On your trip to Louisiana, are you looking for a fun, informative activity to teach you all about Cajun food? Spuddy’s is the place to go.
On our southern Louisiana trip, we did so many fun and interesting things such as visiting the Tabasco factory, wandering around Vermillionville, getting to know the cool city of Lafayette, chasing alligator sightings on a bunch of swamp tours, and best of all eating and really enjoying some down-home Cajun foods.
So, when I got the chance to learn how to cook a few true Cajun dishes, I jumped on it. I was thrilled to head to Spuddy’s in Vacherie to see what wisdom he could impart.
Our Cajun Cooking Lesson
Spuddy’s is all set up for cooking. He’s created a cooking studio with a large, 3-person grill/stovetop, and cameras to show the people not standing what’s going on. It’s pretty high-tech and gets everyone involved.
Who wants to make roux? Who wants to make Jambalaya? Who wants to fry up some okra?
This is how it all starts. Well, for me, I jumped at the chance of learning how to make the best roux for a gumbo. You always hear that it’s the most important step. He called on me, and up I went.
My Part in Cooking the Roux
Making roux is pretty straightforward, you dump in some lard and flour and get stirring. The stirring is the most important part, constantly stirring. I think my muscles really got a workout that day. I stirred and stirred and then Spuddy told me to “keep stirring.” I knew right then Cajun cooking was harder than I’d ever imagined.
That was my contribution to the three dishes that our group made. There were about eight of us, total, and Spuddy kept us busy for about an hour of adding ingredients and stirring.
We made some delicious jambalaya, some shrimp and okra rice, and of course some amazing gumbo. We all sat down and tried all the dishes, proud of ourselves for the part we played in each one. I could have eaten the entire pot of jambalaya…ooh was it good.
After our lesson and meal, Spuddy’s staff cleaned up as he walked us around the back of his building to show off his smoker. It’s the real deal, let me tell you. Spuddy makes a lot of his own sausages, and I would love to go back and learn how to do that as well.
Conclusion
If you find yourself in Louisiana, check out Spuddy’s offerings. It’s a great way spend a couple of hours to get some insight on how Cajun cooking has gotten the amazing taste reputation that it has.
Author Bio – Corinne is an avid camper and traveler. She’s been to all 50 of the US states and has four more Canadian provinces to visit. However, she’s not stopping yet. There’s always more to see of this great continent! Corinne loves local foods, getting outdoors, landscape photography, and road trips.