I’ve been asking myself, in idle moments, “What ever became Emeril Lagasse?” Turns out he’s still going strong – just moved to networks I don’t get on my TV service. And he’s recently shared his personal Cajun seasoning blend. But you’ll have to work for it!
A classic among classics: Ioninc Cajun Blackened Catfish… Start enjoying ‘Cajun’ tonight!
Actually, it’s ‘sweat equity’. Because he doesn’t really give us specific amounts of each of his blend’s ingredients. More about that, anon…
What’s in it?
You may well have everything yoiu need to batch-up Emeril’s famnous seasoning blens in your pantry already!
The Ingredients
- Paprika
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Onion powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Dried oregano
- Dried thyme
But there’s a catch. He leaves us to start with equal proportions of each constituent spice and play with amounts to come up with the blend that perfectly suits our own tase.
Get to work
Lagasse told Food & Wine, “my advice to someone who hasn’t yet experienced or experimented with [a store-bought Cajun seasoning] is to try a few different ones and see which one you like best.”
But, “better yet, you can make your own blend, starting with a basic recipe such as this and changing it up until it suits your taste.”
There’s just one caveat…
Lagasse insists that you maintain the overall predominance of Cayenne Pepper in your signature Cajun blend. Otherwise, it won’t be true ‘Cajun’ anymore…
My take
I suggest you make up a big batch of your ‘final’ Cajun Spice formula. You’ll find you use it to jazz-up many everyday dishes if it’s available at arms’reach. And a little goes a long way. A little ‘soupçon’ of the stuff, a pinch if you will, can elevate almost any savoury dish to a new level while keeping the ‘secret’ in the realm of ‘magic’ and ‘imagination’ for your audience…
Thanks, Emeril!
~ Maggie J.