Bourbon Street Jazz Brunch

By Mindy Kobrin
Bourbon Street BrunchBourbon Street Brunch

Picture the New Orleans French Quarter with cobblestone streets and ornate wrought iron balconies on 19th Century buildings. Now, hear the trumpet, clarinet and saxophone players in the background followed by the beat of a Mardi Gras parade marching toward you! Celebrate this Mardi Gras season by hosting a Bourbon Street Jazz Brunch for your friends and enjoy the Carnival as if you were there. Set the tone by recreating the sensuous flavors of the deliciously decadent New Orleans. Since the Mardi Gras season culminates on Fat Tuesday, plan the brunch for one of the weekends leading up to it.

Invitations and Atmosphere

  • As hostess with the mostest, create invitations using a Mardi Gras mask motif. Inform your guests that the brunch will be dressy-casual attire with boas aplenty.
  • Encourage your guests to wear a Mardi Gras costume. The wilder it is, the better. One of the classic costumes is the jester. If your friends aren't the costume types, feather boas and wacky wigs add the perfect amount of flair.

Setting the Mood

  •  Set the table using elegant, colorful linens and your finest china and crystal.
  • Play several hours worth of New Orleans jazz music including one of my favorites, Harry Connick Jr.'s "Oh, My NOLA."
  • Sprinkle your table with doubloons like the ones that are tossed to the crowds from the parade floats in New Orleans.
  • Create a centerpiece using camellias or azalea blooms, flowers that are typical of the New Orleans landscape.
  • Watch as our expert florist, Julie Mulligan, teaches you how to create your own floral centerpieces to really pull off that professional look.

Menu and Drinks

New Orleans Eggs SardouNew Orleans Eggs Sardou
When deciding upon your menu for this party, there are several things you'll want to consider. First, with seafood reigning as a New Orleans king, you'll want to include a seafood dish on your menu.

 

Oysters and Cajun Shrimp are classic regional dishes. Since it's brunch, your guests will probably expect an egg dish. You'll want to select a truly decadent, rich, creamy egg recipe such as the Eggs Sardou in the menu below that shows off the French influence on the local cuisine.

Bloody Mary Progressive Bar

Jazzy Bloody MaryJazzy Bloody Mary
Your guests will also appreciate a festive and saucy Progressive Bloody Mary Bar. Each guest can create a drink to his or her own taste.

 

  • Start with a standard Bloody Mary mix.
  • Then guests can add in their own vodka, hot sauce and cracked pepper, and mix chilled tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, sea salt and cocktail onions.
  • Be creative with your jazzy bar garnishes. In addition to the standard celery stalks, put out bowls of pickled okra, green olives, lemon wheels, cherry tomatoes, pepperincinis and some boiled shrimp too, (just to be decadent)
  • Let guests skewer their own garnish.

Or, try serving up a Crisp Apple Mojito or a New Orleans Whoa Nellie!

Indulge your guests and us! We’d love to see photos of your over-the-top Mardi Gras brunch! Just log in, click “create content” in the right side bar, and then “image” in the center of the page to upload pictures.

If you want more great ideas or advice, just post a question to my forum, Ask Mindy. I’m looking forward to writing you back!

A typical New Orleans oyster bar will provide guests with saltine crackers and a condiment tray for you to make your own sauce with. This usually contains ketchup, hot sauce, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce.

Or, you can enjoy your oysters with just a spritz of lemon and a little hot sauce, right off the shell. Remember to add lemon wedges to your serving platter before displaying the finished platter on a bed of crushed ice!

New Orleans Whoa, Nellie

Ingredients

1 1/4 oz Sazerac rye
3/4 oz dark rum
3/4 oz Cointreau
4 dashes Angostura bitters
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz grapefruit juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Fill a martini glass with ice and set aside to chill. Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Discard the ice from the martini glass. Strain the shaken drink into the glass and serve immediately.

 

Cajun Shrimp

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation

  • Combine first 8 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal bag and shake to coat.
  • Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat until hot.
  • Add shrimp; saute 4- 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Serve with French baguette.

Eggs Sardou

Ingredients

4 Poached Eggs (See below)
1 Recipe Creamed Spinach (see below)
1 Recipe Hollandaise Sauce (see below)
4 Artichoke bottoms
Paprika for sprinkling

Preparation

  • Divide the creamed spinach in the center of two heated plates, nest two artichoke bottoms per plate on the spinach.
  • Place a poached egg on each artichoke bottom then top with a generous portion of Hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with Paprika. Serves 2.


Poached Eggs Recipe

Preparation

Fill a dutch oven with 1″ of water, heat until just below a simmer. Add a few dashes of white vinegar. Crack the eggs and gently drop them into the water, keeping the shell as close to the water as possible when dropping them in. With a slotted spoon, gently move the ghost like strands of white back to the yolk. The eggs are done when the whites are no longer transparent, and the yolks are still runny. Remove with a slotted spoon and gently dry off with a towel.

Creamed Spinach Recipe

Ingredients

1 Cup cooked and chopped Spinach
1 Pint Heavy Cream, reduced by 3/4 of its volume
A pinch Freshly Grated Nutmeg
A pinch of Cayenne
1 tsp Crystal hot sauce
A few drops of Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt to taste

Preparation

  • In a hot pan, add a touch of olive oil then wilt fresh spinach for 1 to 2 minutes until tender. Remove, chop and squeeze between paper towels to remove excess water.


Hollandaise Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
3 Egg Yolks
1/2 Cup Clarified Butter, warm
Kosher Salt & Cayenne Pepper
1 Dash Crystal Hot Sauce
A few drops Worcestershire Sauce

Preparation

  • Place the vinegar, lemon juice, and egg yolks in the top deck of a double boiler. The water in the lower deck should be hot but not boiling.
  • Whisk slowly until you see the yolks start to coagulate on the sides. If the pan gets too hot, remove it from the heat for a minute, whisking constantly.
  • Whisk while cooking, minding the bowl temperature, until the yolks are lighter in color and do not leave yellow streaks when the whisk goes through them. If you see any signs of scrambling, remove the bowl from the heat.
  • When the yolk/acid mixture is good and thick, remove from the heat and slowly drizzle in the clarified butter, whisking constantly, until incorporated.
  • Add the hot and worcestershire sauces, and season to taste with the salt & cayenne.
  • If the sauce is a little too thick, you can thin it down with a few splashes of hot water. Makes about 2/3 Cup.
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