Fun Fearless Foodie

New Orleans is a city filled with spirit and passion for its heritage, food, and more than anything, it’s football team. The Saints entering the Super Bowl for the first time is a symbolic event and has people all over the country cheering for the underdog in this year’s big game.

The great thing about the Saints being in the Super Bowl is the endless food possibilities! New Orleans is famous for so many distinct culinary creations, Creole flavors, beignets, muffuletta, jambalaya, po’boys, and the list goes on and on. I wish I had more time this week to prep appetizer recipes but I wanted to put together some great recipes for you to try.  My recipe for chicken wings is a simple and easy recipe that I have modified to include some BAM, the muffuletta potato skins and fourth quarter beignets are Food Network favorites that I trust you will love.

Saints Line Up

• Creole grilled chicken wings
• Muffuletta potato skins
• Fourth Quarter Beignets

Creole Grilled Chicken Wings

Grilled chicken wings are a personal favorite of mine, and when cooked correctly, are easy and so tasty. These wings have been given a shot of “Bam” courtesy New Orleans favorite Emeril Lagasse’s Essence Bayou seasoning. If you can’t find his Bayou seasoning at your local grocer, his original essence recipe is below.  The recipe creates “naked” wings, but if you love your sauce feel free to shake them up in your hot sauce of choice.  If you prefer the drumstick over the whole wing, look for drumstick only packages. Otherwise you can split the whole wing in two.

Makes 40 wings

Ingredients

• 2 packages of 10 whole chicken wings, skin on
• ½ cup Emeril’s Bayou Blast Essence Seasoning (or spice mix below)

Directions

1. Wash and cut the chicken wings to your liking (should make 40 individual pieces). Dry with paper towels.
2. Place wings in a large bowl and cover with seasoning. Rub into skin so that each wing is evenly coated with seasoning.  Let the wings sit on your counter and come to room temperature while you pre-heat your grill.
3. The key to cooking these wings is indirect heat and can be done on either gas or charcoal.
   1. If using a gas grill: Turn on the 2 left burners to high and close the lid. Pre-heat for at least 10 minutes.
   2. If using a charcoal grill: Build a mound of charcoal briquettes on the left side of your grill. After lighting the coals, leave them in a pile until they’re glowing red (about 20 minutes). Let the coals burn for 5 to 10 minutes more or until they are covered with gray ash before putting the food on the grill.
4. Place the wings skin side up on the right side of the grill (side without heat) and close the lid. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and the juices run clear. Move the wings over to the left side and grill for 1-2 minutes.
5. Remove, place on a platter covered with tinfoil until ready to eat.

Emeril’s Essence Seasoning

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Muffuletta Potato Skins

A potato skin bar is a really fun, interactive item to have at your Super Bowl party and including ingredients for New Orleans famous Muffuletta sandwich will score big with Saints fans. Follow the recipe for potato skins below, and create a topping bar with ingredients like:

• Assorted sliced Italian deli meats
• Olive salad
• Olive tapenade
• Sliced pepperoncini

Makes 16 potato skins

Recipe inspired by Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

• 4 large russet baking potatoes, washed
• Butter
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake at 350 degrees until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool.
3. Quarter lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Brush both sides with melted butter and season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake, skin-side up, at 450 degrees until crisp, about 15 minutes. Add your favorite toppings

Fourth Quarter Beignets

One of New Orleans most famous delicacies is the Beignet, their version of the doughnut. These fried bite size treats are perfect for the fourth quarter and will give your guests a sweet kick to get them through the end of the game.

Make the batter a day or two ahead of time so come game time, all you have to do is pop them in the fryer and enjoy!

Recipe from Paula Deen, Paula’s Best Dishes

Makes 3 dozen bite size beignets

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 7 cups bread flour
• 1/4 cup shortening
• Nonstick spray
• Oil, for deep-frying
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions

1. Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour. Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
4. Add the confectioners’ sugar to a paper or plastic bag and set aside.
5. Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of confectioners’ sugar. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly.

Have a great super bowl recipe, please share!  E-mail tokeeffe@funfearlessfoodie.com.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!