“You know, I’ve always felt that I was lucky to be part of the great continuum that is Creole cuisine and culture. And it’s continuing to evolve,” said Chef Frank Brigtsen, an owner of Brigtsen’s Restaurant.
The award-winning chef joined WWL’s Newell Normand to talk about Cajun food, Easter dishes, crawfish boiling tips and more this week.
Brigtsen started his culinary career in the 1970s and he apprenticed at Commander’s Palace Restaurant under the guidance of Chef Paul Prudhomme. He opened Brigtsen’s with his wife, Marna, in 1986.
“Easter weekend is… you really go in one of two directions. You’re either boiling crawfish or you’re making roast leg of lamb,” Brigtsen told Normand.
Since it’s crawfish season, diners at Brigtsen’s on Dante Street can expect plenty of dishes featuring the crustacean. However, they shouldn’t try to book a table for the holiday itself.
“We are featuring crawfish,” said Brigtsen. “We’re not open Easter Sunday. We don’t open for holidays. We let our staff be with their families and friends. But we’re featuring crawfish right now… last night we added our crawfish egg rolls to the menu.”
Crawfish egg rolls – borrowing from the favorite Chinese restaurant appetizer – are just one example of the ever-evolving art of Creole cuisine, said the chef.
“If you think about it, you know, Creole is perhaps the first real fusion cuisine,” he explained. “In other words, it’s multicultural.”
Listen to the full conversation for cooking tips and more here.
