New Orleans, my birthplace, and all South Louisiana are justly known for unique and exquisite cuisine. It includes French Creole and Cajun styles that have gained widespread popularity. Cooking is serious business among Louisiana families, and we relish fine dining with each course accompanied by wine pairings. While all three daily meals have special dishes, dinner is most important and often formal with nice linens and tableware. In my family, everyone had to be seated at the table before we began dinner, of course initiated by saying grace. We had to ask to be excused from the table before leaving at dinner’s end.

My mother was the primary chef, although we all made contributions depending on the menu. My sister and I learned cooking from Mother, who was quite accomplished in regional cuisine. My father and brother specialized in grilling and broiling meat and game, which they hunted. Everyone cooked fish and crustaceans, frequently used in our cuisine. Naturally we made all the famous Creole and Cajun dishes: gumbo, étouffée, Creole sauces, grits, rice, and numerous vegetables almost always cooked with ham or bacon. But my family rarely had desserts. My mother never included them, perhaps because she hadn’t learned to bake or wished to avoid additional calories.

According to South Louisiana people, there is a particular way to cook rice. It should be light and fluffy, each grain standing apart from its fellows. If rice was sticky or clumpy, the cook had failed. Rice was an accompaniment to gravy, gumbo, red beans, Creole sauces and étouffée, and the foundation for jambalaya and dirty rice (made with diced giblets). Rice as a base for stir-fried vegetables or pilaf was not part of my family’s meals, although these were not unknown locally. There are variations on “perfectly cooked rice” but I’ll give my mother’s version first.

Steamed Rice According to Dorothy Martin

Bring a pot full of water to a boil. Add 1-2 tsp salt depending on how many servings of rice. Rinse 1-2 cups long grain white rice under running water until it drains clear. Add to boiling water and cook 15 minutes. Drain rice in colander, then place colander over new pot of boiling water. Cover colander and steam another 5-10 minutes until rice is fluffy and each grain is separate. Now you have perfect rice.

That may seem like a lot of effort for rice, which many people just put into a pot in 1-to-2 ratio with salted water, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and cook 20 minutes. But I guarantee you, the results will be different. Some Louisiana cooks use variations of Mother’s approach, boiling rinsed rice in the pot until the water is absorbed, then turning off the heat, covering pot and steaming until rice is done. Proportions are 1 cup rice to 1 1/3 cups water.   

In the interests of “full disclosure,” I admit to using the easier boil in a pot method now. But I do miss the special texture of my mother’s steamed rice.

What to Serve With Rice

Everything from roast beef and gravy, duck or seafood gumbo, red beans with Andouille sausage, and shrimp or crawfish Creole goes well with your perfect rice. Today I’m featuring shrimp étouffée to serve over rice. Crawfish étouffée is the classic dish, but getting crawfish is not easy outside of Louisiana. The dish has a curious history. Originally it was known as crawfish courtbouillon, a rich stew of seasoned “Holy Trinity” vegetables—onions, bell pepper, and celery. Crawfish tails and fat were added after the stew thickened. In late 1940s, the owner of a Lafayette restaurant was preparing the dish at home, while a frequent customer watched. In French the customer asked what was being prepared, and was told “smothered” crawfish—étouffée is French for smothered. Later at the restaurant the customer came with friends and ordered “crawfish étouffée” coining the name by which this dish is now known.

Melt butter/oil in deep skillet, add onions, celery, and bell peppers. Sauté until softened, sprinkle flour over and mix well, cook to form light colored roux (gumbo or gravy base). Add salt, pepper, and parsley to taste. Add 1 cup water, stir well, cover and simmer ½ to ¾ hour (add more water if needed). Add shrimp and cook 4-5 minutes, until shrimp turn pink. Add more water if necessary, correct seasonings. Garnish with more chopped parsley and green onion tops. Serve over perfect rice.

If you add chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce to this recipe, you turn it into Shrimp Creole. That is also delicious, just a different flavor. These recipes and many more authentic Louisiana dishes are in my go-to cookbook, Talk About Good! Le Livre de la Cuisine de Lafayette. (Junior League of Lafayette, LA, 1969). I wore out my original cookbook after 50+ years of use. Fortunately, it’s in the 33^rd printing, available on Amazon. I got a new copy two years ago. Maybe next time I’ll tell how to make roux. Bon appetite!