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BRING THE MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION HOME WITH ZATARAIN’S
Chef John Besh Shares Tips and Tricks to Let the Good Times Roll with New Orleans-Style Favorites

NEW ORLEANS (Jan. 2008) – Capture the spirit of the Big Easy for a festive Fat Tuesday celebration in the comfort of your own home. The essence of Mardi Gras revelry has universal appeal and ignites spirited parties far beyond the Crescent City. So even if a trip to the French Quarter isn’t on the itinerary, it’s easy to bring a little jazz to the table with authentic foods from Zatarain’s, the company that has been serving up New Orleans-Style cuisine for more than a century.

“As a native of New Orleans, I grew up with traditional dishes like jambalaya, dirty rice and gumbo” said John Besh, executive chef at Restaurant August, one of the city’s top restaurants. “Mardi Gras is a perfect time to celebrate good friends and great times with these delicious dishes. Zatarain’s helps everyone jazz up their meals with easy-to-make, authentic New Orleans-Style dishes that help keep the party going, no matter where in the country you are.”

Since Emile A. Zatarain, Sr. obtained his first product trademark and started to market root beer in 1889, his expertise in blending spices paved the way for the company that now encompasses more than 200 food products from Rice Dinner Mixes, Pasta Dinner Mixes, Breadings, Seasonings and Spices to Seafood Boils, Creole Mustard and other products based on authentic New Orleans–Style foods and seafood preparation.

“The fun and festivity of Mardi Gras is about so much more than just beads and masks,” explains Jim Pearse, General Manager of Zatarain’s. “Most of the true Mardi Gras celebrations take place way beyond Bourbon Street, in homes where families bring together good times, good friends and good food. Zatarain’s is proud to have been a part of those celebrations since 1889.”

How the Good Times Got Rolling
Dating back to the early 1700s, New Orleans’ French settlers brought with them the ancient tradition of feasting and merriment before the sobriety and penance of Lent. The traditional Carnival season starts 12 days after Christmas (January 6) and ends on Fat Tuesday, exactly 46 days before Easter. Today, this entire Mardi Gras season of parades and masquerade balls is as much a celebration of New Orleans’ heritage as of its cuisine.

True New Orleans-Style food is a blend of diverse cooking styles and ingredients, the tasty result of people adapting to their new surroundings and neighbors. The Creoles – descendants of wealthy Europeans – brought rich sauces and roux from the French, sausages from the Germans, spices and rice from the Spanish and sweets from the Italians. The Cajuns – Canadian immigrants displaced by the British – brought an adapted style of rustic French cooking based on living off the land. Native Americans introduced these new settlers to local vegetables and spices, including bay leaf and sassafras for filé, while Louisiana's wetlands provided the abundant crawfish, crab and shrimp that play a starring role in so many local dishes.

When all of these ingredients and cooking styles were shared between the cultures, the dishes that developed – jambalaya, red beans and rice, dirty rice, gumbo, seafood boil – gave way to a fresh and flavorful cuisine, known as New Orleans-Style. So whether you’re in New Orleans or New York City, no Mardi Gras menu would be complete without these favorites. For a true New Orleans-Style experience – complete with beads – Zatarain’s offers these tips:

• Eat, Drink and Be Merry. The centerpiece of a Mardi Gras celebration should be the menu. Zatarain’s offers authentic New Orleans-Style foods, like jambalaya, gumbo, dirty rice and red beans and rice, that will make Mardi Gras menu planning fun and easy.

• All That Jazz. New Orleans is considered the birthplace of Dixieland jazz, so be sure to play music from native son Louis Armstrong to create an atmosphere reminiscent of Canal Street. Real New Orleans jazz has a style all its own.

• Who Was that Masked Man? Complete your guests’ festive attire with wild Mardi Gras masks. Though it’s technically illegal to wear a mask out in New Orleans, that law is lifted from dawn to dusk on Mardi Gras.

• Incorporate Traditional Colors and Cake. Set a festive mood with Mardi Gras beads in the traditional colors of purple, green and gold. The meaning of the colors – justice (purple), faith (green) and power (gold) – was established during the 1892 Rex Parade, the city’s oldest Mardi Gras parade. Then cap off your Mardi Gras celebration by serving the traditional King Cake. This dessert, which originated to commemorate the coming of the three wise men, is baked with a tiny trinket inside.

• Celebrate With Friends and Family. Log on to www.zatarains.com for everything you need to recreate the fun of Mardi Gras at home. From make-your-own Mardi Gras masks and paper float centerpieces to fun family trivia and recipes, the authority on New Orleans-Style cuisines and celebrations will help keep the party going long after the meal ends.

About Zatarain’s
Since 1889, Zatarain's has been an authority on the fun and flavor of New Orleans. From its humble beginnings producing root beer extract, the company has grown to make more than 200 food products from Rice Dinner Mixes, Pasta Dinner Mixes, Breadings, Seasonings and Spices to Seafood Boils, Creole Mustard and other products based on authentic New Orleans–Style foods and seafood preparation. Now, people around the world recognize that to capture the true flavor of New Orleans–Style cuisine, you have to "Jazz It Up with Zatarain's." For information, recipes and Zatarain’s online store, visit www.zatarains.com .

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Zatarain’s Andouille Dirty Rice 
Courtesy of Executive Chef John Besh of Restaurant August, New Orleans

Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1 cup andouille sausage, removed from casing and chopped in food processor
1 stalk celery, finely minced
1/4 cup finely minced bell peppers
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
2 1/4 cup chicken broth
1 (8-oz.) box Zatarain’sDirty Rice Mix
1/2 lb. chicken livers or duck livers, finely minced (optional)

Preparation

• Make dark roux by combining cooking oil and flour in heavy bottomed 6-8 quart saucepot, over low flame. Stir constantly using wooden spoon.
• When roux is finished, stir in onion and allow to brown, leaving flame on low. Next, add andouille, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Add Zatarain’s Dirty Rice mix and stir for five minutes to toast rice.
• Stir in broth, allow mixture to come to a boil, cover with lid and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes.
• Before serving, season with minced green onion and parsley.

**If including chicken/duck livers, add livers and stir for an additional 4 minutes before adding broth.

Mardi Gras Pan-Fried Oyster BLT
Courtesy of Executive Chef John Besh of Restaurant August, New Orleans

Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients
24 freshly shucked Louisiana oysters
4 egg whites, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons Zatarain’s Creole Mustard
8 leaves bibb lettuce
4 loaves New Orleans Style French Bread cut in 6 inch lengths, lightly toasted
1 cup mixed red, yellow and green grape tomatoes, peeled
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (preferably 25-year-old)
1 pinch minced chives
1 (12-oz.) box Zatarain’s Seasoned Fish-Fri
1 1/2 gallons canola oil
12 slices applewood smoked bacon, crisp-cooked
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

• In large pot, heat canola oil over medium high flame.
• Season oysters with salt and pepper, dip into egg whites and toss into Zatarain’s Seasoned Fish-Fri.
• Place breaded oysters into hot canola oil and allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until completely browned. Drain briefly on paper towels.
• Season tomatoes with salt, pepper, vinegar, chives and extra virgin olive oil. Place tomatoes and lettuce over toasted French bread and place onto serving plate. Crumble bacon over lettuce and tomatoes. Place oysters over tomatoes and top with a dollop of Zatarain’s Creole Mustard.