Guest blog: Mr. Ray cooks Cajun

Every so often, my husband Raymond likes to cook in our kitchen. He "feels like cookin'" in the way that my grandfather "felt like workin' in the wood shop." My husband enters the kitchen alone and solemn. He makes noise with pots and pans, curses, and chops celery; then, hours later, he emerges victorious, carrying something delicious. His exquisite dishes that require this level of concentration and solitude include: meat lasagna, Étouffée, home-made chicken and noodles, ravioli, and his most famous, Cajun shrimp and rice.

I'll let him describe the recipe from here.

"My dad, Royal Clause, --"Roy" for short -- was born and raised in New Orleans. He was a short, bow-legged Cajun man with a round belly, a big, pickle nose, and a thick Louisiana drawl. He spoke Cajun French. Roy was a cook in the navy on the ships during WWII, "which, by default, makes him a pretty damn good cook." This was one of the more popular recipes in his rotation. Between feasts of crawfish and étouffées, this was my favorite.

My dad had moved to Oregon a few years before I was born, so this dish is not as spicy as the real deal. There aren't as many Cajun ingredients available in Oregon as there are in Louisiana."

Steamy and dreamy. Serve it with rice or French bread.

Dad's Delicious Cajun Shrimp and Rice
(A Northwest Adaptation)

serves 6-8

• 1 lb of medium cooked shrimp. (frozen 70/90 count)
• 2 eggs
• 1 can (12-14 oz) tomato sauce (plain, not "Italian")
• 2 diced tomatoes, or 1 can (12-14 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 large yellow onion
• 1/2 bundle of celery
• 2 or 3 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 Tb. Tony Cachere's Creole Seasoning
• 2 Tb. fine-ground sassafras (Cajun Filé)
  

Mix tomatoes, tomato sauce, and three cans of water into a large saucepan (use the tomato sauce can.) Add the bay leaves & Creole seasoning. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer. Sauté the onion in butter, and chop the celery finely. Add them both to the stew.

Start boiling the eggs. While they're cooking, work on removing the shrimp tails--if necessary. (I buy tail-off shrimp when I can.) When the shrimp are ready, add them to the stew. Cover the pot and let it simmer for a half-hour.

When the eggs are WELL cooked, peel them and remove the yolks. Slice the egg whites and add them to the stew. In a dish, mix the egg yolks with a small amount of the liquid from the stew. Keep adding more liquid until you have an egg-yolk paste. Add the sassafras (filé) and more liquid until you have a smooth, dark, runny paste. Stir it into the stew. Let this cook for a half hour or so on low to medium heat. You'll know when the stew is done because the tomato flavor will turn slightly sweet. Feel free to increase the "Cajun-ness" of this recipe by increasing the cayenne pepper to taste. (My Uncle Gus uses a face-melting amount.) Serve over rice.

Enjoy!