Enola Prudhommes Maquechou Recipes

MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• Working with 1 corn cob at a time, set the ear of corn upright in a medium bowl. Shave the corn from the cob by slicing down the sides using the tip of a sharp chef's knife, holding the knife almost vertical. (This gives you neat tablets of corn that land squarely in the bowl and keeps the kernels from scattering all over the counter.) Using the back of the knife, scrape each cob to release all the nibs and the "milk" of the kernels into the bowl. Repeat with remaining ears of corn, then snap the cobs in half, and add them to the bowl.
• In a large, deep sauté pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and celery, and season with 1 or 2 pinches of kosher salt. Stir constantly until softened and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add 2 tablespoons butter and the bell pepper, poblano and serrano, and stir constantly, adding another pinch of kosher salt, letting the butter melt and the peppers soften and become translucent, about 2 or 3 minutes. You will smell the peppers' sweetness and their mild capsaicin releasing.
• Add the final 3 tablespoons butter and the corn mixture from the bowl, cobs included, and another pinch of kosher salt. Stir constantly to coat with the butter and combine thoroughly.
• When everything starts to hiss and sound hot, but isn't cooking so hard as to take color, add 1/2 cup water and a healthy few grinds of black pepper, and cover the pan for a couple of minutes to steam/shallow braise the mixture.
• Remove the lid, and stir well, noticing the corn releasing its liquid and the kernels softening, and the cobs turning somewhat translucent, if however vague. You will notice a general softening and melding together. Return the lid, and let cook a few more minutes, noticing the water evaporating and the remaining liquid reducing and gaining some "body" and gloss. Discard the corn cobs, but do suck them before tossing - those buttery juices make a nice cook's treat.
• Taste for salt, and serve. It should be sweet, spicy, a bit wet and surprisingly complex, given the few ingredients and their ordinariness. If you want a smoky taste, add a good pinch of smoked paprika.

ENOLA PRUDHOMME'S CAJUN FIG CAKE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients and mix well if using oil. If using butter, cream with sugar before adding remaining ingredients; beat well.
• Pour into well greased and floured 12-inch tube pan; bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in pan; run knife around sides and turn out.

ENOLA PRUDHOMME'S MAQUECHOU

Steps:

• Heat butter in large skillet; saute kernels for 2 minutes.
• Add onion and green pepper and cook over medium-high heat until onion is soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne.
• Beat yolk with milk and sugar; add to corn; stir and cook 2 or 3 minutes, until mixture thickens slightly.

ENOLA'S BARBECUED SHRIMP

Steps:

• In a large skillet over high heat, melt the margarine.
• Add the shrimp, basil, salt, oregano, white and red peppers and file powder.
• Saute for 3 minutes or until the shrimp starts to stick to the bottom of the skillet, but stirring constantly to prevent burning.
• Add the remaining ingredients; cook, stirring, for minutes or until the sauce thickens.
• Serve hot.