making gradoux
gradoux \grä-dü\ n. a cajun french word for the brown bits of caramelized fat and meat stuck to the bottom of the pot
the proper french culinary term for gradoux is sucs, but let's be honest, saying gradoux is just more fun. gradoux is the foundation of most of my dishes -- giving a rich, deep, and complex flavor to them. i grew up eating my grandparents' homestyle cajun cooking. i always looked forward to saturday -- a big family dinner with my mother, aunts, uncle, cousins, and grandparents. my favorite dish was always rice & gravy, which is the ultimate use of gradoux. and, this lifelong love of rice & gravy, the humblest of cajun dishes, has inspired my love of good, real food.
my love of cooking has developed over a lifetime, albeit a rather short one at only 30+ years. i love eating as much as i love cooking and have tried many foods on my travels in africa, asia, and europe. i love fresh, real, local, and unique ingredients and creating recipes with strong, vibrant flavors--if you don't like garlic, you won't like my recipes!
though many of my recipes have numerous ingredients and multiple steps, these are recipes to make at home. and, now the key to so many cajun recipes....
first, you brown the meat.