TV Dinner: Post Mardi Gras feast

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - Mardi Gras may be over, but it’s not too late to enjoy Cajun and creole cuisine.

Chef Chris Manning shares recipes for a crockpot version of red beans and rice and for a spice rub for blackened chicken and shrimp.

And the blackened shrimp, he said, is a great idea for Lent.

Crockpot Red Beans and Rice

- 1 pound dried kidney beans

- 1/2 pound smoke ham hock

- 1/2 pound andouille sausage, diced

- 1 cup diced onions

- 1 cup diced celery

- 1 cup diced green bell pepper

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 bay leaves

- 1 tablespoon creole seasoning (below)

- 6 cups chicken stock

- 8 servings cooked white rice

Cover the beans with water, with two inches above the beans. Let stand overnight. Drain and rinse just before using.

Place the ham hock in the center of a five-quart crockpot and pour beans around the hock. Add the sausage, vegetables, and seasonings and slowly add the chicken broth. Cook on high for six hours. Beans should be soft and have a creamy texture.

Remove bay leaves and the ham hock bone. Serve over rice.

Creole Seasoning

- 3 tablespoons paprika

- 3 tablespoons salt

- 2 tablespoons granulated garlic

- 2 tablespoons granulated onion

- 1 tablespoon whole leaf thyme

- 1 tablespoon whole leaf oregano

- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and use to season soups, stews, meats, and salads.

Blackened Seasoning

- 1 tablespoon paprika

- 2 teaspoons salt

- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

- 1 teaspoon granulated onion

- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper

- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

- 1/2 teaspoon whole leaf thyme

- 1/2 teaspoon whole leaf oregano

Mix all ingredients together and use to blacken seafood, poultry, and pork.

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