Bacon-Wrapped boudain is trending. Who's tried it?

       Who tried the bacon-wrapped boudain?

       Nadine Kibodeaux of Nederland read about my “discovery” of  bacon-wrapped boudain in last Wednesday’s Culinary Thrill Seeking, ran to Market Basket, and was dining on it by day’s end.

       A certain officer of the law with a Port Arthur News column messaged me that he had possibly gained weight just by reading about this temptation.

       My family tried it for company and we have plans for the next installment.

       The story is that I just heard about the concept that does seem pretty obvious around here. I love that I kept mentioning it to hard-core cooks I know and everyone’s eyes got big. I “put it out there” and area foodies are responding.

       “I tried the bacon wrapped boudain, Darragh, and will definitely have it again,” said Kebodeaux,” who I met through Texas Artists Museum.  “I used Zummo boudain and I did not pre-cook the bacon. I wrapped a thin sliced piece of bacon in a spiral manner around
the link of boudain and put it under the broiler, turned iftover a couple of times, and removed it when
the bacon was done. It was wonderful. I used a throw-away foil pan because all the fat from the bacon
goes into the pan and keeps it from getting in your oven. You are right, being on the border of Louisiana
where boudain is "king", I can't believe we had not heard of doing this.”

Here’s what we did:

My sister and her friend were headed in from Alabama, so here’s how we tried the bacon-wrapped boudain idea that just came into our lives.

First of all, ordering a shipment of D.J.’s boudain to take home to her son is always a priority. That done, we tended to our own links, cut in half and wrapped around the links, with the skin still on.

Just as predicted, they were popular.

My mother’s critique is that she got thick-cut bacon and she thought that a thinner cut would have crisped up more. I had already pre-cooked the bacon to give it a head start before running the pan under the oven.

These were served as supper with an omelet, biscuits and jasmine tea jelly that my nephew’s fiancé sent over.

Still loving your reactions and stories, readers. Keep ‘em coming.

darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Bacon-wrapped boudain; Taste of Gumbo is on the way

I hate to miss a party. Especially when I hear what I what all I missed. In this case, I’m told there was bacon-wrapped boudain. Once I heard that sentence, the room kind of got blurry. I could not concentrate on anything else but making this treat and wondering why I’d not heard of it or thought of it myself. 

We’re “on the boarder” of Texas and Louisiana, people. I Googled it. I told others about it. I put it on Facebook to see if other “foodies” I know had tried it.

The consensus among them was: That sounds great, why didn’t I think of that?

At this writing, I have not tried what sounds like a gift from Heaven. But I think I have successfully planted the idea in my mother’s head that she ought to make some for all of us.

I suppose one should cook the bacon a bit, then wrap it around an inch or two of boudain, perhaps with a jalapeno sliver, the broil it.

Readers, have you done this? Does it sound good? Let me know what you think.

Rotary Taste of Gumbo, Etc.

The day the Rotarians gather the gumbo lovers in Port Arthur is one of my favorite times of the year. I won’t get to go this time, so everybody, please go and eat gumbo for me. It’s from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 19 at the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center.

“Come visit your neighbors, grab a taste or two of gumbo and do a little shopping while supporting the community through the Rotary Club of Port Arthur,” Janie Johnson, Rotarian, said.

 Rotary Club of Port Arthur has been doing this for 29 years and you know their proceeds, from $10 tickets at the door, is going to good causes.

There’s a silent auction, vendor booths and door prizes.

We can thank this group for the Rotary International Avenue of Flags that welcome seafarers to the Port of Port Arthur.

Johnson reminded that Rotarians internationally work to eradicate Polio through vaccines, water, sanitation, health care and better quality of living. Locally Rotarians have  invested in a quality community through support of grants to local charities, college scholarships, early literacy and feeding the hungry.

“Our motto is Service Above Self and as Rotarians we are honored to serve in our community first,” Johnson said.

darraghcastillio@icloud.com