How Jolie Meaux Weaves Cajun History and Tradition into Her Flavorful Dishes
Cook, recipe developer, food blogger and self-described mawmaw
Whether or not you’ve heard of Jolie Meaux, it’s possible that you’ve eaten her food at a restaurant pop-up or sipped a cocktail she crafted during a bartending shift. Maybe you’ve landed on the Acadiana native’s long-running blog “Porch Wine & Gravy” or noshed on a dish made from one of her recipes. If you live in Lafayette, you may have even met Meaux and been invited to have a drink on her porch.
While Meaux doesn’t identify as a chef, others bestow that title — as well as Queen of Cajun Cooking — upon her because, well, if the crown fits. Case in point, she cooked for the late Anthony Bourdain and his crew in 2017 when the CNN “Parts Unknown” host was in town filming a boucherie for the show. Meaux wears many chapeaux, including cook, food blogger, recipe developer, bartender, thrifter, real estate agent, traveler and mother of three. But cooking is the constant in this multi-hyphenate’s itinerant career.
“Growing up, I loved reading and cooking,” says Meaux. “I’ve always been a bit of a jack of all trades — if my MawMaw did it, I wanted to try it too, whether it was gardening, knitting or anything else.” While Meaux aspired to culinary school, it wasn’t practical, so she learned in Cajun home kitchens at the knees of her MawMaw and tantes, devoured culinary textbooks and added to her skills bit by tasty bit.
“That early comfort sparked a lifelong curiosity, not only in my own culture’s cuisine but in the culinary traditions of others,” says Meaux. “It was loud, messy and full of love, and it laid the foundation for everything I know. I find inspiration everywhere: from watching the women in local markets prepare chicken salad with care and tradition, to observing chefs in crisp white coats perform Michelin-starred molecular gastronomy with precision and creativity.”
What began as a way to make a living doing something she loved became something that looks more like a calling.
“My mission with my culture’s cuisine is not only to share it far and wide, but to do so using as many historic methods and ingredients as possible,” says Meaux. “I devote a great deal of time to researching how our ancestors prepared these dishes, with the hope of keeping those traditions alive — honoring the past while presenting it in a way that is both engaging and relevant today.”
Illustration by S.E. George
Meet the Chef | Jolie Meaux
Most meaningful item in kitchen: My MawMaw’s baking dish. I don’t use it, but I do look at it when I feel frustrated or tired. It reminds me to keep the history and traditions alive. Your hands are the most important tool in the kitchen.
Music to cook by: If I’m in the kitchen, there’s music playing — always. K.C. Jones and Dolly Parton are daily must-listens, but beyond that, my collection is too big to list. Anyone curious can check out my Spotify playlist — it’s over 1,000 songs strong, which should give you an idea of just how much time I spend in the kitchen, with music pushing me along every step of the way.
Potato Salad Croquettes
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 12
POTATO SALAD
3 pounds red potatoes
6 eggs, boiled and peeled
1 small red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
2 celery ribs, finely diced
⅔ cup Blue Plate mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Creole mustard
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons dry ranch seasoning
1 tablespoon Creole/Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon hot sauce
¼ cup green onion, thinly sliced
CROQUETTES
4 cups potato salad
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon Creole/Cajun seasoning
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 cups panko bread crumbs
oil for frying (I use peanut oil)
POTATO SALAD Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Place potatoes in boiling water. Cook until fork tender. Strain and let cool.
Small cube potatoes and place in large bowl. Small dice boiled eggs and add to potatoes. Add remaining potato salad ingredients except green onions. Mix well. Top with green onions. Chill for at least 1 hour.
CROQUETTES Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, coarsely mash potato salad with a potato masher. Roll into 1½-inch balls (about 1½ tablespoons of mix); place on a parchment-covered pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
In a medium Dutch oven, pour oil to fill halfway, and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375F. Mix flour and Creole seasoning in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another bowl, place bread crumbs. Working in batches, dredge balls in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip in egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Dredge in bread crumbs, shaking off excess. Fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and let drain on paper towels. Serve on top of bowl of gumbo or as an appetizer with a dipping sauce.
Porch Wine and Gravy
porchwineandgravy.com
@porch_wine_and_gravy
