Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potato Fries

The Best Sweet Potato Fries

How can I claim that this is, without a doubt, the best Sweet Potato Fries recipe; in short, I can’t.  But I can say that, after trying these fries, I couldn’t imagine that they get any better.  And one of the things that I’ve, personally, figured out about cooking and eating fried sweet potatoes is that you want to keep it simple.  The real secret is in the sauce or in this case sauce’s!

Sauce for Sweet Potato Fries

First off, you may have noticed that my Sweet Potato Fries look like regular French Fries but they’re not.  Sweet Potatoes aren’t all orange, they’re white too.  And, just to clear the air, Yams and Sweet Potatoes are pretty much the same thing.  In all honesty, I think that the orange color in Yams make beautiful fries and I would rather have used them instead for the purpose is of this blog post because I think they’re prettier to look at.  But for the same purpose of this post, I intentionally used the white Sweet Potatoes to prove the point that it doesn’t really matter which one you choose to use.  Either or, they will both taste the same.  And like I already mentioned, the real secret is in the sauce.

I make both a Spicy Mayo and a Barbecue Fry Sauce and in truth, I think you’ll like the Barbecue Fry Sauce the best.  By now, the world has become very familiar with the spicy mayo and they’ve already decided whether or not they like it.  Plus, if you’re not a fan of spicy food, you’re most likely going to prefer the barbecue.  It’s very simple to make and it really compliments the Sweet Potato Fries.  And though I didn’t add it to the ingredients list, you might want to add a touch of Sesame Oil.  So, definitely give that one a try.

Sweet Potato Fries Ingredients:

1 Sweet Potato, Orange or White
Frying Oil
Season Salt to taste

DIPPING SAUCES

Barbecue Fry Sauce
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
3 tbsp Barbecue Sauce
1/2 tsp Soy Sauce

Spicy Mayo
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp Sriracha

Pealing the Sweet Potato is optional, but you want to cut the ends off, then slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices.  Fry at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 Minutes then place on paper towels.  Immediately Salt with Seasoned Salt before the Sweet potato Fries cool down.  This allows the seasoning to stick better.  For the dipping Sauces, just mix all the ingredients for each one and stir until it’s smooth, then serve your Sweet Potato Fries.

Crispy Fried Shrimp – Southern Restaurant Secrets

Fried ShrimpFried Shrimp at it’s Finest!

Oh I love me some Fried Shrimp.  Popcorn Shrimp, Jumbo Fried Shrimp or Coconut Shrimp, lay it on me. I won’t complain.  And in all honesty I don’t really have a favorite.  In fact the worst thing for me is the shell peeling and that’s just because it’s tedious.  But, it’s got to be done and it’s really easy to do if you know the technique.  But when it comes to Southern Fried Shrimp, you’r going to want to use a larger shrimp, jumbos even, and you’re going to need to leave on the tail for dipping.

This recipe is very simplistic and very easy for anyone to follow, based on very basic seasonings most everyone already has, right in their own kitchen.  Sure it can be perverted and spiced up like some kind of secret chicken recipe but it isn’t really necessary, unless you’ve just gotta have more kick.  But that’s entirely up to you.  Flour, Salt and Pepper, some Paprika and an egg wash with hot sauce will set your pallet off after you’ve fried these crustaceans!

Southern Fried Shrimp Ingredients:

2 lbs pealed Shrimp
2 cups Flour
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Paprika

2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp Hot Sauce (Louisiana hot sauce is great)

Oil for Frying (I use Peanut Oil)

Peel and de-vein your shrimp.  Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl and all the wet in another.  Place the shrimp in the dry ingredients first, then in the spicy egg wash and back into the flour a second time.  Fry at 350 degrees for 5 minutes or until golden brown.  Be sure the oil is hot and don’t over crowd the fryer.  I eat Southern Fried Shrimp with or without cocktail sauce.

Crawfish Etouffee with Cream

Crawfish Etouffee

Classic Crawfish Etouffee!

Traditionally there is absolutely no cream added to Crawfish Etouffee, but there are several different ways to make it.  I personally prefer the cream because it adds a lighter yet richer flavor for me that soothes the hick-ups in all the Cajun spices.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love spicy food as much as the next guy.  I’m just saying that adding cream to a french originated Cajun recipe, developed there in good ol’ New Orleans by those wonderful locals, isn’t exactly a fauxpas!  As long as you stick to the basics and keep the bulk of the recipe the way it was originally intended, then I don’t think we’re breaking any rules.  As long as it tastes great, what rules are we really breaking anyway?

Mirepoix
The main thing you need to understand is that this Crawfish Etouffee recipe generally starts out with a French style Mirepoix.  Basically, you combine and add chopped Celery, Onion and Carrots but in this recipe, we will not be adding any Carrots.  Instead we will be using Celery, Onion, Garlic and Bell Pepper.  Using these ingredients with a few Cajun spices and some classic Creole Seasoning, we will be well on our way to making one of the best Crawfish Etouffee Dinners you have ever had the pleasure to plate with rice!

Crawfish Etouffee Ingredients:

2 cups dry rice (follow cooking instructions)

1/4 stick Butter
1/2 cup Roux
5 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1/2 Chopped Onion
1 Chopped Celery Stock
1 chopped Bell Pepper
1 tsp Creole Seasoning
1/2 tsp Cajun Spice
4 Bay Leaves
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 tbsp Worcestershire
1 tsp Sriracha
1 bottle Clam Juice
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 cup Whipping Cream
1 lbs Crawfish Tail Meat

To make Crawfish Etouffee, saute the Mirepoix and add a shake of the Creole and Cajun Seasoning.  Add the Roux and stir thoroughly.  Once it’s combined turn heat to high, then add the Oyster Juice or Shrimp Stalk.  Stir until it’s Pasty, then add the Chicken Broth and stir.  Now add the Worcestershire, Hot Sauce (Sriracha or Louisiana), Cajun and Creole Seasoning and bring to a boil.  Add the cream and Italian Seasoning and bring it back to a boil.  Season the Crawfish in a separate bowl with Creole Seasoning, then add the Crawfish to the Etouffee and reduce heat to a simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.  Serve Crawfish Etouffee over rice and garnish with some Scallions.