Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Canapés with Catfish with Capers Spread

Such a simple but elegant hors d’oeuvre and bursting with flavors. Catfish with Capers is “A Mississippi mousse,” the sister spread to The Crown Restaurant’s popular smoked catfish paté.
 
To assemble:
Slice 2 cucumbers, preferably seedless, into 1/4-inch pieces. Pat dry if needed with paper towels. Spread each cucumber round with a heaping teaspoon of Catfish with Capers spread. Top each with a 1 1/2-inch piece of smoked salmon. Sprinkle with lemon zest. Serve immediately.

St. Charles Streetcar

Named for the restaurant’s location on St. Charles in New Orleans, this signature Champagne cocktail at Lüke features an artisanal French-made elderflower liqueur called St-Germain. Wonderful to serve for a brunch in lieu of mimosas.
 
2 ounces pear-flavored vodka
1/2 ounce St-Germain liqueur
Champagne
           
In a shaker filled with ice, combine pear-flavored vodka and St-Germain. Shake well and strain into a Champagne flute. Top with Champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.

Crawdad’s Crawfish Cakes

Crawfish cakes are not optional when the Delta Magazine staff dines at Crawdad’s in Merigold. When in Rome! Here, the restaurant’s own recipe, which we adapted and tested for the home kitchen. With fresh, farm-raised crawfish cooking on every corner come springtime, why buy the foreign frozen stuff? Adjust seasonings to your liking.  
 
1 pound cooked crawfish tails
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup fine breadcrumbs
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1 tablespoon olive oil

 
In 1 tablespoon olive oil, sauté green onions and bell peppers over medium heat. Once soft add white wine. Sprinkle in Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper; stir to combine and reduce, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Add crawfish tails, mustard, sour cream, and breadcrumbs, followed by butter to moisten and coat. Mix well. Shape into 4 or 6 cakes and chill for 20 minutes or more. In a non-stick pan, heat oil on medium high heat. Pan sear cakes, about 1 to 2 minutes each side. Serve warm with Crawdad’s Remoulade Sauce.
 
 
Catfish Crostini

A variation on a recipe called Catfish Bread from All Rolled Together by the Belzoni Garden Club. April 10 is the World Catfish Festival in Belzoni where farm-raised catfish dishes are featured at parties all weekend long.
 
4 to 5 catfish filets
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cajun seasoning
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup mayonnaise
6 green onions, sliced
1 4-ounce can chopped black olives
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup extra sharp white cheddar, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 baguette, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
           
Preheat oven to broil. Season catfish filets well with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes. With a fork, flake catfish or chop into small pieces. Transfer to a large bowl. Add all ingredients and mix well. Top each baguette slice with catfish mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes, until bubbly.

Shrimp and White Cheddar Grits with Fresh Asparagus
Just like your favorite City Grocery-style shrimp and grits dish but with fresh spring asparagus.

White Cheddar Cheese Grits:
1 cup grits, see notes*
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup extra-sharp white cheddar, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
6 to 8 shakes Tabasco hot sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste

*Stone-ground Grits:
In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a slight boil. Slowly add grits, stirring. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed about 30 minutes. Old-Fashioned Grits or Quick Cook Grits: Cook according to package instructions.
           
As grits are thickening, whisk in butter, cheeses, garlic, cayenne, paprika and hot sauce. Stir to combine well, and then season.
 
Shrimp and Asparagus:
8-10 slices bacon, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled
3 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3  cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sliced green onions
           
Cook bacon until it begins to brown. Remove from heat, strain and reserve bacon grease and bits. Heat a large skillet until very hot. Add olive oil and 2 tablespoons bacon grease. As the oil begins to smoke, add asparagus and toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, tossing and stirring until crisp-tender and a little browned, about 3 minutes. Pre-season shrimp with salt and pepper and add to pan, making sure shrimp cover the bottom of the pan. Stir and cook until pink on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine, lemon juice and bacon; toss until well coated. Reduce heat and add garlic. Cook quickly and toss.

When ready to serve, add green onions and sauté for about 20 seconds. Serve immediately over warm cheese grits. Serves 4.

Chicken Salad with a twist
With the onset of warmer weather, cool salads make a return to the refrigerator. Make a batch of chicken salad for resident nibblers, but think outside the recipe box. Add to tried-and-true recipes ingredients such as dried cherries or cranberries, honey-roasted nuts or salted cashews. Mix savory with sweet; think texture and crunch. Sample these flavor-bursting chicken salad recipes and be inspired to create new twists to a family favorite.
 
Honey Chicken Salad
4 cups cooked chicken breasts, chopped
3 ribs celery, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup Orange Blossom Honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
           
Toss chicken, celery, cranberries and pecans in a large bowl. Whisk mayonnaise, honey and seasonings and gently combine with chicken mixture. Check for seasoning. Chill until ready to serve.
 
Curried Cashew Chicken Salad
3 to 4 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped or 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt or more, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup salted roasted cashews, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced

Whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, honey, lime juice, ginger, curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken, onion, garlic, grapes, cashews and cilantro and stir gently to combine. Season again to taste. Chill until ready to serve. DM