A favorite southern side dish, New Orleans maque choux is comfort food you’ll want to make year round. The recipe name is pronounced “mock shoe,” and the name is thought to be a French interpretation of a Native American name for the dish. This favorite Cajun dish is perfect for celebrating Mardi Gras.
This year, I made this version with vegan sausage slices, but I think I like it better without any “meat.” I’ve made the vegan sausage optional in the recipe.
Maque choux recipes have a lot of options and variations. Some people add celery to the dish, for the Holy Trinity of bell pepper, onion and celery that is common in Cajun food. Fresh or canned diced tomatoes can be used. If using canned tomatoes, there is no need to drain them.
For the corn, use frozen or fresh. Be sure to thaw the frozen corn by running warm water over it and then patting it dry in a colander. Fresh is the best! If using fresh corn, you will need to boil or roast it first. After cutting off the kernels be sure to scrape the cob with your knife to get all of the corn off. Instead of tomatoes, some people use red bell pepper along with the green bell pepper.
Don’t worry about any sliminess with the okra. In the hot skillet, it cooks fast enough that it won’t be an issue. The okra is very delicious in this dish.
If you don’t have Cajun seasonings on hand, you can make your own!
I love New Orleans maque choux with a little bit of Tabasco. Serve it with any of your favorite hot sauces in a bowl with black-eyed peas on top and a side of cornbread. Or serve maque choux as a tasty side dish.
You might enjoy trying some of my other Cajun recipes:
Hoppin’ John Black Eyed Peas
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 1/4 pound vegan sausage optional, sliced or diced
- 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped, about 1/4 of a large onion
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper chopped, about 1/4 of a large bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups corn kernels frozen (thawed, 15 to 20 ounces) or fresh
- 1 cup fresh okra sliced, about 15 okra
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes undrained, or 1 c. diced fresh tomato, seeded (1/2 pound or two medium)
- pinches cajun seasoning to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Ingredients
|
|
- If using vegan sausage (optional), sauté in a large skillet in 1 tablespoon oil with a pinch of cajun seasonings for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add an additional tablespoon of oil to the skillet and sauté the chopped onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. (If you are not using vegan sausage, only use 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet, total, and add cajun seasonings here.)
- Add the corn kernels, sliced okra and tomatoes to the skillet. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until the okra is tender but not slimy, trying to keep the okra on the bottom of the skillet while cooking.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with black-eyed peas and cornbread.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
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Yummy !
Thanks so much, Christine! 🙂