If you live or have passed through Madrid during the last two decades, you probably remember that endearing restaurant called Gumbolocated in the Malasaña neighborhood, which rescued all the essence of NOLA (acronym for New Orleans, Louisiana) through its decoration, its music and, above all, its addictive gastronomic proposal.
He ran it (until the arrival of the pandemic) matthew scottan architect disenchanted with his profession who found his true vocation in the kitchen and who, after being part of the team at Bayonne restaurant in New Orleanstogether with chef Susan Spice, dared with his own culinary adventure.
Well, today we hear about this entrepreneur again native of new orleans thanks to a book that comes to pay homage to a city that, like its cuisine, is pure miscegenation and fun:NOLA: New Orleans cuisine. And what better occasion to review the gastronomic vocabulary and the most representative recipes from the cradle of jazz and rhythm and blues!
A melting pot of French, African and American influences
We discover nothing if we tell you that the new orleans culture It is the result of the confluence of great cultures that settled in these lands during the colonial era, but what is interesting is that all these nationalities are reflected in its recipe book, giving rise to different types of cuisine which we will see later.
Now let’s focus on that culinary miscegenation so characteristic of NOLA, that in some cases, surprisingly, it has its origin in the wealthy houses, since it is there where they most felt the need to adapt European recipes to the local ingredients that they had within their reach.
Crayfish, hot dogs, fried chicken, prawns, bananas, corn,… All of it cooked in the most delicious way possible, and with a soundtrack by Dr. John or the Neville Brothers, it would be as close to be in new orleans right now. And, fortunately, that is something that is now available to everyone thanks to this masterpiece edited by Col and Col.
“With NOLA I want to reach peoplethat it really excites them and that it is my grain of sand to the culture of my city”, comments satisfied the one who for almost two decades ran the pinnacle of New Orleans cuisine in Madrid (and dare we say in Spain).
But 2020 arrived, shortly after the pandemic and all this brought with it bad news and good news. The bad thing is that Gumbo closed its doors because Scott “felt that over the years the original idea had been lost a little.” And the good news is that this good man took advantage of the confinement to lock himself up and write the most beautiful of tributes possible to your land.
Cajun, Creole, Soul and Southern Cuisine
Those of us who have ever felt the need to get closer and want to understand the gastronomy of this enclave crossed by the Mississippi River we greatly appreciate that Scott has chosen to dedicate a chapter to each of the different cuisines that can be found in New Orleans. Since, although are often used interchangeablyThe truth is that they should not be confused.
And it is that after 300 years of cultural mixture it is easy that they have ended up creating new dishes from fusion of two or more kitchens. But here we are going to focus on the elemental pillars so as not to end up even more disoriented.
- Cajun Cuisine: The Cajuns are the French who were expelled from Nova Scotia, Canada in 1755, and many of them settled in Louisiana. Most came from the countryside of northwestern France, which is why many decided to settle in the more rural areas of the state and that they chose to keep their spicy root cuisinealthough adapted to the ingredients they could find in New Orleans.
Some examples: Prawn stew, Budin Blanc or jambalaya, the iconic rice dish of Louisiana cuisine.
- Creole Cuisine: Although the Creole term It began to be used to refer to any French or Spanish descendant born in the New World, the truth is that later things got quite complicated and in the end it has ended up being used to refer to anyone who ended up there and has an ancestor from the colony of New Orleans. With regard to consumption, which is what matters most to us here, this is the refined, luxurious food, high purchasing power. Here it is not the spicy flavors that rule, but the ingredients such as butter, garlic, herbs or tomatoes.
Some examples: king prawns in creole sauce, meunière-style sole or rum-flamed bananas.
- Soul Kitchen: It is what originally fed the slaves who settled with their families in the vicinity of the sugar cane and cotton plantations. For their sustenance, the owners of the fields offered them food such as dry beans, corn flour or rice and the cheapest cuts of meat (trotters, guts, ear or tail), also known as offal. Those were the years when blues music emergedrepresented by artists such as Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters or John Lee Hooker.
Some examples: ‘Okra in batter, baked macaroni and cheese – the mac & cheese that later spread throughout the United States originated in New Orleans and fried chicken, typical of the entire south.
- Southern Cuisine: Since the port of New Orleans became the most important in the southern United States, there are a number of dishes that are shared by several southern states. We are talking about elaborations in which ingredients such as corn, pork, sweet potato and peanuts generally appear. The African influence can be seen in the use of the barbecue and in that of ingredients like okra (Louisiana’s quintessential summer vegetable) or blackeye beans.
Some examples: Pickled okra and green beans, pork ribs with barbecue sauce or coleslaw.
Finally, there is a colossal plate that deserves a preferential space. We refer to the gumbo, which is nothing more than a summer soup (influenced by the French roux) which takes its name from the African vegetable gombo (also called okra) and which has Infinite possibilities. In Matthew Scott’s book we find one with prawns, another with chicken, another with shellfish, another with guinea fowl and, to top it off, fried turkey. All of them, obviously, with their corresponding serving of okra. Don’t miss it!
NOLA. New Orleans Cuisine: 8 (Signature Cuisine)
This is not a cookbook
It should be clarified, for those who are already thinking about give yourself a gift this christmas, that “Nola. The Kitchen of New Orleans” is not a simple recipe book, since it also includes abundant information about this Louisiana city that is also known as the Big Easy.
In the author’s own words, “it is a book that shows the cultural complexity of New Orleans and that allows you to understand their idiosyncrasies and learn about their complex past (of which they feel very proud), their tragedies, but also the contribution of those who came looking for a better life”.
It is undoubtedly a unique document to understand their way of living and celebrating life. And we’re not just referring to dates like Mardi Gras or Thanksgiving Day. By the way, coinciding with this last holiday, so important in the United States, chef (and now writer) Matthew Scott will be preparing a very special meal at the legendary Alambique cooking school.
will be the next 12th of November and the workshop with tasting, which will cost €75, will consist of a thanksgiving food of the lifelong: prawn bisque, fried whole turkey, spotted rice, cornbread crumbs, braised cabbage and, to finish, a classic pecan pie. What we doubt a lot is that there is a gap at this point. We can’t think of a better plan for a Saturday in November, really.
In DAP | Who are the Cajuns and why do we like their gastronomy so much?
In DAP | King cake: why a roscón de reyes is the typical recipe for Mardi Gras, the New Orleans carnival