If There’s A Spice Out There, Chef Prudhomme Is Using It

When the four-star chef came to visit, he brought lunch. In fact, Paul Prudhomme, the man who put Cajun food all over the culinary map in America, sat right down at the interview table and cooked lunch a dish called frontier chicken, which appears in his latest book, “Fiery Foods That I Love” (William Morrow).

The “frontier” to which he refers is not a point west of the Mississippi, but the cutting edge of cooking practice in the coming decade, as palates become more sophisticated and ethnic influences grow more pervasive.

“Almost every community has a place you can get fenugreek, you can get chilies everywhere now,” Prudhomme said, turning on his propane burner. “Going into a supermarket is just a thrill, because there’s so much stuff in there now and so much of it is fresh.”

While he talks, he sprinkles a spice mixture on skinless, boneless chicken breasts, and rubs it in lightly. He puts olive oil in a skillet and begins to saute the chicken breasts, and the aroma of the spices - cardamom, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, turmeric and cayenne, among others - begins to fill the room.

Americans are finally beginning to learn what other cultures have known for centuries: Herbs and spices not only give eloquent flavor to food, they have helpful and healing properties.

Prudhomme, whose name became synonymous with “blackened” food during the ‘80s, has long been a proponent of cooking with the herbs and spices he grew up with in Louisiana’s Cajun country. But he was looking for new ways to explore them when he realized what was happening to chicken.

Every region, every neighborhood, almost, adds its own signature to the plain-chicken palette. In the South, it might be dipped in buttermilk and cornmeal and fried. In California, it might be marinated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, grilled and served with salsa. In Thai communities, it would be seasoned with cilantro and lemon grass and steamed. In Middle Eastern communities, it might be seasoned with turmeric and served with rice.

Prudhomme realized, as he traveled around, that the regional and ethnic signatures were created primarily with herbs and spices. And it wasn’t just chicken: Everything from artichokes and arugula to white beans and zucchini could be endlessly transformed by different combinations of spices.

“When I started doing these recipes, I got so excited, I became a babbling idiot about them,” he said. “For a couple of years, I was always thinking about this and planning it, and then I got the OK to do the book, and it was one of the most wonderful experiences I ever had.

“It’s unusual combinations, and that’s what makes the book,” Prudhomme said. “You may find in one recipe ingredients and herbs and spices that are characteristic of Indian cooking, Thai cooking, Caribbean cooking, French cooking and Louisiana cooking, all in one recipe. And to make those flavors work, that’s what my life’s about, that’s what I do well.”

Prudhomme explains that he has a knack for remembering tastes and being able to replicate them from his spice shelf. But it’s not about just being able to put things together. “That’s important, but not near as important as that they work together,” he said.

While he talks, he adds garlic, ginger and flour to the skillet, making a “roux,” or sauce, right in the pan. He adds the rest of the bell peppers and the jalapenos. Many of the recipes in the book, he said, use only two or three main ingredients, and most of the flavor is contained in the spice mixtures.

As he works he talks about “staging” ingredients (not putting all of an ingredient in all at once, but adding part of it at different times to get different tastes), about the chemistry of cooking (there’s a reason recipes say to bring mixtures to a boil; as the temperature changes, the flavors also change), about foundation flavors, such as onions, garlic and ginger (“It’s such a wonderful system of support”).

He adds tomatoes and a little water to the pan and then puts in the “magic” ingredient, the one that won’t be tasted but will smooth out the complex flavors in the dish: an overripe banana. The virtually undetectable touch of sweetness from the fruit perfectly balances the spices, and the complex combination of the spices perfectly balances the heat from the pepper and chilies.

He returns the chicken to the pan, brings it to a boil, and lets it simmer a minute or two while the chicken cooks through. His assistants have been heating cooked rice, and in just a few minutes, the dish is ready.

Its flavors roll across the palate, lighting up various points like fireworks. If this is the future, I’ll have second helpings.

Frontier Chicken

Seasoning mix:

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground fenugreek

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon ground dried chili peppers (preferably pasilla)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Chicken:

6 (4- to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

3 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 cups chopped onions (divided use)

1 cup chopped green bell peppers (divided use)

1 cup chopped red bell peppers (divided use)

1 cup chopped yellow bell peppers (divided use)

1 large, ripe banana, peeled and sliced

2 cups chicken stock (or water; divided use)

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons seeded and finely chopped jalapeno peppers

1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes

Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl.

Sprinkle each side of each chicken breast with 1/2 teaspoon of the seasoning mix and rub it in well with your hands.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or 5-quart pot over high heat just until the oil begins to smoke, about 4 minutes. Brown the seasoned chicken breasts (in batches if necessary) about 2 to 3 minutes per side, then remove them from the pan. (The oil and turmeric give the chicken a yellow-gold color that is really dramatic.)

To the same skillet (or pot) add 1 cup of the onions, 1/2 cup of each color of bell pepper, the banana and the remaining seasoning mix. Cook, stirring and scraping occasionally, for 10 minutes. If necessary to prevent burning, add 1/4 cup stock and deglaze the pot (scraping to loosen any brown bits); you may also have to lower the heat to medium.

Add the garlic, ginger and flour and stir until the flour is thoroughly absorbed. Add the remaining bell peppers and onions, the cilantro and the jalapeno peppers. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes and the remaining stock and return the chicken and accumulated juices to the pan.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the chicken is done, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings.