Villa Royale’ delights in Lenten season

Year-round, regardless of religion, Cajuns share an undying love for boiled seafood.

During Lent, restaurants brace for a spike in seafood sales as Catholics give up meat for the holiday. Believers say the time represents Jesus’ stay in the desert where, according to the Bible, he overcame Satan’s temptations. Through prayer, penitence and self-denial, Lent prepares followers for Holy Week’s celebration of Christ’s resurrection.

“It’s our way of sacrificing something because Jesus gave his life for us,” said Villa Royale’ Seafood and Steakhouse executive chef Michael Richard, who is Catholic. “It’s our way of saying, ‘Thank you.'”

It’s also a busy time for restaurants.

“For that six weeks, it’s a great time for business,” Richard said. “Catholics get a chance to take advantage of what south Louisiana has to offer … great seafood.”

This marks the Raceland-based Villa Royale’s first Lent in business. Danny LeBouef’s operation opened in November 2010. So far, Richard is managing the onslaught on Fridays.

“We know Catholics are looking to feast on anything non-red meat on Fridays, so our menu has been adjusted to accommodate their taste buds,” he said. “It gives me pleasure to give them something they won’t get elsewhere, while still staying true to the traditional Cajun-Creole style of cooking.”

Richard picked up his tricks of the trade after a stint cooking at Mississippi’s Beau Rivage and at family outings. “It turns out that during Lent, families have a lot of crawfish boils,” he said jokingly.

Avoiding meat on Fridays doesn’t mean abandoning great tasting food, Richard contents. His challenge: “Awaken your taste buds with some good Villa Royale’ cuisine that will knock your socks off.”

Chef Michael Richard’s Lenten Menu

Fresh Fruit Mousse

Ingredients:

1 orange

1 banana

8 strawberries, medium

1/2 of an apple cored

6 ounces of honey

1 1/2 soup spoon of fruit syrup

1 teaspoon of orange zest

4 ounces of plain yogurt (low fat)

1/2 pack of unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup of water

4 teaspoon of chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

Peel oranges making sure you take the white skin off. Peel and cut all the fruits and place in blender. Add honey, syrup, and orange zest and blend at low speed. While blending warm the water and let the gelatin bloom. When ready, pour into the blender. Add yogurt and blend at high speed until smooth. Pour in glasses of your choice and chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Add pecans or walnuts on top when ready to serve.

Penne Pasta with pesto cream sauce and seared shrimp and scallops

Ingredients:

1 pound of penne pasta

1 pound of scallops

1 pound-21/25 shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 1/2 cup of heavy cream

1 cup of pesto

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta until “al dente” and reserve in a warm place, mixing with a touch of olive oil so that they will not stick. In a saute pan cook shrimp and scallops over medium heat until they have a nice color and reserve in a warm place. In a sauce pot, combine cream and pesto until simmering. Add the bechamel and stir until smooth. Dump the pasta in the sauce and mix well. Serve in a large soup bowl and top with the shrimp and scallops.

Pesto recipe

Ingredients:

1 quart of packed fresh basil leaves

3/4 cup of olive oil

2 tablespoon of pine nuts (pignoli)

3 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of salt

2 1/2 ounce of grated Parmesan

1 ounce of grated Romano

Directions

Wash the basil leaves and drain well. Put basil, oil, nuts, garlic and salt in a food processor and blend to a paste. It should have a nicely coarse texture. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the cheese.

Crawfish Smothered Grits

Ingredients:

1 pound crawfish tails, peeled

Salt

Cayenne

2 tablespoon of olive oil

1 cup of chopped onions

1 tablespoon of chopped garlic

2 cups of shrimp stock

3 cups of half and half

1 1/2 cup of quick cooking white grits

1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, toss the crawfish tails with salt and cayenne. In a 3-quart saucepan, over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season the onions with salt and cayenne. Saute for 2 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add the crawfish and garlic. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock and half and half to the pan, season with salt and cayenne. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the grits and stir constantly until they are very tender, about 10 minutes. Add the cheese and stir to mix and melt it. Serve warm.

New Orleans-Style Barbecue Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 pounds of large shrimp, heads on

2 tablespoons of Creole Seasoning

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

1 large head garlic, cloves peeled and minced

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary

3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons of hot sauce to taste

1 large lemon, juice remove, quartered (reserve the juice)

1/3 cup of beer (not a light beer)

1 stick of butter at room temperature

1 loaf French bread

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Lightly toss the shrimp with half the seasoning. Preheat a large skillet over high heat, put the oil in the pan, and heat until the oil begins to smoke. Place the garlic and rosemary in the pan and stir to lightly brown the garlic, being very careful not to burn it. Add the shrimp and stir carefully, then add the Worcestershire, hot sauce, lemon juice and lemon quarters.

Deglazed the pan with the beer, stirring to release any bits clinging to the bottom, and boil the mixture to reduce while shaking the pan. Allow the shrimp to cook for 2 minutes and add the remaining seafood seasoning, salt and pepper. When the shrimp have finished cooking, the liquid should have a saucy consistency. Reduce the heat medium-high and add the butter (a bit at a time), stirring, until the sauce is thick. Adjust seasoning. Remove lemon pieces. Serve with the loaf of French bread.

Executive chef Michael Richard of Villa Royale Seafood and Steakhouse rises to the challenge of preparing traditional Cajun-Creole dishes perfect for Lent.