Sunnys Sweet Quick Kenner Maque Choux Recipes

SUNNY'S QUICK CHEESE PUFF SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll the pastry out flat on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Brush off any excess flour. In a small bowl, combine the mustard with a splash of water to loosen. Brush the mustard over the entire top of the pastry.
• In a small bowl, stir together the cheese, thyme and a few grinds of black pepper. Sprinkle the entire sheet of pastry with the cheese mixture. Gently roll the top of the pastry again to lightly embed the topping into the pastry. Cut into 2-inch squares and pinch one set of opposite corners together on each square or leave flat. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake until the squares are puffed and golden brown, 10 to 14 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CRAWFISH MIRLITON CORN MACQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• Heat butter in medium saucepot. Add corn and saute for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, onion, bell pepper, celery, and tomatoes. Turn heat up and cook until all of the chicken stock has evaporated. Add garlic, Cajun seasoning, salt, hot sauce, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil. Add mirlitons and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add crawfish tails and simmer for 10 minutes or until cream starts to reduce and thicken. Add parsley and green onions and stir to combine. Serve with rice, pasta, or polenta.

MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• Working with 1 corn cob at a time, set the ear of corn upright in a medium bowl. Shave the corn from the cob by slicing down the sides using the tip of a sharp chef's knife, holding the knife almost vertical. (This gives you neat tablets of corn that land squarely in the bowl and keeps the kernels from scattering all over the counter.) Using the back of the knife, scrape each cob to release all the nibs and the "milk" of the kernels into the bowl. Repeat with remaining ears of corn, then snap the cobs in half, and add them to the bowl.
• In a large, deep sauté pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and celery, and season with 1 or 2 pinches of kosher salt. Stir constantly until softened and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add 2 tablespoons butter and the bell pepper, poblano and serrano, and stir constantly, adding another pinch of kosher salt, letting the butter melt and the peppers soften and become translucent, about 2 or 3 minutes. You will smell the peppers' sweetness and their mild capsaicin releasing.
• Add the final 3 tablespoons butter and the corn mixture from the bowl, cobs included, and another pinch of kosher salt. Stir constantly to coat with the butter and combine thoroughly.
• When everything starts to hiss and sound hot, but isn't cooking so hard as to take color, add 1/2 cup water and a healthy few grinds of black pepper, and cover the pan for a couple of minutes to steam/shallow braise the mixture.
• Remove the lid, and stir well, noticing the corn releasing its liquid and the kernels softening, and the cobs turning somewhat translucent, if however vague. You will notice a general softening and melding together. Return the lid, and let cook a few more minutes, noticing the water evaporating and the remaining liquid reducing and gaining some "body" and gloss. Discard the corn cobs, but do suck them before tossing - those buttery juices make a nice cook's treat.
• Taste for salt, and serve. It should be sweet, spicy, a bit wet and surprisingly complex, given the few ingredients and their ordinariness. If you want a smoky taste, add a good pinch of smoked paprika.