Frequently Asked Questions regarding Cajun cuisine, culture, history, language, pronunciation, and general information about Uncle Mick’s Cajun Café.
Does “Uncle Mick” REALLY exist?
What are the typical ingredients found in Gumbo?
What does it mean when an entrée ends with the word ‘Piquante’?
What might I find in a Jambalaya entrée?
How many legs does a Turducken have?
What does it mean to have “an ahnvee”?
Does Uncle Mick’s really serve alligator?
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Does “Uncle Mick” REALLY exist?
Yes!
Uncle Mick is Mickey Thompson, owner and manager of Uncle Mick’s Cajun Café. Learn more about Uncle Mick >>
What is Cajun Cuisine?
Cajun cuisine (in French: Cuisine Acadienne) is named for the French-speaking Acadian or “Cajun” immigrants deported by the British from Acadia in Canada to the Acadiana region of Louisiana, USA.
It is what could be called a rustic cuisine — locally available ingredients predominate, and preparation is simple. An authentic Cajun meal is usually a three-pot affair, with one pot dedicated to the main dish, one dedicated to steamed rice, skillet cornbread, or some other grain dish, and the third containing whatever vegetable is plentiful or available.
The aromatic vegetables bell pepper, onion, and celery are called by some chefs the holy trinity of Creole and Cajun cuisines. Finely diced and combined in cooking, the method is similar to the use of the mire poix in traditional French cuisine — which blends finely diced onion, celery, and carrot. Characteristic seasonings include parsley, bay leaf, “green onions” or scallions, and dried cayenne pepper.
Acadian refugees, who largely came from what is now modern-day New Brunswick and Nova Scotia adapted their French rustic cuisine to local the ingredients such as rice, crawfish, sugar cane, and sassafrass. Cajun cuisine heavily relied on game meats supplemented with rice or corn. Other than African cuisine, French, Spanish and Indian culinary influences can also be detected in Cajun food. Another feature of the cuisine was the frequent use of smoked meats. Smoked meats are a common aspect of many Cajun dishes.
Source: Wikipedia
What are Crawfish?
Crawfish: “kraw-fish”
Also called crayfish, crawdad, crawdaddy. Freshwater crustacean, closely related to but smaller than lobsters.
What is an Etouffee?
Etouffee: “ey-too-fey”
A spicy Cajun stew of vegetables and seafood, especially crayfish.
What are the typical ingredients found in Gumbo?
Gumbo: “guhm-boh”
A stew or thick soup, usually made with chicken or seafood, greens, and okra or sometimes filé as a thickener.
What does it mean when an entrée ends with the word ‘Piquante’?
Piquante: “pee-kahnt”
Prepared so as to be very hot and spicy, esp. with a hot and spicy sauce.
What might I find in a Jambalaya entrée?
Jambalaya: “juhm-buh-lahy-uh”
A dish of Creole origin, consisting of rice cooked with ham, sausage, chicken, or shellfish, herbs, spices, and vegetables, esp. tomatoes, onions and peppers.
Also, very fun to pronounce!
What does ‘Roux’ mean?
Roux: “roo” — A cooked mixture of butter or other fat and flour used to thicken sauces, soups, etc.
What is Maque Choux?
Maque Choux: pronounced approx. “mock shoe”
A traditional dish of southern Louisiana. It is thought to be an amalgam of Acadian French (Cajun) and Native American cultural influence, and the name is likely to derive from the French interpretation of the Native American name.
It is a simple dish that fundamentally contains corn, green bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, and sometimes garlic and celery. The ingredients are first braised in a pot. Historically bacon grease was used for this, although this is now more often substituted with various combinations of oil, butter, or cream.
The vegetables are then left to simmer until they reach a juicy, saturated consistency, with chicken stock or water added as necessary. The dish is finished with salt and a combination of red and black pepper, and some cooks include hot sauce and a bit of sugar for greater complexity.
Maque choux is usually served as an accompaniment; however, it can also act as a base for a main meal and use focal ingredients such as bite-sized portions of chicken or crawfish. Shrimp is often added in the later stages of cooking as well.
How many legs does a Turducken have?
Well… six, sort of…
It is a dish consisting of a partially de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken (& seasoned w/various stuffing).
The word turducken is a portmanteau (combination of words) of turkey, duck, and chicken or hen.
What does it mean to have “an ahnvee”?
An ahnvee: hunger
For example, “I got an ahnvee for some boudin.”
Does Uncle Mick’s really serve alligator?
Yes we do!
Ask Uncle Mick for a free sample. We promise it won’t bite!
Prattville, AL | Uncle Mick's Cajun Market & Cafe 