Talk cajun to me

[Robert]

The "Creole seasoning for Jambalaya" thread got me to thinking about trying to find a tried and true Cajun seasoning. The two most most popular that I see on the grocer shelves, Tony Chacere and Slap Ya Mama, are so salt forward that the rest of the seasonings are masked.



I recently purchased some Cajun Two Step by Stale Kracker and it has less salt allowing the other seasoning to be more pronounced. I use it a lot on vegetables, but on meat it seems to not come through as much.



Bought some Poppa Earle's this week and sadly it is way too salt dominant as well.



I'm a saltaholic, but I like to control my salt, not have it controlled by others.



Any suggestions?


Thanks,


Robert

 

[Mike Twangzer]

No suggestions but I totally agree with you on the salt. I find most bottled rubs over powered with salt.

 

[bschoen]

Slap ya Mama is just salt, red pepper and garlic powder, Tony C's is that and some chili powder plus a couple of other things. Why not just make your own?


Slap ya Mama has a white pepper version which I prefer, but it is still salt forward.

 

[cowdogs]

I don't think either Tony Chacere and Slap Ya Mama should be thought of as rubs. They are seasoned salts. I think of them as Cajun versions of Lawry's.

Dizzy Pigs's Bayuo-ish is pretty good as a rub.

 

[LYU370]

Don't recall where I got this from, haven't made it in a while, but it's pretty tasty.

Cajun Two Step

2 Tablespoons Paprika
2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Dried Thyme
2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon White Pepper
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Cayenne
1 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Adjust cayenne & red pepper up or down for your heat level.

 

[1MoreFord]

Try some Tone's Cajun from Sam's.

 

[JIMSMOKES]

Try some Tone's Cajun from Sam's.

I use quite a bit of this along with their Cayenne pepper. It's the only spices I buy in the large containers. Well besides pepper and kosher salt.

 

[QN]

I'll third the Tones cajun seasoning from Sam's.
We have been using it for years.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Farmer Fran

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vD4XoVDxM5E&pp=ygULRmFybWVyIGZyYW4=

.

 

[WilliamKY]

Slap ya Mama is just salt, red pepper and garlic powder, Tony C's is that and some chili powder plus a couple of other things. Why not just make your own?


Slap ya Mama has a white pepper version which I prefer, but it is still salt forward.

I also prefer the SYM white pepper blend. Just out of curiosity I checked and it has 250mg sodium for 1/4tsp. Tony C's is 350mg for 1/4tsp. I think the white pepper blend has a nice little kick but not overly spicy. Good stuff.

 

[Harbormaster]

I got my hands on some of this stuff. Not a rub, but a really good Cajun seasoning.

 

[mrbodnar]

Joe's Stuff is very good. They make a Hot Joe's Stuff which is very good as well.

 

[Shiv]

This is what I use for almost all, it´s not trully cajun, but I like it:

All measures are the same (cups, tablespoon, spoon or what you use)


1 Paprika (here I use Spanish "Pimentón" that has a lot of flavour, maybe you should use 2 parts of paprika)
1 Salt
2 Oregano
1 thyme
1 Garlic
1 Onion
1 black + white pepper (1/2 each)
1/4 Pepper flakes

For ribs:
Add 2 parts of brown sugar.

For exotic finish:
Add 1/2 or 1 part of fivespice.

 

[txsmkmstr]

I stumbled into a concoction of Tony C's BOLD mixed 50/50 with Tony C's SALT FREE - or adjust to taste. Pretty good way of keeping the salt in check. YMMV

 

[Swine Spectator]

I like Slap Ya Mama, but find it a bit coarse. We zap it in a coffee grinder to make it finer.

 

[cowgirl]

I like Paul Prudhomme recipes. I can cut back on the salt and heat if needed.

https://www.tfrecipes.com/paul-prudhomme-cajun-seasoning/

I use this one a lot.

https://cowgirlscountry.blogspot.com/2016/03/blackened-and-fried-catfish-smothered.html

 

[DocFenner]

Similar to some of the others posted previously, here is my own Cajun Dust recipe:

1 Tb Paprika (sweet, if you have it)
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Cayenne
3/4 tsp Black Pepper
3/4 tsp White Pepper
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Cumin

For a salted version, add 3/4 tsp Kosher Salt to this mixture.

 

[Swine Spectator]

Hey Doc, I never tell anyone "you're doing it wrong" because there is no right and wrong in cooking. However, I would say that your mix less the cumin is spot on. That's how we'd do it at home.

 

[cayenne]

Get Paul's first cookbook...

The "Creole seasoning for Jambalaya" thread got me to thinking about trying to find a tried and true Cajun seasoning. The two most most popular that I see on the grocer shelves, Tony Chacere and Slap Ya Mama, are so salt forward that the rest of the seasonings are masked.



I recently purchased some Cajun Two Step by Stale Kracker and it has less salt allowing the other seasoning to be more pronounced. I use it a lot on vegetables, but on meat it seems to not come through as much.



Bought some Poppa Earle's this week and sadly it is way too salt dominant as well.



I'm a saltaholic, but I like to control my salt, not have it controlled by others.



Any suggestions?


Thanks,


Robert

I live in the New Orleans area....and two things are mainstays in my kitchen:
Tony Chacherie's and Crystal Hot sauce (cayenne hot sauce).

That being said, yes...Tony's is HIGH salt. I basically use it in lieu of salt in anything I cook.

As others have said, it really isn't comparable to a "rub"...although if you go in with the mindset that is IS salt, then you could use it like you would salt in a rub....and maybe just add a bit of this/that to it.

I've read other's postings of cajun seasoning blends and they all seem about spot on.

Generally salt, cayenne, thyme, maybe a bit of oregano, black pepper, garlic powder...etc.

You could use any of these.

One thing I would HIGHLY recommend, is get Paul Prudhome's first cook book:

https://www.amazon.com/Chef-Paul-Prudhommes-Louisiana-Kitchen/dp/0688028470

In this one, he lists out ALL of his seasoning blends for each dish, this was before he tried to make a buck off selling seasoning blends and quit putting them in his subsequent books and TV shows.

I have a first edition copy of this I got when young...at LSU. I don't know if there were revisions, BUT one thing I can say...when I do his recipes, I cut the cayenne down to about half.

I like VERY spicy and peppery food, but I think there are some typos in there that add too much even for me. Anyway, do look at the cayenne amounts before following recipe...they may have revised this.

This, to me, is the definitive southern Louisiana cookbook....jambalaya, red beans, chicken and sausage gumbo....etc.

The only other caveat to this is don't do a roux his way, unless you want to make up new 4-letter words....he does it over high high heat...and I burn it every time trying his way.

I actually did a video of my chicken and sausage gumbo which is based VERY heavily on his recipe, and I show how I do the roux, if you're at all interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hufnMolvF9s

Anyway...again, get this cookbook. Look at the seasoning blends he does in the recipes and you can adapt them to almost ANY Louisiana type dish you wish to make.

Hope this helps!!

 

[Robert]

I live in the New Orleans area....and two things are mainstays in my kitchen:
Tony Chacherie's and Crystal Hot sauce (cayenne hot sauce).

That being said, yes...Tony's is HIGH salt. I basically use it in lieu of salt in anything I cook.

As others have said, it really isn't comparable to a "rub"...although if you go in with the mindset that is IS salt, then you could use it like you would salt in a rub....and maybe just add a bit of this/that to it.

I've read other's postings of cajun seasoning blends and they all seem about spot on.

Generally salt, cayenne, thyme, maybe a bit of oregano, black pepper, garlic powder...etc.

You could use any of these.

One thing I would HIGHLY recommend, is get Paul Prudhome's first cook book:

https://www.amazon.com/Chef-Paul-Prudhommes-Louisiana-Kitchen/dp/0688028470

In this one, he lists out ALL of his seasoning blends for each dish, this was before he tried to make a buck off selling seasoning blends and quit putting them in his subsequent books and TV shows.

I have a first edition copy of this I got when young...at LSU. I don't know if there were revisions, BUT one thing I can say...when I do his recipes, I cut the cayenne down to about half.

I like VERY spicy and peppery food, but I think there are some typos in there that add too much even for me. Anyway, do look at the cayenne amounts before following recipe...they may have revised this.

This, to me, is the definitive southern Louisiana cookbook....jambalaya, red beans, chicken and sausage gumbo....etc.

The only other caveat to this is don't do a roux his way, unless you want to make up new 4-letter words....he does it over high high heat...and I burn it every time trying his way.

I actually did a video of my chicken and sausage gumbo which is based VERY heavily on his recipe, and I show how I do the roux, if you're at all interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hufnMolvF9s

Anyway...again, get this cookbook. Look at the seasoning blends he does in the recipes and you can adapt them to almost ANY Louisiana type dish you wish to make.

Hope this helps!!

Cayenne,


Thanks for the testimonial and reference. I just ordered the book and should be here Thursday. I watched you video and enjoyed it.


Thanks,


Robert