Thursday, May 12, 2011

I Gar-on-TEE, You'll Love This Cajun Sausage Dish!


I used to watch Justin Wilson -- the Louisiana cook and humorist -- on PBS decades ago, and always loved him. He's quite the character, but he's also a good cook! (Aside: You can well imagine how thrilled I was to win one of his cookbooks awhile ago from my blogging buddy Debbie at The Culinary Cellar!)

For those of you who don't know him, here's a clip to watch:



When I was essentially teaching myself to cook (my mother had taught me the most basic basics, but I'm pretty much self-taught beyond that), I would watch cooking shows -- ah, Julia, The Galloping Gourmet, all the pre-Food Network ones that show my age! I would also take cookbooks out of the library, and just try new things that sounded good or easy or both.

Justin had demonstrated an easy sausage and rice dish one time, something simple to make if one is new to cooking but also delicious and substantial. It's also something that is just such a good recipe that any- and everyone should make it even if they could call themselves a gourmet chef!

Now that I can cook meat in my kitchen, and also have the lovely contribution to this cause of FlipFlop Wines Riesling that was sent so that I could put it to good use in recipes, there is a sufficient confluence that it was time to bring out Justin's recipe again. I haven't made it in years and years, and am working from memory here since I can't find the original recipe anywhere (even online).

I started with the essential basis of Cajun cooking, "The Trinity": onion, celery and peppers. (If you add garlic, then it's referred to as "The Pope.") One is supposed to use green peppers, but I can't stand them so I substituted some lovely orange and yellow ones instead. I sauteed the vegetables, browned the sausage, cooked down a wine-mustard mixture, and enjoyed my dinner immensely ... :)

On his show (as you saw from the clip, if you watched it), Justin would finish cooking his food, tell a story as he sat down to eat, and then tell everyone how fabulous it was by offering a guarantee of how much you'd like it if you cooked it ... or, with his accent, he'd say "I gar-on-TEE"!

Well, I gar-on-TEE that you will love this as much as I do!

Cajun Sausage and Rice

1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 small yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 small orange pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
generous sprinklings of freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound Andouille sausage, sliced (or substitute kielbasa and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes)
1/4 cup Creole mustard
1 cup white wine
rice, for serving

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add the onion, the peppers, salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are softening. Add the sausage and brown it. Combine the mustard and the wine, and pour over the sausage. Bring to a boil, then cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat until the sauce is reduced and thickened.

Serve over rice.

Serves 2.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I used to love watching Justin's show!! What's really funny is I work with a guy name Justin Wilson..when I first met him, I was like..oh, the cajun cook and he just looked at me like I had three heads. Whatever! :)
The sausage and rice looks and sounds delicious...I'd love some right now!

Cranberry Morning said...

Wow, I didn't realize that I almost always start cooking with 'the Pope.' LOL But those ingredients are essentials here too! I enjoyed watching Justin Wilson. He reminded me of Kevin's grandpa (except Grandpa didn't have the LA accent).

Great recipe idea, Mary!

Angela said...

I loved his show! Watched it all of the time and we would walk around trying to do the accent.

Miriam said...

I LOVE Cajun food! Well done :), Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters

Team Chastain said...

Justin was a great one! This looks fabulous and I think will be a hit with my hubs! :) Thanks!

TexaGermaFinlaNadian said...

Oh man, do I love Cajun food! So good. Nice, easy recipe too :)

Candace said...

I love it!!! Justin Wilson was one of my favorites. We watched him every time that he was on tv. I remember watching the same programs that you've mentioned here...pre-Food Network. We're of the same "vintage", my friend! This sausage and rice dish looks sooo good. I love the addition of Creole Mustard. I didn't know that I almost always cook with "the Pope" either. I knew about the Trinity but I guess I missed that little cooking tidbit all of these years. I'm going to have to make this one for the hubs. That's about the only thing he misses about Louisiana....the food. I agree!

Lisa said...

That looks so delicious. Anything with a spicy kick has my heart.

Leanne said...

One of my very warmest memories of younger days is of watching The Louisiana Cook and all those pre-Food Network shows you listed. Oooo-EEEEE, I GAR-ON-TEEEE! Laugh out loud fun he was! So great! And my PG would LOVE this recipe . . . this photo looks so good, I wish I had a plate of it right here!


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