After introducing New Orleans to their food as the Old Portage, a pop-up located in the popular French Quarter Black Penny bar, Amarys Koenig-Herndon and Jordan Herndon opened Palm&Pine in 2019. The vibrant, open space complements their thoughtful dishes that, instead of focusing on classic Creole cuisine, celebrate “the South and south of that.”
Diners at the Rampart Street restaurant, which is almost cattycorner to the Saenger Theatre, are treated to bold Southern and Caribbean flavors ranging from Corner Store Crudo (which comes with a fish sauce condiment that’s been infused with New Orleans-favorite Big Shot soda) and Crispy Pig Ears to Crispy Fish Meunière and Cornmeal Fried Texas Quail.
During Carnival season, Amarys and Jordan have a front-row seat to the city’s signature parades, but like many locals, they prefer the more low-key Lundi Gras festivities to Mardi Gras Day itself.
“It’s a celebration of our city,” says Amarys. “And it’s a reset after one busy season and before the beginning of another. I think it’s what New Year’s Eve is like for a lot of people,” says Amarys.
The menu at Palm&Pine changes with the seasons, and during Carnival season, diners will find hearty dishes like Turkey Neck and Andouille Gumbo and Texas BBQ Shrimp & Creamy Jalapeño Grits. If you can’t make it to the restaurant, Amarys and Jordan have put together a few recipes they thought would help liven up your season.
“I imagine this being served in a house just off the parade route,” says Amarys. “The crab dip is out on the counter and the gumbo is on the stove so anyone can help themselves. People are coming and going all day. After a while, everyone can sit down to enjoy the cauliflower amandine and the BBQ shrimp. Some people are probably sleeping over and will have leftover gumbo with a fried egg on top for breakfast the next day,” says Amarys.
Turkey Neck and Andouille Gumbo
Using a dark chicken stock will deepen the flavor and color of your gumbo. A dark stock is achieved by roasting the bones and vegetables and simmering the stock for about 12 hours.
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon peanut oil, divided
- 1½ pounds andouille sausage, casing removed and large diced
- 1½ pounds yellow onion, medium diced
- 3½ cups medium diced poblanos (about 1 pound)
- 2½ cups medium diced celery
- 5 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 to 4 quarts of chicken stock
- 1 quart Blackened & Braised Turkey Necks braising liquid (recipe follows)
- 1½ pounds Blackened & Braised Turkey Necks meat, picked from the bones (recipe follows)
- Potato salad, rice, and sliced green onions, to serve
- In a large cast-iron pan or Dutch oven, combine flour and 1¾ cups oil over medium-low heat; whisk until the flour and oil are smooth and a blonde roux forms, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon until a dark roux is achieved, up to 1 hour. Set roux aside.
- In a large, wide pot (must hold at least two gallons), sauté andouille with remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until you have some caramelization and crispy edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Set andouille aside, leaving any fat in your pot.
- To the same pot, add onion, poblano, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, cayenne, and black pepper over medium heat; sweat until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
- Carefully add roux to your vegetables. This will create steam, so go slowly and stand back.
- Add 3 quarts of your stock and your turkey neck braising liquid, if using. If not using braising liquid, add an additional quart of chicken stock. Bring up to a low boil over medium-high heat and cook until it begins to thicken. A dark gumbo doesn’t need to be very thick, but it should briefly coat your spoon before dripping and have a pleasant weight on your palate when you taste it.
- Add turkey neck meat and the reserved andouille, adjust seasoning as desired, and add more stock to thin, if necessary. Discard bay leaf, and serve with potato salad, like we do, or rice, and plenty of green onions.
Blackened & Braised Turkey Necks
- 5 pounds turkey necks
- ¼ cup blackening seasoning
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1¾ cups sliced smoked onions (see note)
- 2 poblanos, sliced
- 4 stalks celery, cut in 2-inch pieces
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- 1 jalapeño, sliced
- 2 (12-ounce) lager beers
- 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 cups chicken stock
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Season turkey necks with blackening seasoning.
- In a large Dutch oven, sear turkey necks hard on all sides in batches over medium heat, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
- Add remaining ingredients, cover and braise in the oven, until meat is tender and meat pulls from the bones, 2½ to 3½ hours.
- Pull meat from bones, cover and refrigerate until using. Strain the braising liquid, discarding solids, and reserve.
Texas BBQ Shrimp & Creamy Jalapeño Grits
- ½ cup smoked onions, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, divided
- ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup Shiner Bock beer
- 1 cup shrimp or seafood stock
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream, plus more if needed
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 pounds colossal fresh Gulf shrimp, head-on, tails and shell removed
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Creamy Jalapeño Grits (recipe follows)
- 4 lemons, cut in half, for serving
- Garnish: green onions or fresh parsley
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1½ cups water
- 1 jalapeño, sliced
- 1 cup stone-ground grits, soaked in 2 cups water for 8 hours and strained
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, sweat smoked onions, garlic, rosemary, black pepper, and red pepper in 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat, about 2 minutes.
- Add Worcestershire, beer, and shrimp stock; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until thick and sticky, about 15 minutes.
- Add cream, and slowly whisk in 1 cup and 14 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Keep some extra cold cream nearby if the sauce starts to look greasy, it’s too hot or needs hydration and needs a splash of cream. If the sauce is looking stiff, you’re probably adding butter too quickly and it’s too cold. Slow down and let sauce warm up a little. Keep TX BBQ Butter warm until serving.
- In a large pan, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
- In a large cast-iron pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Season shrimp with salt and black pepper, and cook in batches until pink and firm. 7. Serve shrimp over Creamy Jalapeño Grits and top with mushrooms and TX BBQ Butter; serve with lemon and garnish with green onions or parsley, if desired.
- In a large pot, bring milk, water and jalapeño to a boil over high heat.
- Slowly whisk in grits, and bring back to a boil while whisking constantly.
- Reduce heat to low, and cook for at least 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until grits are thick and tender. Add salt, cream cheese, and butter to finish grits. Keep warm until serving.
Roasted Cauliflower Amandine
- 2 heads of cauliflower, cut into florets (about 8 cups)
- 1 cup sliced shallot
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
- Zest and juice of 2 satsumas
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, cubed
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cups almonds, sliced, slivered, or chopped whole, lightly toasted
- Garnish: fresh basil
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- On a rimmed baking sheet, combine cauliflower, shallot, salt, thyme, coriander, satsuma zest and juice, and oil. Spread evenly on baking sheet.
- Roast cauliflower until fork-tender and specks of golden brown appear, 20 to 30 minutes depending on size of florets.
- While cauliflower is roasting, make the brown buttered almonds. In a small skillet, brown butter over medium heat. Take off heat when butter is foamy and smells nutty, about 10 to 12 minutes. Slowly add the lemon juice to butter, and stir in parsley and almonds.
- Pour brown buttered almonds over the roasted cauliflower in serving dish, and garnish with basil.
Deviled Crab Dip
- 8 ounces Louisiana crab claw meat, picked free of shell
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco mash (or 1½ teaspoons Tabasco sauce)
- 1 cup small diced sweet onion
- ½ cup small diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup small diced poblano
- ½ cup small diced celery
- ¼ cup sliced green onion
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ cup plus 1 cup panko bread crumbs, divided
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- In a large bowl, combine crab, cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, celery seed, Worcestershire, Tabasco mash (or Tabasco Sauce), sweet onion, bell pepper, poblano, celery, green onion, lemon juice, ½ cup bread crumbs. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Place crab mixture in a 2-quart casserole dish or various smaller dishes.
- In a small bowl, combine remaining 1 cup bread crumbs, parsley, and melted butter until breadcrumbs are well coated. Spread evenly over crab mixture. Bake until mixture is bubbling and breadcrumbs are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
Sounds like something my grandma would make so I gotta try these. Sounds wonderful.