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Big and easy foods for the Super Bowl
A shrimp po' boy is a great option for a New Orleans-inspired Super Bowl party. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Media
Shrimp Po’ Boy
(recipe from Helene Kapetaneas)
4-5 raw shrimp, tails removed and butterfly cut
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
1 6-inch French roll
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Cajun seasoning, to taste
Garlic, to taste
Iceberg lettuce, as much as preferred
Season shrimp with salt and pepper, and bread each shrimp with Panko bread crumbs.
Fry until golden. Add Cajun seasoning and a touch of garlic to the mayonnaise, stir until well blended. Cut the iceberg lettuce into thin strips. Brush roll with butter and a little bit of garlic and toast until golden. Spread the Cajun-seasoned mayonnaise on both pieces of bread, then add shredded lettuce and breaded shrimp.
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Updated: January 30, 2013 3:12PM
This Super Bowl Sunday, when the Ravens and 49ers battle in New Orleans, go big and easy with party food plans.
And nothing says New Orleans like po’ boys — whether stuffed with shrimp, crab or crawfish. Helene Kapetaneas makes a shrimp version at her family-owned Landmark Inn Bar & Grill in Northbrook.
“It’s a simple recipe but it really hits the spot,” she says. “You have a nice, hearty roll and then you get the crunch of the iceberg lettuce and the crispy shrimp.”
Kapetaneas will also make jambalaya on Sunday for her halftime buffet. The spread will also include her smoked brisket and homemade barbecue sauce and signature macaroni and cheese, which she crowns with pancetta and five different types of cheese.
Staying home for the game? Cajun pros suggest avoiding gumbo and sticking to less demanding recipes that are just as tasty.
“Making gumbo is an involved process that requires a lot of ingredients, and you can’t really walk away from it while it’s cooking,” says Eric Mangriotis of Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop in Evanston. “Instead, red beans and rice can be made in a slow cooker, and it will come out just the same as if you stood over it all day.”
Another simple solution is an oyster bar. The only requirements are a pile of cold, fresh oysters, crushed ice and a few flavorful condiments.
“A purist thinks that an oyster should be eaten as it is, but some like a little cocktail sauce, or a mignonette (a mix of wine vinegar, shallots and a dash of salt and pepper). Then there are some who just like a squeeze of lemon; others like hot sauce,” says Nancy Burhop of Burhop’s Seafood in Glenview and Hinsdale.
Beignets are a fittingly festive, budget-friendly dessert. The only trick? Maintaining the correct oil temperature.
“Make sure the oil is at 350 degrees. If the oil is too hot, the beignets bake too fast; if it is too cold, they will be greasy,” says Pierre Zimmerman.
Zimmerman makes beignets — and hoards of other baked indulgences — every day for Café Fleurette in Winnetka’s Elm Street train station. He also bakes for his own boulangerie, La Fournette, in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood.
For Super Bowl beverages, raise a glass to Edgar Allan Poe, the only poet to inspire the name of a football team. New Holland Brewing Company makes a malty oatmeal stout, which is aptly called The Poet. B.W. Beer Works crafts a Poe-inspired lager they call The Raven. And while Ravenswood Winery isn’t named after Poe, their wines will amuse Super Bowl fans of any team: They’re labeled with a circle of three entwined ravens.
But if you’re staying with the Nola theme throughout, take pointers from Ben Geertz, a bartender at Union Pizzeria in Evanston who expects to be mixing up plenty of that beloved New Orleans cocktail, Sazerac.
“When people ask what my favorite cocktail is, I usually say Sazerac,” Geertz says. “We use Pernod, a double rye whiskey which is kind of like a licorice liqueur. It’s the Pernod that gives it that New Orleans style.”
