Fish Calas (Creole Rice Fritters) and Rémoulade
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Contributed by Editor-in-Chief J. Townsend
This dish goes straight back to my culinary roots in New Orleans. I cut my teeth there cooking in some very reputable kitchens under some amazing chefs. This is one of my favorite New Orleans dishes.
You might be wondering, “What the heck are calas?”
Calas are basically doughnuts with rice inside. They trace their origin back to the street vendors of the 1700s. Mostly Creole women vendors would walk the streets in the morning singing, “Bel calas tout chauds!” (Creole for “Beautiful calas, still hot”). Calas are French Creole in their origin and were typically eaten as a breakfast food using leftover rice from the night before and some sugar, spices, flour, and eggs. Over time they evolved into something more commonly sold in restaurants and not on the streets. I originally learned how to cook calas with shrimp which were not sweet like the traditional calas. This recipe replaces the shrimp with white flaky fish. I decided to use some Yellowtail Amberjack from my last deep sea fishing trip. Any white flaky fish will work. I would certainly use trout, bass, or crappie.
Rémoulade is a French tartar sauce. This particular recipe is a New Orleans style remoulade. There is some additional spice and seasoning as well as the cajun/creole trinity, bell pepper, onion, and celery.
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