DONNA KEATING / L’Observateur / September 20, 2000

LAPLACE – Buddy Bailey of LaPlace is not only the owner of Bailey’s World Famous Andouille, he is also a talented cook. He comes from a family thatloves to cook and says his mother has “a taste for food.”He learned to cook from his mother, Victorine Bailey, who started cooking in 1925. Though she is now 88 years old, she still cooks everyday.Buddy Bailey started in the food business in 1965 with the Tarpon Seafood Restaurant in LaPlace, where Billy Hart Restaurant is today. His mothercame to work for him cooking daily lunches, and that’s where he says he learned the basics from watching her cook.

He also opened a little store called Quick Sack Meat Market, located in the rear of the Tarpon Seafood Restaurant, which sold mostly meat and groceries. His mother made hogs head cheese, andouille and boudin. At thattime hogs head cheese sold for 99 cents a pound and andouille sold for 79 cents a pound.

Later, Bailey ran a local andouille shop for 12 years until he open his own andouille shop with his own family recipe.

One day he was talking to his mother, who worked with some great Creole cooks at the Tarpon Restaurant, and he asked her what was going to happen when all the good Cajun cooks die. His mother said, “I can make a dry rouxmix to package so that others could recreate the same good recipes of the past.” He explained to his mother that they also needed to includeprepackaged seasonings because a lot of people don’t know how to season food.

For one year they made all the dishes they loved. and he measured andrecorded what was used until they perfected the recipe for his prepackaged Cajun seasoning mix, which he sells today in his own shop.

He explained that Cajun cooks don’t usually measure with measuring cups and spoons because they know how much to put in by sight.

From there they gave the Cajun seasoning mix to 200-300 people who gave him their opinions. He then altered the recipe to adjust to consumer tastes.His Cajun seasoning mix is handmade and sold in his store along with several no-fail recipes to be used with the mix.

Bailey says the mix is great because it is a water-based roux that can be used without oil, which adds fat to food.

Bailey originally designed the Cajun seasoning mix for marketing up north. Butthen he realized it could be even more popular locally since many of the younger generation still hasn’t learned the art of Cajun cooking.

His store caters mostly to more product selection, and there’s even a drive- up window for convenience. He sells their own store-made andouille, sausage,boudin, gumbos and jambalaya. They even make chicken andouille for peoplewith high blood pressure. It’s all fresh and ready to go. Sometimes people eatright there in his store, even though he’s not really set up for a lunch crowd.

Catering, for 50 people and under, is also available to his customers.

His andouille shop is family owned and operated, and he says quality always comes first. They also make their products with no sugar or preservativesand low in salt.

Bailey’s best advice when cooking is to wait until the end of cooking to add some seasoning because some ingredients like andouille will add salt to whatever you’re cooking.

Here are a few of his favorite recipes he would like to share:

CORN SOUP

1 lb. shrimp, peeled

3 medium potatoes, diced

1/4 cup oil

1 pkg. Bailey’s Cajun Creole Mix

2 16-oz. cans whole corn

1 16-oz. can creamed corn

1 8-oz. can whole tomatoes

1/2 lb. andouille, cut into 1/4-inch slices (optional)

In a five-quart pot fry shrimp in oil on medium heat for approximately 10 minutes, and andouille if desired. Add tomatoes and cook for another fiveminutes. Mix 1/3 cup of roux into two cups of hot water, add one packagespices, potatoes, 1/2 package of seasoning and roux into pot and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add two cans of whole corn and 1can of creamed corn with two cups of hot water and cook on medium heat for approximately 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add seasonings,if desired.

Makes eight to 10 servings

RED BEAN GUMBO

1 pkg. Bailey’s Cajun Creole Mix

1 lb. andouille, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/2 to 1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/2 to 1 lb. ham seasoning, cut into 1/2-inch slices (optional)

3 cans red beans

In an eight-quart pot put 3 cans of red beans and five cans of hot tap water.

Mix roux in 10 ounces of hot tap water and add to beans. Add andouille,sausage, ham seasoning, Bailey’s seasoning mix and one pack of spices. Bringto boil and cook uncovered over medium heat for about an hour. Addadditional spices, if needed. Serve over rice.Makes 10-15 servings.

SEAFOOD GUMBO

3 lbs. small or medium shrimp, peeled

1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/4 cup oil 1/2 to 1 lb. crab meat

1 pkg. Bailey’s Cajun Creole Mix

2 dozen raw oysters (optional)

In an eight-quart pot fry shrimp and smoked sausage in oil for about 15 minutes. Add 3 1/2 quarts hot water and bring to a boil; add Bailey’sSeasoning Mix and two packs of spices. Mix roux in 10 ounces of hot tapwater and add to other ingredients. Add crab meat and cook uncovered overmedium heat for about 45 minutes. If desired, oysters should be added in thelast 15 minutes of cooking. Skim excess oil prior to serving. Add seasoning ifdesired. Serve over rice.Makes eight to 10 servings.

Hint: for okra/shrimp gumbo follow directions for seafood gumbo but substitute 2 cans of okra, drained and rinsed, for smoked sausage. (Add after roux is added.)

SAUCE PIQUANTE

(Beef, chicken, rabbit, fish or turtle) 3 lbs. meat

14 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup cooking oil

3 bay leaves

1 pack Bailey’s Cajun Creole Mix

In a five-quart pot cook meat in oil for about 15 minutes, add 2 1/4 cups of hot water and jar of spaghetti sauce. Add 1/2 pack of Bailey’s Seasoning andone pack of spices. Mix 1/3 cup of roux into 5 ounces of hot water and addto other ingredients. Cook covered for about 45 minutes to one hour or untilmeat is tender. Add seasoning if desired. Serve over rice or spaghetti.Makes 8-10 servings.

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