♪♪♪ NEW ORLEANS IS A CITY LIKE NO OTHER.

A SEPARATE KINGDOM ALL ITS OWN.

IT'S A BLEND OF SPANISH AND FRENCH WITH CREOLE AND CAJUN AND PLAIN OLD AMERICAN.

IT'S WONDERFUL AND FASCINATING.

AND FOOD RANKS AS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF LIFE.

WHERE DID YOU EAT YESTERDAY?

WHERE ARE YOU GOING TONIGHT?

EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW AND EVERYONE IN NEW ORLEANS KNOWS EMERIL LAGASSE, THE QUINTESSENTIAL NEW ORLEANS CHEF WHO ACTUALLY COMES FROM FALL RIVER, MASS.

HE GREW UP WITH A PORTUGUESE MOTHER AND A FRENCH CANADIAN FATHER.

AND HE FIT RIGHT INTO NEW ORLEANS LIFE AFTER THE CULINARY TRAINING HE GOT FIRST AT JOHNSON AND WALES, THEN IN PARIS, LYON, NEW YORK, BOSTON, AND PHILADELPHIA.

WHEN HE FINALLY ARRIVED IN NEW ORLEANS, HE SETTLED IN AT "COMMANDER'S PALACE" - THE FAMOUS RESTAURANT UNDER THE TUTELAGE OF ELLA BRENNAN.

"THAT'S WHERE I FOUND MY ROOTS", HE SAID.

"I FELT THAT HERE IN NEW ORLEANS THIS IS REALLY WHERE I WAS BORN".

TODAY EMERIL COOKS AT HIS OWN VERY POPULAR RESTAURANTS - ONE CALLED, "NOLA"; "NO" - FOR NEW ORLEANS AND "LA" - FOR LOUISIANA.

AND THE OTHER IS APTLY NAMED "EMERIL'S".

HE'S STARTING US OFF TODAY WITH A REAL NEW ORLEANS FRESH SHRIMP ETOUFFEE WHICH ITSELF STARTS OFF WITH THE FAMOUS NEW ORLEANS ROUX WITHOUT WHICH NO LOUISIANIAN CAN CALL HIMSELF OR HERSELF A COOK.

ETOUFFEE, PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR LOUISIANA DISHES.

WHICH MEANS "STEWED".

THE COMPONENTS OF ETOUFFEE, WE HAVE A MIREPOIX; WE HAVE SEASONING, CREOLE SEASONING, AND WE HAVE ITS MAIN INGREDIENT.

CREOLE SEASONING, A SALT BASE WITH PAPRIKA, GARLIC POWDER, AND CAYENNE PEPPER.

NOW YOU CAN FIND CREOLE SEASONING IN ANY STORE, IN ANY HOME.

IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS.

A LITTLE BLACK PEPPER.

ONION POWDER.

OREGANO AND THYME.

WE'LL MIX THIS UP IN A BOWL.

AND THEN IT'S GREAT, PUT IT IN AN AIRTIGHT CONTAINER, YOU CAN KEEP IT ON YOUR SPICE SHELF WHEN YOU DO THOSE GREAT CREOLE DISHES.

NOW, WE BEGIN WITH THE MAIN INGREDIENT.

THERE ARE MANY TYPES, VARIATIONS OF ETOUFFEE.

DUCK ETOUFFEE, CHICKEN ETOUFFEE, A SAUSAGE ETOUFFEE.

MOST POPULAR PROBABLY BEING CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE AND SHRIMP ETOUFFEE.

WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE IN LOUISIANA, EIGHT OUT OF TEN MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR TO HAVE FRESH SHRIMP - HEAD ON SHRIMP.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE HEAD ON SHRIMP, YOU CAN BUY PEELED SHRIMP.

MEDIUM TO LARGE SHRIMP THOUGH I DO SUGGEST BECAUSE THE ETOUFFEE IS STEWED.

NOW, WHAT WE DO IS WE REMOVE THE HEAD, REMOVE THE FEET OF THE SHRIMP AND ALL THE SHELL INCLUDING THE TAIL.

I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU THAT AGAIN.

WE REMOVE THE HEAD OF THE SHRIMP, THE FEET OF THE SHRIMP, AND ALL OF THE SHELL INCLUDING THE TAIL.

NOW, WE WANT TO TAKE THE SHELL, THE HEAD, AND WE WANT TO RESERVE THIS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE OUR SHRIMP STOCK.

NOW, IMPORTANTLY WITH SHRIMP IS TO CLEAN THE SHRIMP AND WHAT WE DO IS WE MAKE A LITTLE CUT DOWN THE BACK OF THE SHRIMP AND IF THEY ARE DIRTY WE REMOVE THE DIGESTIVE TRACT.

I'LL SHOW YOU AGAIN.

WE MAKE A LITTLE CUT DOWN THE BACK OF THE SHRIMP.

THIS WAY WE CAN REMOVE ANY OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT AND SIMPLY JUST RINSE IT UNDER WATER.

NOW, THE NEXT IMPORTANT INGREDIENT OF THE ETOUFFEE IS THE MIREPOIX.

AND A MIREPOIX IS CARROTS, AND CELERY AND ONIONS.

BUT IN NEW ORLEANS A MIREPOIX, KNOWN AS A CREOLE MIREPOIX, IS BELL PEPPER, ONION, CELERY AND GARLIC.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH SOME GREEN BELL PEPPER, AND WE WANT TO JUST DO A KIND OF A SMALL-MEDIUM DICE.

AND THEN WE HAVE OUR ONION, WE GET OUR BASE AND WE CUT OUR MEDIUM DICE CUT FOR THE ONION AND THEN SIMPLY JUST COME DOWN.

AND THEN, OUR CELERY, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE CELERY, WE JUST CUT IT SO THAT WE HAVE A GOOD SMALL DICE.

AND THEN, GARLIC.

AND YOU CAN MINCE IT, NOT TOO FINE, WE WANT TO MINCE IT GOOD, BUT NOT TOO FINE.

WE USE A LOT OF GARLIC IN LOUISIANA COOKING.

AND NOW WE HAVE OUR MIREPOIX.

AND NOW OUR NEXT PHASE.

WE HAVE OUR SEASONING, OUR SHRIMP, OUR CREOLE MIREPOIX.. LET'S GO MAKE A ROUX.

WE HAVE THIS VEGETABLE OIL FOR OUR ROUX RIGHT TO THE SMOKING POINT WHERE IT BEGINS TO START SMOKING.

AND NOW WE WANT TO ADD IN OUR FLOUR.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS A TECHNIQUE OF THIS DARK ROUX, MOSTLY USED IN ETOUFFEES AND GUMBOS.

THERE ARE THREE STAGES OF ROUX.

YOU HAVE A LIGHT ROUX OR WHAT THEY CALL A "BLOND ROUX", A MEDIUM ROUX WHICH KIND OF HAS THE COLOR OF KIND OF A CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE BROWN ROUX.

YOU KNOW, TRADITIONALLY IN LOUISIANA THIS ROUX TAKES A PERIOD OF TIME, A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

IT'S USUALLY DONE IN THE OVEN, ABOUT 10, 12 HOURS IN A 225 DEGREE, BUT THIS TECHNIQUE ON THE STOVE WORKS TREMENDOUS.

SO, WE HEATED UP OUR OIL, WE'VE ADDED THE FLOUR AND NOW WE'RE CONSTANTLY STIRRING THIS.

IT'S NOT A BURNT ROUX, IT IS A BROWN ROUX.

IT HAS THIS CHOCOLATEY, THIS PEANUT BUTTER SMELL, BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP STIRRING IT ON THE STOVE.

CONSTANT STIRRING.

YOU GET THE RIGHT COLOR.

NOW WHEN WE GET THE RIGHT COLOR OF OUR ROUX, AND WE'RE JUST ABOUT THERE, YOU CAN SEE THE STAGE, THE COLOR THAT IT'S IN.

AND THE SMELL, THE AROMA.

NOW, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF THE ROUX OUT.

WE MADE A LITTLE EXTRA ROUX BECAUSE IT'S VERY SIMPLE TO STORE IN A DRY CONTAINER AND IT'LL HOLD VERY WELL IN A REFRIGERATOR FOR A FEW DAYS.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO START OUR ETOUFFEE.

WE'RE AT THE RIGHT COLOR, AND WE WANT TO START OUR ETOUFFEE.

AND THE FIRST STEP IS THAT WE WANT TO TAKE OUR MIREPOIX, REMEMBER THAT CREOLE MIREPOIX, AND WE WANT TO COOK THE MIREPOIX NOW A COUPLE OF MINUTES WITH THE ROUX, GET THE FLAVORS OUT OF THE MIREPOIX, THE FLAVORS OF THE CELERY AND THE ONIONS, THE BELL PEPPER AND THE GARLIC.

AGAIN STIRRING.

AFTER ABOUT TWO OR THREE MINUTES WITH THE MIREPOIX GET THOSE FLAVORS, WE BEGIN TO START ADDING THE LIQUID AND THE FIRST LIQUID THAT WE ADD, WE TAKE OFF THE HEAT A LITTLE BIT, IS BEER.

AND WITH OUR WHISK, WE BEGIN TO START WHISKING THE ROUX INTO THE LIQUID.

AND THE REASON WHY WE'RE DOING THAT IS SO IT DOESN'T GET LUMPY.

WE WANT IT TO BE, TO BE SMOOTH, TO BE CREAMY.

AH, WHAT A SMELL.

NOW, WE'LL WHISK, WHISKING UNTIL SMOOTH.

YOU SEE THE NICE COLOR WE HAVE.

AND NOW WE'VE GOT IT SMOOTH, AND WE'RE GONNA ADD OUR BAY LEAVES, ABOUT THREE OR FOUR BAY LEAVES, AND WE WORK THOSE BAY LEAVES IN.

AND NOW THE NEXT LIQUID IS OUR SHRIMP STOCK.

FROM THE SHELLS THAT WE RESERVED, WE MADE A SHRIMP STOCK.

NOW WE ADD THE SHRIMP STOCK AND WE SLOWLY START WHISKING THE LIQUID INTO OUR BASE.

YOU REMEMBER WE SAID THAT ETOUFFEE IS SMOTHERED OR SIMMERED, SMOTHERED.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

NOW WE'RE GONNA SEASON, SOME OF OUR CREOLE SEASONING THAT WE HAVE.

HOT SAUCE, A LOUISIANA HOT SAUCE, WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, WHICH NOT ONLY ADDS TO THE COLOR, BUT ALSO TO THE FLAVOR OF THE ETOUFFEE BASE, A LITTLE BIT OF SALT, AND WE'LL SLOWLY WHISK ALL OF THOSE INGREDIENTS IN.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE CONSISTENCY OF OUR ETOUFFEE RIGHT NOW.

YOU CAN SEE THE CONSISTENCY.

BUT YOU KNOW, THE ROUX HASN'T GOT TO ITS FULL THICKENING ABILITY UNTIL IT COMES TO A BOIL.

YOU CAN SEE IT'S STARTING TO COME TO A BOIL, AND AT THAT TIME, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE GOING TO ADD OUR SHRIMP.

BUT BEFORE WE ADD THE SHRIMP, YOU'VE GOT TO SEASON 'EM.

WE ADD SOME MORE OF THAT CREOLE SEASONING ON OUR SHRIMP, AND NOW WE START, WE START ADDING THE SHRIMP, SMOTHERED, SIMMERED, ETOUFFEE, TO MAKE OUR SHRIMP ETOUFFEE.

NOW I'M ADDING SOME OF THE PEELED AND SOME OF THE UNPEELED SHRIMP TO SHOW YOU BOTH WAYS.

AND WE'LL START SIMMERING OUR ETOUFFEE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ADD THE SHRIMP, THEY REALLY DON'T NEED TO COOK FOR A LONG TIME.

YOU REALLY WANT TO COOK THE SHRIMP, MAYBE ABOUT THREE TO FIVE MINUTES DEPENDING ON THE SIZE UNTIL THEY TURN COLOR, THIS PINK OR RED COLOR, AND EXTRACTING THE FLAVOR AND INTO OUR ETOUFFEE BASE.

VERY TASTY.

YOU KNOW, ETOUFFEES IN LOUISIANA, IS REALLY A FAMILY DISH.

IT'S USUALLY MADE AND LEFT ON THE STOVE AND ALWAYS SERVED WITH RICE.

JUST BOILED RICE.

NOW, THE IMPORTANT PART IS THAT WE'VE SEASONED IT.

BUT NOW WE HAVE TO TASTE IT SO THAT WE CAN RE-SEASON IT.

WE'RE GONNA ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE OF CREOLE SPICE, A LITTLE BIT MORE HOT SAUCE, A LITTLE BIT MORE WORCESTERSHIRE, A TINY BIT MORE SALT, AND NOW WE RE-SEASONED OUR ETOUFFEE.

AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR A FULL BALANCE OF THE ETOUFFEE, WITH ALL, THE MIREPOIX, THE SHRIMP, AND ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS COMING TO A BALANCE OR A WHOLE.

NOW WE HAVE THAT.

WELL, OUR ETOUFFEE HAS SIMMERED, WONDERFUL SMELL.

SO NOW LET'S GO EAT SOME SHRIMP ETOUFFEE.

AH, THE SMELL OF ETOUFFEE.

YOU KNOW THIS IS A GREAT DISH.

THIS IS A DISH USED AND MADE A LOT AT MARDI GRAS TIME BECAUSE IT CAN BE LEFT ON THE STOVE AS I SAID, AND THROUGHOUT THE DAY CAN BE USED AND REHEATED.

IT'S JUST A FABULOUS DISH.

YOU CAN REALLY SMELL ALL THE FLAVORS INCLUDING THE BEER.

USUALLY BEER WOULD BE SERVED WITH AN ETOUFFEE.

NOW WE'RE GONNA GET SOME OF OUR SHRIMP.

AH, AND HERE'S ONE THAT WAS IN THE SHELL, AND WE GET ANOTHER ONE IN THE SHELL, AND NOW WE ADD SOME OF THE SAUCE TO BE EATEN WITH THE RICE.

AND THEN WE'LL FINISH OUR ETOUFFEE DISH WITH A LITTLE GARNISH.

SOME CHOPPED GREEN ONION, AND AGAIN SOME OF OUR CREOLE SEASONING.

THAT'S A TRUE LOUISIANA ETOUFFEE.

THAT WAS MY FIRST REALLY GOOD ETOUFFEE.

IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE WITH THE ROUX CAREFULLY DONE.

WHEN THE WEATHER TURNS BALMY, IT'S TIME FOR MOST LOUISIANIANS TO HEAD OUTDOORS FOR A CRAB BOIL.

SO HERE IN THE BACKYARD OF THIS GREAT OLD NEW ORLEANS HOUSE, WE JOIN EMERIL AND HIS LOUISIANA RIG FOR THE CRAB BOIL OF THE CENTURY.

A TRADITIONAL LOUISIANA CRAWFISH CRAB BOIL, AND IT'S CRAWFISH, NOT CRAYFISH.

THIS IS A CRAWFISH BOIL SET UP, A "LOUISIANA RIG".

IT'S A PROPANE STAND GAS TANK, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE CRAWFISH BOILING POT.

WE HAVE A WIRE MESH BASKET THAT ALL THE INGREDIENTS GO INTO AND THEN WE'RE READY TO DO A LOUISIANA CRAWFISH BOIL.

NOW THE BOIL, IT'S ALL IN THE SEASONING.

AND WHAT WE DO IS TO BEGIN WITH IS WE HAVE SOME WATER, AND SOME CRAWFISH BOIL, PEPPERCORNS, CLOVES, BAY LEAVES.

YOU WANT TO KEEP THEM IN THE BAG, YOU DON'T WANT TO BREAK THE BAG.

AND THEN THIS IS LIQUID CRAB BOIL.

SOME PEOPLE USE LIQUID, SOME PEOPLE JUST USE THE BAG.

I LIKE TO USE BOTH.

IT JUST HAS A GREAT BALANCE IN FLAVOR.

I THINK WE'LL ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE.

NOW, WE HAVE SALT, I'M ADDING A LOT OF SALT IN HERE, BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF WATER.

WE HAVE SIX, SEVEN GALLONS OF WATER, WE HAVE A LOT OF PRODUCT THAT'S GOING IN HERE.

AND IT'S ALL PART OF THE SEASONING TO THE FINISH OF THE BOIL.

SOME PEPPERCORNS, LITTLE BIT OF LOUISIANA HOTSAUCE, AND YOU REMEMBER THAT CREOLE SEASONING THAT WE MIXED, SOME CREOLE SEASONING.

NOW WHAT WE WANT TO DO, IS WE WANT TO BRING THIS UP TO A BOIL AND THEN WE'LL BEGIN.

NOW, WE'VE BROUGHT THIS UP TO A BOIL, AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS, WE WANT TO TASTE, WE WANT TO TASTE OUR, OUR BOIL.

NOW, THERE'S SOME TRADITIONAL INGREDIENTS IN A LOUISIANA CRAB AND CRAWFISH BOIL.

CORN, ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE,GARLIC, A LITTLE LEMON FOR FLAVOR, ONIONS AND POTATOES, BUT AS WELL THERE ARE SOME OPTIONAL ITEMS.

ONE OF THE OPTIONAL ITEMS TODAY WE'RE GOING TO USE IS SOME JUMBO ARTICHOKES.

WE'RE GOING TO PUT THE JUMBO ARTICHOKES WITH OUR POTATOES, AND THEN WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO BOIL THIS FOR FIVE MINUTES.

WE'RE GOING TO BRING IT BACK UP TO A BOIL AND BOIL IT FOR FIVE MINUTES.

SO WE HAVE BOILED OUR ARTICHOKES AND POTATOES FOR FIVE MINUTES.

AND NOW WE WANT TO ADD OUR OTHER INGREDIENTS.

NOW, WE HAVE CORN, WE HAVE ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE, ANOTHER STAPLE OF LOUISIANA.

IT'S A SMOKED PORK SAUSAGE, SPICED WITH CREOLE SPICES.

AND WE HAVE LEMONS, ONION, AND GARLIC, ALL PART OF THE BOIL.

WE'RE GOING TO ADD SOME ASPARAGUS TODAY.

SOME ASPARAGUS IN THE BOIL, AND SOME CELERY AND A LITTLE BIT OF GREEN ONION OR WHAT YOU'D CALL SCALLION.

THE NEXT INGREDIENTS WE HAVE ARE OUR BLUE CRABS.

NOW THIS IS OUR LOUISIANA CRAWFISH CRAB PADDLE.

AND THESE ARE THE MUD BUGS, CRAWFISH, AND WE'LL ADD SOME CRAWFISH.

NOW, THE WHOLE KEY, WE'RE GOING TO BRING THIS UP TO A BOIL AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO LET IT JUST STEEP.

BRING IT UP TO A BOIL, WE'RE GOING TO CUT THE HEAT OFF, LET IT STEEP FOR ABOUT FIVE OR TEN MINUTES.

NOW, THE LONGER IT STEEPS, THE SPICIER THE BOIL.

SO WE JUST WANT TO LET IT STEEP FOR FIVE OR TEN MINUTES, THE WAY I LIKE THEM.

SOME PEOPLE HAVE TWENTY OR THIRTY MINUTES.

FIVE OR TEN MINUTES.

SO HERE WE GO.

YOU KNOW, IT REALLY SURPRISED ME THAT EMERIL USED THESE STORE-BOUGHT CRAB BOILS BECAUSE HE USUALLY MAKES EVERYTHING HIMSELF.

BUT, EVERYBODY USES THEM IN NEW ORLEANS, THEY JUST WOULDN'T TASTE RIGHT WITHOUT THEM.

WELL JULIA, MY FRIEND, WE'RE IN FOR A TREAT.

GOSH, THAT WONDERFUL SMELL.

OH, BOY, LOOK AT THAT.

ISN'T THAT BEAUTIFUL.

I'VE BEEN IN NEW ORLEANS A NUMBER OF TIMES, BUT I'VE NEVER HAD A CRAB BOIL BEFORE AND IT'S ABOUT TIME ISN'T IT?

THERE'S YOUR SPICE BAG AND THE POTATOES.

I'M AMAZED THAT THE ARTICHOKES WOULD COOK, AND THEY LOOK ABSOLUTELY DONE TOO.

I THINK THEY'RE ACTUALLY COOKED TO NEAR PERFECTION.

WELL, MY FRIEND, NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE DELICIOUS MUD BUGS.

AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN EXPRESSION ABOUT SUCKING THE HEAD AND PEELING THE TAIL.

SO WE KIND OF TWIST OFF THE BODY, AND THEN WE KIND LOOK AT ALL THAT NICE TAMALE IN THERE.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO PEEL THE ONE SHELL OFF FROM THE TAIL... YEAH, JUST PEELS RIGHT AROUND.

RIGHT, AND THEN YOU TAKE THE, OH, I SEE, THE PINCHING IT RELEASES THE TAIL.

EXACTLY.

I BETTER HAVE ANOTHER ONE.

WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE.

PERFECT SEASON.

LOVELY.

WHAT'S THE SEASON FOR THEM HERE?

WHICH IS USUALLY FEBRUARY OR EARLY MARCH, THEY'RE REALLY KICKED INTO THE SEASON.

AND THEN THEY'LL GO UNTIL IT GET'S HOT, WHICH IS USUALLY ABOUT JUNE ... WASN'T THAT FUN AND MY WAS IT EVER GOOD.

HAVING THOSE CRABS AND CRAWFISH LIVE AND KICKING, THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

FRESHNESS IS ESSENTIAL.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE CRAWFISH, USE ANYTHING AROUND LIKE LOBSTERS, LOCAL CRABS, SMALL FISH, CHICKEN PARTS, OR MAKE A VEGETARIAN BOIL WITH POTATOES, ARTICHOKES, CARROTS, ONIONS, AND SO FORTH.

WHATEVER YOU USE, IT'S A GREAT DISH, AND A TERRIFIC TABLE.

THIS IS JULIA CHILD FORCOOKING WITH MASTER CHEFS, BON APPETIT.

Julia Child: Bon Appétit