Southern Mardi Gras Plans

razorbacchus-web

My neighbor and friend Darlene and I are planning a Mardi Gras party. We have formed our own Krewe. Since we are located in Arkansas we are the Royal Krewe of RazorBacchus. We are doing a toned-down version of the Cajun Courir where the revelers go from house to house begging for ingredients for the communal meal. We are just having everyone bring their favorite mardi gras dish and then we will secretly vote on the best. We have 3 different categories: Cajun, Creole and Southern.

I love planning parties and am really looking forward to this one. After the ice storm we need to celebrate! That is one thing I love about the South, our willingness to celebrate anything.

I’m reminded of a trip to New Orleans with my nephew’s lovely bride’s parents from New Jersey. After a couple of days in New Orleans they told us they now knew why the South lost the Civil War (also known as the War of Northern Aggression). It was because, from what they could see, we were too busy having a good time!

Celebrate today – after all, it is Friday-eve!

Today’s Lagniappe: Crab Balls
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen via Food Network
Serves:
about 2 dozen
Ingredients
• Peanut oil, for frying
Tartar Sauce:
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup dill pickle chips, chopped
• Fresh lemon juice
• Pinch House Seasoning, recipe follows
• Freshly ground black pepper
Crab Balls:
• 2 slices bread, crust removed and processed into crumbs
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 pound lump crab meat, picked free of any shells
Directions
In a heavy, deep pot, preheat peanut oil to 365 degrees F.
For the tartar sauce, combine all ingredients into a food processor and blend to achieve desired chunkiness, adjust seasoning and chill until ready to use.
For the crab balls: In a large bowl, moisten bread crumbs with heavy cream. Mix in remaining ingredients. Shape into balls about the size of a walnut. Fry in oil until brown, about 5 minutes per batch. Serve Crab Balls while hot, with tartar sauce. Balls can also be made ahead of time and reheated.
House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups


Posted

in

, ,

by

Comments

2 responses to “Southern Mardi Gras Plans”

  1. Christi Avatar

    I love butterscotch haystacks so that is probably right. We always had fun didn’t we?

  2. Alan Dawson Avatar

    I have fond memories of you hosting my Senior Recital reception so many years ago. Butterscotch haystacks come to mind — am I remembering right? Anyway, you have always been a gracious hostess.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *