New Orleans history is full of characters that seem larger than life. One of them was Al Copeland. He was the founder of numerous restaurant concepts, most notably Popeye’s Fried Chicken and Copeland’s of New Orleans. While he did develop the fried chicken recipes, he also surrounded himself with some of the most talented research chefs to develop his menus. Chef Warren Leruth, who you have often heard me talk about, developed the original biscuits and red beans for Popeyes.
Al was very well known for his Christmas decorations. Every year, he would decorate his house with a display that made Clark Griswold look lame. After numerous complaints from his neighbors, his display was moved to his corporate office, then donated to be displayed every year at one of the local parks.
His restaurants have left a great legacy. Often, my wife and I would travel to West Little Rock to eat at the restaurant there. Unfortunately, it closed due to Covid. So today, I want to share with you one of the most recent menu items, Shrimp Dill-icious. It contains two other recipes, Sauté Butter, which can be used to cook any seafood or veal. The second is Lacombe Sauce, which is perfect over fish or pasta. Gather your ingredients, and Let’s head to the kitchen!
Shrimp Dill-icious
1 cup Sauté Butter (recipe follows)
3/4 pounds peeled and deveined raw shrimp
1 1/2 cups heavy
1 pound dried fettuccine or angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill for garnish
Melt the Sauté Butter in a very large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until they become pink and curled, about 5 minutes. Add Lacombe Sauce and bring to a boil. Stir in the cream and remove the skillet from the heat.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat to cook the pasta. Generously salt the boiling water, then stir in the pasta, and cook according to package instructions until it is al dente (tender but firm to the bite). Drain the pasta in a colander.
Return the sauce to a boil and add the pasta. Toss the pasta in the sauce to coat, and divide evenly between 4 shallow bowls. Garnish each serving with fresh dill and serve immediately.
Sauté Butter
1 1/2 pounds (6 sticks) unsalted butter plus 1/4 cup (1/2 stick), divided
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
1/3 cup Creole seasoning (You can order Copeland’s House Seasoning from alcopelandfoundation.org
Let 1 1/2 pounds of the butter soften at room temperature.
Melt the remaining 1/4 cup of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the green onions and Creole seasoning and sauté until the onions are wilted, about 2 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl and refrigerate until completely cooled but not chilled.
Add the remaining 6 sticks of softened butter to the bowl and mix with a rubber spatula until it is thoroughly blended and no pale streaks remain in the mixture.
Scrape the butter mixture into an airtight container or form it into logs and wrap in plastic wrap. The butter keeps, refrigerated, for 1 week or frozen for 3 months.
Lacombe Sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 /12 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons lobster base ( Better than Bouillon brand recommended)
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 cup hot water
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon thinly sliced green onions
1/2 teaspoon minced parsley
Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook the roux, whisking constantly, 3 minutes.
Add the lobster base and dill and cook, whisking constantly, until the base has melted and the mixture is combined well, about 3 minutes. Add the water in a thin stream, whisking constantly until thoroughly blended and smooth.
Whisk in the cream and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Add the green onions and the parsley, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce, whisking occasionally, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 to 10 minutes.
I have the pleasure of being a friend of Al’s only daughter Bonnie. I worked as a manager at her Popeye’s franchise. She was the apple of his eyes. I hope one day the Copeland’s in Little Rock reopens. Until then, I’m cooking from memories.
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