Friends create the Magnalite Festival: a Cajun food extravaganza | Entertainment/Life

In the heart of Lafayette, where the air is thick with the scent of Tony Chachere’s, a close-knit group of friends turned an ordinary Saturday into a grand Cajun feast to celebrate friendship and mouthwatering cuisine with enough Magnalite pots to make neighbors envious.

This group’s culinary adventure went from cooking for entertainers at Festival International to the so-called Magnalite Festival, now in its third year. With limited festival options and gatherings after the COVID pandemic began, Nicole Gil thought, “Why not create our own?”

At the Magnalite Festival, the focus was on the joy of conversation, laughter and, of course, cooking. Against the backdrop of live Cajun music, friends became spirited competitors, showcasing their best culinary creations in host Andrew Moore’s yard. Pat Mould, who is often a judge at this flavorful event, presided over the tasting of each dish for the ultimate Cajun critique. 

The aroma of authentic Cajun cooking was pervasive, and the camaraderie palpable — even among the competition. With a selection of diverse dishes, the festival reflected each chef’s unique flair and personality. 

Brian and Amy Guillory prepared a unique jambalaya variation, “Shrimp Opelousas,” that earned a third-place finish. Despite a minor setback with his ingredients, Rhett Guillory’s corn and crab bisque secured a well-deserved second place. Guillory said the festival was about beating your friends in the tastiest way possible.

Ricky Gomez ventured into deboned chicken fricassee, while his son, Ben Gomez, and Cameron Baker emerged victorious, with German schnitzel winning first place. The younger generation gave the seasoned cooks a run for their money.

Steve Meaux’s savory pork and sausage sauce piquante had a thick and wonderful gravy. Sami Parbhoo infused his shrimp and crab étouffée with a Vietnamese touch, showcasing the melting pot of flavors that defines Louisiana cuisine. Thad and Angel Duplechin’s shrimp and crab stew proved oh-so-tasty, providing a spicy kick.

But the festival wasn’t without its surprises. Parbhoo, in addition to his dish, offered daring festivalgoers a taste of chili and lime crickets. (The crunchy and hard-to-swallow texture left me questioning my culinary bravery.)

Jonathan Burchardt’s meatball stew po-boy was soaked in gravy and served on fresh French bread — an outstanding addition to an already impressive lineup.

The Magnalite Festival concluded with Mould announcing the top three dishes, which were awarded trophies procured from a rummage sale. 

As everyone began cleaning up, the chefs assembled a mountain of shiny Magnalite pots, all heaped on a table — a visual representation of the joint effort and enthusiasm that went into preparing dishes served that day.

Jaeger Schnitzel

Serves 4-5

Recipe is by Cameron Baker, adapted from The Best Jagerschnitzel Sauce: Oma’s Mushroom Gravy for Jagerschnitzel

A fried breaded pork cutlet served over a bed of mashed potatoes and topped with a mushroom “Jaeger” sauce.

For the schnitzel:

4 pork loin cutlets

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cayenne powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

salt to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 to 5 eggs

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

peanut oil

1. Cut pork loin into 1/4-inch cutlets, pound thin until cutlets are around 1/8-inch.

2. Add cayenne powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to flour. Coat pork cutlets in the flour mix, then coat in an egg wash, then coat in the panko crumbs.

3. Add enough peanut oil to a pot for the breaded pork rounds to float. Heat oil and fry pork rounds until golden brown.

4. Remove from oil and sprinkle with salt and cayenne to taste.

5. Serve freshly fried on bed of mashed potatoes. Top cutlet with Jaeger sauce and garnish with a sprig of parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

For the Jaeger sauce:

4 to 5 slices bacon

1 medium to large yellow onion

5 to 6 cloves garlic

32 ounces beef stock

1 cup white wine (Riesling/Sauvignon Blanc)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

cold water, as need for cornstarch slurry

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon cayenne

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

¼ cup parsley, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

¼ pound white button mushrooms

¼ pound chanterelle mushrooms

¼ pound shiitake mushrooms

salt to taste

½ tablespoon black pepper

1. Cut bacon into small pieces. Put the bacon pieces in a cold pan and bring pan to heat to help render bacon fat. Cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon pieces from pan and store in a bowl.

2. Chop onions into small pieces and sauté in the bacon fat until golden. Add garlic to pan and sauté for another 30 seconds to a minute or until fragrant.

3. Add beef stock and white wine to onions and garlic and deglaze pan. Make sure to scrape any stuck on pieces of bacon, and fond off the bottom of the pan into the liquid.

4. To the side, add cornstarch and cold water into a cup and stir until starch forms a slurry. Add slurry into sauce liquid and stir.

5. Add smoked paprika, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder and chopped parsley to taste and simmer until sauce reaches desired consistency. (If sauce is not thickening well, add more cornstarch slurry).

6. Temper heavy cream by adding pouring cream into a separate cup and stirring in sauce from the hot pan until cream heats up. Add cream into sauce and stir.

7. Chop mushrooms into desired size and add mushrooms to sauce and cook mushrooms in sauce until they become soft but still firm. Add bacon back into finished sauce.

For the mashed potatoes:

5 to 6 Yukon Gold potatoes

½ pound unsalted butter

1 cup heavy cream

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

1. Peel and boil potatoes until you can easily stick a fork through them.

2. Remove potatoes from water and mash with butter and heavy cream until smooth and homogenous.

3. Season mashed potatoes to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne.