So as you know, I have been thinking recently about Cajun and Creole, and their need of a legitimate reinvention. I am not talking about what Susan does, of just doing Euro cuisine with the occasional Louisiana ingredient. I am also not talking about the Tory MacPhail solution: make regular NO restaurant food, but with more foie gras.
I am talking about a thoughtful re-imagining of the two great cuisines of South Louisiana. As you recall, in 1973, Henri Gault published the 10 commandments of Nouvelle Cuisine, and I feel like they are pretty applicable, even now, all these years later. I reprint them here, with revisions and addendums.
Part 1:
The Ten Commandments of Nouvelle Cuisine, Louisiana Edition
By Henri Gault, Annotated by Jesse S.
1) Thou shalt not overcook.
I like this one unedited.
2) Thou shalt use fresh, quality products.
This one too.
3) Thou shalt lighten thy menu.
Cajun and Creole food don't have to be as heavy as they are on most menus. I'm not saying they will ever be light, but maybe we don't need to put brown roux and bacon fat into absolutely every seafood soup. Delicate flavors shine through light preparations.
4) Thou shalt not be systematically modernistic.
After all, we want our cuisine to be true to its roots. Just because we want to honor Louisiana flavors in a modern way doesn't mean we should try to modernize gumbo. A classic is a classic for a reason.
5) Thou shalt nevertheless seek out what the new techniques can bring you.
This is the soul of Modernist thought.
6) Thou shalt avoid pickles, cured game meats, fermented foods, etc.
This one I am not a big believer in, but I left it in for one reason. Chefs in the south, particularly proponents of the Lardcore movement, are a little over-reliant on bacon, ham, and sausage. I love these things, but if you put them in everything, it becomes redundant. Perhaps we could rephrase:
6.1) Thou shalt avoid slavish over-reliance on cured meats, hot sauce, 'big explosive flavors' and the temptation to make everything taste like barbecue sauce.
See, that is the same idea, but addressing the excesses of our cuisine now, rather than French food in the 60s.
7) Thou shalt eliminate rich sauces.
This one was a little silly, even then. Nouvelle Cuisine was the home of buerre blanc. I think by rich, Mr. Gault really meant 'heavy,' like roux-thickened brown sauces with chopped sweetbreads in them. Butter sauces, hollandaises, these are NOT what he was referring to. Also, I think this one stands in opposition to commandment 4, in the context of Louisiana cuisine. To totally eliminate rich sauces is to damage the soul of Cajun cooking. Perhaps instead of 'eliminate' we could say 'reduce the frequency of.'
8) Thou shalt not ignore dietetics.
I feel like if we respect the urge to cut back on heavy-for-heavy's sake sauces and bacon in everything, this will come naturally. Also, I feel like this commandment asks us to respect vegetables and their seasonality.
9) Thou shalt not doctor up thy presentations.
So no garnishing plates with a whole lobster head, there, Emeril.
10) Thou shalt be inventive.
Nuff said.
Part 2
The 5 Additional Commandments of Nouvelle Louisiana Cuisine
1) Thou shalt respect the separate identities of the two component cuisines that make up South Louisiana cuisine, Cajun and Creole. Thou shalt never utter the phrase "Cajun/Creole cooking.' Thou shalt respect that city and country can live together on the same menu, but allow each to keep its soul.
2) Thou shalt avoid 'creole seasoning.' Let each dish have individually selected herb/spice profiles rather than grabbing for the green can of lazy.
3) Thou shalt use, promote, celebrate, and rejoice in the array of amazing, unique products and ingredients that South Louisiana has provided us.
4) Thou shalt respect tradition, even while reinventing classic dishes.
5) Thou shalt never forget that South Lousiana cuisine must, above all else, be fun.
So that's what I've been working on, sweets. What do you think? Is Charleston ready for that?
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