Spice it up for Mardi Gras

Yes, Tabasco hails from Louisiana, but that does not mean all cuisine cooked in the Bayou State comes loaded with the hot, peppery sauce.

And despite the Gulf Coast's reputation for blackened fish, not everything on the plate looks like it barely survived a fire.

Yet those are misconceptions that Patrick and Susanne Reardon attempt to dispel daily at their restaurant, Gumbo a Go Go in downtown Palatine.

With Mardi Gras approaching (Tuesday, Feb. 24), the Reardons hope diners will not only clamor for colorful beads and potent Hurricanes, but also will open their minds and mouths to true New Orleans fare.

New Orleans cuisine isn't about heat, Patrick Reardon explains, it's about creating intense layers of flavor. Many traditional recipes of the region, from a steaming bowl of gumbo to the perfect étouffée, call for a liberal use of herbs, such as bay leaf and thyme, and spices, such as black, white and red peppercorns and celery seed. Reardon arrives at the restaurant in the predawn hours to start pots of red beans and jambalaya, giving flavors plenty of time to develop. Stop in and he'll hand out free samples in his quest to convert you to his style of comfort food.

"In Chicago, we have enough hot dogs, Italian beefs and pizza to last a lifetime," he says. "Variety is the spice of life; New Orleans cooking is an infusion of flavor."

He's partial to gumbo, a stew that traditionally combines whatever meats and vegetables the cook has at hand, and slow-cooked all day in a flavored broth.

"Gumbo is always a favorite of mine; it's flavorful without being overpowering."

Chicken, okra and tomatoes find themselves simmering with oregano, red pepper, thyme and bay leaf.

"Bay leaf is sour by itself, but if you cook without it, it's not the same dish," Reardon says. "It adds a distinctive flavor."

Used whole, bay leaf adds a pungent flavor to hearty dishes including red beans and rice and gumbo.

"You don't eat it," Reardon says. "Everybody knows enough to push it to the side of the plate."

Peppercorns play into many dishes and spice blends, not just the infamous "blackened" blend. (When blackening a catfish, for example, you rub it with a peppery spice mixture and cook it in a very hot cast iron skillet to create an extra-crisp, or blackened, crust.)

Creole seasoning blends often contain celery seed and thyme, according to the folks at The Spice Hunter (spicehunter.com). Celery seed lends the slightly bitter flavor of fresh celery to any dish while thyme adds a slight minty flavor and subtle aroma to gumbos and étouffée.

Speaking of gumbo, no pot is complete without gumbo file (fee-lay), dried, ground sassafras leaf that adds flavor and body to its namesake dish.

When it comes to creating Creole and Cajun spice blends, every restaurant and every household has its own formula. In comparing recipes from various cookbooks and Web sites, I couldn't even determine what makes them different; most recipes called for nearly similar ingredients, so if you have one on hand, and not the other, I say use it.

Reardon mixes his own spice blends that flavor his dishes and claims "voodoo is the king of the spices; it's the hottest we have."

Without divulging exact measurements, he describes it as a blend of cayenne, white and black peppers, crushed garlic and other herbs. It's the cayenne that gives his Voodoo Chicken, a powerful stew of chicken cooked until it falls apart, its kick yet keeps you digging in for more.

Whether you choose étouffée, gumbo or jambalaya for your main course come Fat Tuesday, Reardon says bread pudding or peach cobbler must follow for dessert. His cobbler won top honors in a Florida contest that judged 100 or so versions from across the country.

"You've eaten something hot and spicy, you need to wash it down with something sweet," he says.

Dig in now; you've got 40 days of Lent coming.

• Associated Press contributed to this report.

Crawfish Étouffée

3 tablespoons bacon fat or canola oil

11/2 cups minced onions

1 cup minced celery

3/4 cup minced green bell pepper

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon mild paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or as needed

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne

Salt as needed

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups fish or chicken broth or as needed

11/4 pound crawfish tail meat with fat

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green portions

1/4 cup basil chiffonade (cut into fine threads)

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat the bacon fat or oil in a casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat until it shimmers.

Add the onion and saute over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the celery, bell pepper and garlic; cover the pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the paprika, white and black pepper, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; saute, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 1 minute.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and pasty, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and stir well to work out any lumps. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the crawfish tails and their fat. Cover the pot and cook over very low heat, stirring frequently, until the crawfish is cooked through and very hot, 8-10 minutes. Add a little more broth as needed throughout the cooking time if the étouffée is getting too thick. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Add the butter, scallions, basil and parsley and stir to combine. Serve the étouffée in heated bowls.

Serves four.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving (without rice): 340 calories, 18 g fat, 16 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 27 g protein, 95 mg cholesterol, 370 mg sodium.

The Culinary Institute of America

Red Beans

2 pounds dried kidney beans

1 ham bone

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon oregano

11/2 teaspoons thyme

11/2 teaspoons dried parsley

11/2 teaspoons granulated garlic, or fresh chopped

1 pound adouille or smoked sausage, sliced thin, optional

Put beans into a soup pot; fill to cover with water and cook over low heat overnight, about 10-12 hours. Remove bone and discard. Drain water.

Fill pot with water to just barely cover the beans. To the pot add the pepper, herbs and garlic and cook 11/2 to 2 hours; stirring occasionally.

Add sausage, if desired. Serve over cooked long-grain white rice.

Serves 16 to 20.

Patrick Reardon, Gumbo a Go Go, Palatine

Bumblebee Stew

6-8 tablespoons butter

1 cup half-and-half

1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch cayenne

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pound corn, frozen or canned

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes

71/2 ounces (half a 15-ounce can) black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 pound chopped white onion

In a large soup pot, combine butter, half-and-half, evaporated milk, sugar and ground peppers over low heat; stir until well combined.

Add corn, tomatoes, beans and onions; raise heat to medium-high and cook 45 minutes or until onions are tender.

Serves four to six.

Patrick Reardon, Gumbo a Go Go, Palatine