Winnipeg Mardi Gras
http://winnipegmardigras.com/index.php
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13 & 14 ONLY!
I’ve always maintained that you cannot find genuine Cajun/Creole north
of the Mason-Dixon Line (unless you make it
yourself). To a large extent, that’s
still true. When the Convention Centre
announced a Mardi Gras celebration a decade ago, I was skeptical. In fact, I was so skeptical, I didn’t bother
attending. I imagined this as simply a
re-imagination of the Grapes Cajun event where they dish out the same food, add
some Tabasco sauce and call it
Louisianan.
For years, the Mardi Gras food didn’t taste like authentic Cajun/Creole, but it
tasted good. This year, it tastes better
than good—it tastes fantastic. Aside
from eating just the food, I’m going to eat some of my words too—there are some
dishes here that taste like authentic food from New
Orleans . Before
we get into the “must-try,” let’s start with the “gonna pass.”
Deep Fried Pickle Spears
For starters, the deep fried pickles are not exactly Cajun/Creole, but
they’re American south. This is one dish
that I never fully understood. I know
the Americans love to batter and fry everything, but there are some things that
simply don’t work; these don’t work for me.
The batter and the intense acidity of the pickle simply don’t mix. When you bite into the pickle, the batter
separates and because the pickle has been sliced, the skin falls off the
flesh. You end up with batter pieces,
stringy pickle skin and mushy pickle innards (yes, it’s as elegant as it
sounds). With so much great food around,
I suggest you skip this starter and move on.
Peel and Eat Shrimp / Freshly Shucked Oysters
There isn’t much to say about this simple yet delicious appetiser. The cold shrimps are plump but a little
overdone. If you’re a shrimp purist,
this will suit you just fine, but for the rest of us, it definitely needs the
cocktail sauce to add some tangy zip. I
don’t want you to get the wrong impression—they’re not bad. They far out-taste the pre-packaged shrimp
rings, but they’re just not special.
I’m a bigger fan of oysters than shrimps and these don’t
disappoint. These oysters are a nice
change from the usual malpeques that you find in Winnipeg ;
I don’t know the species as the oyster monger could only tell me that they’re
from PEI . The oysters have a strong taste of the ocean,
complete with the saltiness of the seawater.
Eating these sure reminds me of being in the French Quarter when you
can’t walk a block without seeing oyster bars snapping everywhere.
BBQ Pulled Pork Po'boy
If you want a sandwich, “po’boy” in Louisiana-speak is another word for
“sub” or “hero.” This year’s po’boy
comes stuffed with pulled pork. The meat
is slowed cooked to a velvety soft texture and spiked with an edgy barbecue
sauce. The meat tastes good and
flavourful but it’s not genuine, Deep South barbecued
pulled pork. If you're not an adventurous diner, this sandwich will satisfy you just fine.
French Quarter Gumbo with a Cajun Crostini
Louisianans normally make Gumbo with oysters and crawfish, making it
one of the most wildly delicious foods on the face of the earth. For people not into seafood (and I feel very
sorry for you), they have a version called Gumbo Ya Ya, which substitutes the
seafood with chicken and andouille (the Cajun sausage).
Last year’s gumbo ya ya was stripped down and a bit empty. They improved on it this year by adding great
shredded meat to boost body and depth to the gumbo. They kept the powerful roux, which acts as
the backbone to all gumbos. It’s still
missing something but it’s getting very close to what you find in New
Orleans .
Louisiana Style Shrimp with Pasta
Earlier, I told you that you can’t find real Cajun/Creole north of the Mason-Dixon
Line . I’m not saying that’s
bad—just not authentic. Whenever I hear
someone say Cajun in the north, I expect this kind of dish. This pasta dish is a fundamental Italian
staple, add some spicy sausage and cayenne pepper, and voila, you have Cajun.
No—you do not.
This is nothing more than a spicy Italian dish, but that doesn’t mean
it’s bad. By no means, it’s delicious,
but it’s just not Cajun or Creole. The rich rose sauce makes a great background
to the mounds of shrimps, which are cooked perfectly. The pasta is a touch past al dente but still
far from mushy. The dish comes garnished
with a thin slice of lemon. In poor
lighting, it looks more like sun-dried tomato than lemon—don’t make the same
mistake as me and eat it.
Mardi Gras Chicken and Andouille Creole on New
Orleans Black Eyed Pea Rice
Just like the previous meal, the Mardi Gras Chicken and Andouille
Creole on New Orleans Black Eyed Pea Rice (despite how many Louisiana
adjectives the name has), does not taste Creole.
This creation tastes more Mexican than Louisianan but again, not authentic
does not mean not good; this is another highly successful blend of ingredients.
The sautéed chicken tastes wonderfully
caramelised (although a tad salty); the sausage makes a great combination
partner and the heavy garlic pulls this whole melange together. The blacked eyed pea rice tastes delicious on
its own but it has enough power to act as a conduit to this flavourful and
pungent sauce.
Bourbon Street Creole Style Jambalaya with Shrimp, Chorizo and Blackened Chicken
The jambalaya doesn’t taste quite like authentic Cajun but that doesn’t
mean it’s not delicious—it tastes divine.
It took a while to decipher what the odd taste in the sauce is but we
finally discerned it to be lobster, which is used as the base.
This fabulous addition gives strength, depth and power to the sauce and
raises this dish to a new level. Like
every other selection, this one comes loaded with shrimps. The seasoning is a little uneven on the
shrimps as you occasionally eat a very salty shrimp followed by a bland
shrimp. While you wade through your
shrimps, don’t forget about the sausages; they have a bit of an odd flavour to
them but they fit perfectly into the jambalaya.
Curious though, that they chose the Chorizo sausage for the jambalaya,
rather than the Cajun Andouille.
My dessert consisted of a couple of shots of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky. This mild spirit has enough sweetness to
closeout a meal, and enough alcoholic punch to push you into the Mardi Gras
celebration mood.
Other special beverages include the “Love Potion,” which tastes like a
jacked-up champagne cocktail, or the “Oyster Shot,” which comes with a prized
fresh oyster at the bottom of the drink.
I can park down and drink these all night.
Festivities aside, the food line-up here guarantees that you walk away
from the Winnipeg Mardi Gras with at least a hint of what Cajun/Creole food and
life is all about. If you're very, very lucky, you might get accosted by a zombie (Friday night) while you wade your way through the voodoo-lined halls of Mardi Gras!
I have a few
suggestions for next year’s event:
- Bring back the crawfish. As Northerners, many people shy away from crawfishes, and especially the St. James alumni, who only know them as ugly mudbugs from Sturgeon Creek. Having tasted food from all over the world, I can attest that the crawfish continues to stand out as one of the most unique and best-tasting items out there.
- Cut down on the portion sizes. Smaller
prices and smaller portions means that people get a chance to try more dishes. If this is supposed to be a true
Happy Mardi Gras and laissez
les bon temps roulez!
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