Food & Drink

Our Favorite Mardi Gras Recipes

Twenty-six tasty ways to celebrate Carnival season
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Creole Jambalaya

Ralph Brennan of New Orlean’s beloved restaurants Brennan’s and Napoleon House shares his family’s go-to recipe.

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Photo: COURTESY OF RALPH BRENNAN RESTAURANT GROUP

Slurricane: An Updated Hurricane

A gimmick-free take on the classic Bourbon Street cocktail.

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Photo: MARGARET HOUSTON

Emeril Lagasse’s Cajun Bloody Mary

A super spicy cocktail makes a perfect wake-up call for Fat Tuesday.

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Photo: COURTESY OF EMERIL’S HOMEBASE

Red Beans & Rice

Bring a taste of New Orleans into your kitchen with this family recipe courtesy of Garden & Gun Club’s Gina Lee.

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Photo: CHRIS BOEK

Blue Crab Beignets

Two beloved New Orleans foods come together. These savory seafood beignets have been a staple on the menu at La Petite Grocery since 2007.

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Photo: COURTESY OF LA PETITE GROCERY

Brennan’s Milk Punch

Generations of New Orleanians have enjoyed milk punch on holiday mornings—especially during Mardi Gras season.

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Photo: CHRIS GRANGER | COURTESY OF RALPH BRENNAN RESTAURANT GROUP

Duck and Andouille Gumbo

New Orleans chef Justin Devillier adds a couple of tasty twists to the classic dish.

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Photo: DENNY CULBERT

Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch

Subbing vanilla ice cream for milk or cream turns this classic celebratory cocktail into a sweet boozy treat.

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Photo: ALISON GOOTEE

King Cake Cupcakes

This miniature take on a Carnival tradition is made from a traditional French-style dough, then sliced it into small disks, and baked in a cupcake tin.

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Photo: JACQUELINE STOFSICK

Lucy’s Signature Summer Seafood Gumbo

Made with crab, shrimp, tomatoes, and okra, Lucy “LuLu” Buffett’s seafood gumbo is inspired by her grandmother’s recipe.

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Photo: ANGIE MOSIER

The Cochon Butcher Muffuletta

The muffuletta (moof-uh-leh-ta), a massive sandwich of meat, cheese, and tangy vegetable relish on a round sesame roll has been a cornerstone of Crescent City cuisine for more than a century.

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Photo: COURTESY OF COCHON BUTCHER

Cajun Queso

Chef Isaac Toups rejects the idea that seafood and cheese cannot coexist. This combination of Gruyère, saffron, and crab meat is ample proof.

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Okra Soup

Personal chef and caterer B. J. Dennis’s take on this classic Southern comfort food substitutes shrimp for beef and recommends adding smoked meat for extra flavor.

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Photo: WADE SPEES

Crawfish Étouffée

As an Alabama chef with New Orleans roots, Bill Briand has a number of tricks up his sleeve when it comes to making étouffée. None more critical than keeping the roux from burning. “Have your glass of wine or your cold beer next to you, and don’t leave it alone,” Briand says.

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Ojen Cocktail

Ojen, this simple Carnival cocktail’s main ingredient, was first produced in nineteenth-century Spain. After New Orleanians had difficulty tracking down bottles of the popular anise-based liqueur, local Sazerac Co. revived it and now produces its own.

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Photo: COURTESY OF RALPH BRENNAN RESTAURANT GROUP

Carnival Punch

Hosts in New Orleans serve this festive batch cocktail during parade watch parties. “The recipe incorporates first-of-the-season Ponchatoula strawberries for the Strawberry cordial,” says Katy Casbarian, co-owner of Arnaud’s Restaurant and the French 75 Bar.

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Photo: Sara Essex Bradley

Bacon Popcorn Drizzled with Creole-Spiced Butter

Popped in bacon grease and coated in spiced clarified butter, New Orleans chef Kevin Belton has perfected salty decadence with this party snack.

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Photo: EUGENIA UHL

Vieux Carré: A NOLA Original

The Vieux Carré, a New Orleanian twist on the Manhattan, was created at the Hotel Monteleone bar in 1938.

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Photo: MARGARET HOUSTON

New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp

This tasty, messy Louisiana favorite necessitates head-on, shell-on shrimp, according to Chef Donald Link. “There is some sort of magic created by having the heads on, and in the way the flavor melds with the butter and black pepper”

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Photo: CHRIS GRANGER

The Commander’s Palace Bloody Mary

This Commander’s Palace concoction is favored by generations of New Orleans residents and visitors. Here, the recipe is slightly simplified for at-home mixologists.

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Photo: ERIC MEDSKER, COURTESY OF TEN SPEED PRESS

A Bloody Mary in front of a jar of pickled peppers.

Emeril Lagasse’s Cajun Bloody Mary

A super spicy kicked-up eye-opener

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Photo: Courtesy of Emeril's Homebase

Crawfish in a pot.

How to Make Crawfish Étouffée

An Alabama chef with New Orleans roots shares his take on classic crawfish étouffée

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A pink drink in a low ball glass with crushed ice.

An At-Home Mardi Gras Cocktail

For a new lease on licorice, try this taste of Carnival in a glass

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Photo: JOHNNY AUTRY | FOOD STYLING BY CHARLOTTE AUTRY

A marshmallow between two graham crackers, covered in chocolate.

Do-It-Yourself Moon Pies

A homemade take on Mardi Gras’s marshmallow treat

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Photo: Johnny Autry

A person wearing a white shirt and beige apron holding a green drink with basil garnish and purple sparkler.

Party Mixer: The Boozy Muse

This sparkling green cocktail from Justine in New Orleans keeps the good times rolling

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Photo: RANDY SCHMIDT

A slice of king cake.

Chef David Guas’ King Cake

A classic Mardi Gras treat from the owner of Arlington, Virginia’s, Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery

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Photo: Courtesy of Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery