Acadia, now known as Nova Scotia. They lived off the land and sea until 1755 when the British took over Canada.
Refusing to give up their language and religion and unwilling to pledge allegiance to England, the French "Acadians" were deported. After searching for a new home for years, many finally found a place in Southern Louisiana where other French settlers had lived for generations and who shared their language and religion. Coming from a rural background, the Acadians gravitated to the bayous and marshlands and started learning how to live off a new and different land. Eventually, these Acadians would become known as Cajuns.
Cajun Specialties
Cajun cooking is a tribute to the spirit of French people who settled in Southern Louisiana. The environment was certainly difficult, but the land was fertile, the climate provided for a long growing season, and the swamps and waterways teamed with game and fish.
With their appetite for life and food, it's not surprising that the Cajuns take pride in their love of fiery dishes seasoned with hot peppers and pepper sauce. In her book, Cajun Foodways, Paige Gutierrez quotes one Cajun as saying, "When you eat Cajun food, you don't have to fantasize about the taste."
Cajuns like to cook everything in one pot, probably a result of their rural lifestyle. Whatever the reason, it has produced a variety of distinctive dishes that are combinations of meat, seafood, game, vegetables, and often rice. Gumbo, fricassee, etouffee and jambalaya vary as much as the cooks who make them and the ingredients available to them. In the marshlands these dishes are more likely to contain seafood; further north and inland the Cajuns will use more beef and poultry.
Like other Southerners, Cajuns have always had a fondness for pork and have developed a variety of ways to prepare and preserve it. Originally prepared at home, local grocery stores and meat markets now provide seasoned sausages, like andouille and boudin; tasso, a seasoned cured ham used for seasoning; and cracklins, the crisp pieces of rendered pork fat eaten as a snack or added to breads.
Of course, no discussion of Cajun cooking would be complete without mentioning crawfish, which has become a symbol of Cajun pride. Bumper stickers, tee shirts and festivals celebrate the tasty little crustaceans that resemble miniature lobsters. For many years crawfish were a nutritious and free part of the Cajun diet, but the popularity of Cajun cooking sparked an interest in crawfish outside its Louisiana home. Now the crawfish industry is big business and they are distributed all over the world.
The recipes we've included here are inspired by Cajun cuisine using ingredients that are available throughout the South. Ham and Sausage Jambalaya with Parmesan Cornbread Crust is a delicious one-dish meal made with andouille, a traditional Cajun smoked pork sausage. If andouille is not available, kielbasa is a good substitute.
Cajun Cracklin' Biscuits are baked in a skillet - giving them a crisp brown bottom crust and a slightly chewy texture. Delicious served with breakfast, they would also complement a creamy soup for lunch or supper. For a stylish appetizer, cut the dough with a smaller cutter, split and fill with a slice of tomato. If you can't get cracklins, use crisp cooked bacon.
For a wonderful side dish, try Corn and Tasso Pudding. Tasso is a highly seasoned smoked Cajun ham, but this recipe is also very good made with cooked country ham or baked ham. These dishes are mildly seasoned, so if you like it hot — add a little extra cayenne or splash on the hot pepper sauce.
And to make a meal truly Cajun, make a big pot of something, invite a bunch of friends over for an enjoyable meal together.