Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday, a chance to party and indulge before the beginning of Lent. Collectively, Allentown really does this event right. All of the bars and restaurants participate; games and contests are held, and the street comes to life (despite the chilly weather) with a full-fledged Mardi Gras parade.
Located in the heart of Allentown, across from the Old Pink and steps away from Nietzsche's, Lagniappes is going all out. This Cajun restaurant offers up killer New Orleans style food year round from its cozy little kitchen, but for Fat Tuesday they're going over the top by cooking up a Louisiana favorite--alligator! Check out this story written by John La Scala for more information.
If you're a little more reserved but would still like to celebrate Fat Tuesday, Lagniappes' chefs, owners and cousins, Chris and Don Silverstein, have offered YUM readers a recipe for the rich Cajun Cream Penne Pasta that appears on their regular menu ($13). Here, sauteed crawfish and andouille sausage are augmented by a spicy Cajun cream sauce. It's super simple and truly tasty, perfect for a celebratory weeknight. Lagniappe's loves to shop local, so their andouille comes from one of YUM's favorite shops, Spar's on Amherst and the crawfish from A'Chau, a fantastic Asian market on Niagara Street.
The crawfish meat comes frozen in a 1 lb. bag. Before preparing this recipe, thaw the correct portion of crawfish, then gently rinse and dry it before adding it to the saute pan. If crawfish isn't your thing, a simple substitution of shrimp, scallops or even chicken will work. Chef suggests that you stop into your local supermarket for Paul Prudhomme's Blackened Redfish Magic Seasoning. He's tried all of the others- they're way too salty and made from inferior ingredients.
Lagniappes' Cajun Cream Penne serves two
¼ lb andouille sausage, sliced into half moons (approximately 2 links from Spar's) ·1/4 lb crawfish meat (thawed) · 2 tbsp. olive oil · 1 tsp garlic, minced ·1/2 cup red and green pepper, diced · ½ cup onion, diced ·1 cup heavy cream · ¼ cup grated parmesan · 2 tbsp Paul Prudhomme's Blackened Redfish Magic Seasoning (more if you like it hot) · 4 cups penne pasta, prepared to the package's specifications
Heat oil in a large saute pan. Saute peppers and onion until onion becomes translucent. Add sausage and saute until vegetables begin to brown. Add crawfish. Heat for 30 seconds and then add cream. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes, allowing the cream to thicken. Add Prudhomme's seasoning. Watch that the sauce doesn't thicken too much (if it does, you can add a little cream to thin it out once it's off the heat). After a minute or two, add the drained, warm pasta and toss with parmesan cheese.
Lagniappes
244 Allen Street, Buffalo 14201
716.883.3663, delivery available