Carnival of Fat Tuesday

There’s no place like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but when you can’t make it to Bourbon Street for Fat Tuesday, it is possible to recreate Cajun delights wherever you hail from.

Start out with a refreshing shrimp and greens salad, with a dressing twist.

From the Food Network New Orleans-Style Italian Salad

A bead-worthy dish is also from the Food Network, and it’s a slow cooked jambalaya.

Po boy sandwiches are a Bayou-area staple and if oysters or shrimp aren’t available, try catfish or roast beef.

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for frying

½ cup (1 stick) salted butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 long fresh French bread baguettes

1 catfish fillet

Sea salt and black pepper

1 cup whole milk

1 large range free egg

1 cup whole wheat flour

Pinch cayenne pepper

Sliced pickles

Tabasco sauce

½ lemon

1 lb. cooked roast beef

Zatarain’s Creole mustard

Shredded lettuce

1 vine-ripped tomato

Directions

Cover the bottom of a frying pan with oil

Preheat the over to 250 degrees F

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and infuse.

Cut the bread in half and brush the inside and top with the butter. Stick in the over for 5 minutes.

Season both sides of the catfish with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, mix the egg, flour, cayenne, salt and pepper, and dip the fish using a fork and coat both sides.

Dip the fish in the hot oil. Brown on both sides and let cool on a plate with paper towel to soak the grease.

Slice the bread into finger-food sizes. Place a pickle across the bottom half of the bread and lay the fried catfish on top. Spoon some mustard, sprinkle lettuce and a tomato slice, followed by sprinkles of hot sauce. Close with a toothpick.

Roast beef po boys can be constructed using the same assembly. To prepare, warm the roast beef in a frying pan and add water to make more auju sauce. If not thick enough, add flour.