72 Chapter 4 Gastronomic Identity II: Food and Cuisine
Food Item: Fiesta Macque Choux Salad (courtesy Chef John Folse)
Yield:6 servings
Macque Choux is an early Louisiana dish that borrows its name from the Creole word for corn,maque, and
the French word for cabbage,choux. Although cabbage doesn’t appear in the dish today, it is believed to have
been in the original vegetable casserole. Today, macque choux is a baked corn and shrimp dish enjoyed by
the Cajuns of River Road. This fiesta salad gives the two-hundred-year-old recipe a Mexican twist.Ingredients for Vinaigrette
11 / 4 c (300 ml) olive oil(^1) / 2 c (120 ml) white wine vinegar
(^1) / 4 c (60 ml) lime juice
(^1) / 4 c (57 g) cilantro leaves
1 avocado, diced
Preparation
Combine olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, and cilantro in a food
processor. Pulse for 1 minute. Add avocado and pulse
again until blended. Do not overblend. Pour
vinaigrette into a bowl and chill.
Ingredients for Salad
2 dozen (16–20 count) shrimp, peeled and
deveined
(^1) / 2 c (120 ml) lime juice
(^1) / 4 c (60 ml) lemon juice
(^1) / 2 c (120 ml) tequila
2 tbsp (30 ml) triple sec
1 tbsp (14 g) chopped basil
1 tbsp (14 g) chopped thyme
Salt
Cayenne pepper
1–2 red bell peppers
1–2 yellow bell peppers
1 c (225 g) whole-kernel corn
1 c (225 g) diced Creole tomatoes
(^1) / 2 c (113 g) diced zucchini
(^1) / 2 c (113 g) canned black beans, rinsed
(^1) / 2 c (113 g) diced Bermuda onions
1 tbsp (14 g) minced jalapeños
(^1) / 4 c (57 g) chopped cilantro
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
Method
In a large mixing bowl, combine shrimp, lime juice, lemon
juice, tequila, triple sec, basil, and thyme. Season
with salt and cayenne pepper. Toss and marinate
shrimp in refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes.
While shrimp are marinating, roast red and yellow
bell peppers directly over an open flame or under the
broiler, turning frequently, until skin blisters and
blackens. Place hot peppers in a brown paper bag and
let sit for 10–15 minutes. Peel blistered skin from
peppers under cold running water. Seed and dice
peppers. In a large bowl, toss peppers, corn,
tomatoes, zucchini, black beans, onions, jalapeños,
and cilantro. Set aside. Remove shrimp from
marinade. Discard marinade. In a heavy-bottomed
sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
Sauté shrimp 2–3 minutes or until pink and curled.
Remove from pan. Toss shrimp and roasted pepper
salad with^1 / 2 cup of avocado vinaigrette. Garnish the
rim of a large margarita glass by dipping it in lime
juice and minced cilantro. Fill glass with salad.
Garnish with lime slice. Serve with tortilla chips.
Matching wine with salad is always a tricky issue. The keys to matching wine with a salad involve two
characteristics: tartness and richness. In the preparation of a salad, the chef should ensure the acidity is not
so high that wine pairing will become impossible. In this case, a relatively safe bet is a crisp white such as a
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.