Crazy for Cajun

It’s that time of year when fresh fish and seafoods prevail on Cajun menus.

It’s that time of year when fresh fish and seafoods prevail on Cajun menus. And Hebert’s Specialty Meats, 2101 E. 71st St., has them all. “Many people do not eat meat on Friday during Lent,” says Hebert’s owner, Ed Richard. Cajun Ed, as he is known, says crawfish is one of his biggest sellers during the Easter season. He gets in live crawfish, fresh fish and oysters on the half shell from Louisiana every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Buy them boiled or live. Hebert’s has all the premixed boiled seasonings you could need for your home cooking. There’s a full line of Zatarain’s products and many batters and dips for frying fish. Hebert’s offers the largest selection of Cajun products in Tulsa.

Easter comes very early this year, March 23rd, and Cajun Ed says it’s important to place your orders early. Rabbits are popular for Easter dinner, as well as leg of lamb and white beans, boneless stuffed turkeys, spiral sliced ham, tenderloins, pork loins and beef loins. Another popular main dish is bone-in pork roast stuffed with onion, bell pepper and seasonings.

Recommended side dishes include raw oysters in the shell, broccoli cheese casserole, green beans, new potatoes and bacon, corn maque choux, sweet potato casserole and dirty rice dressing. To top it all off, try the mouth watering bread pudding with bourbon sauce.

No matter what your meat selection, you can be sure the quality will be outstanding. Hebert’s is proud to office a USDA inspector on site. They are one of only two facilities in Tulsa to have their own USDA inspection mark.

If you can’t enjoy Easter dinner with your loved ones, Cajun Ed suggests shipping them frozen meat or fish. The Hebert’s website, www.hebertsmeats.com, provides a full menu of what is available for shipping. One of the most popular items to ship year round is the turducken. That’s a delicately deboned turkey that is stuffed with a succulent deboned duck and chicken. A delicious cornbread dressing and pork sausage stuffing is then added. Special seasonings are sprinkled over and into the entire product. The turducken is vacuum sealed, forcing the seasonings into the product to enhance the flavors and freshness. All you have to do is put it in the oven. You are sure to have a meal that will impress even the best gourmet.

For those who enjoy Cajun cooking, Ed stocks hundreds of cookbooks in the store. One, he says, is his favorite. “Talk About Good!” by Le Livre de la Cuisine de Lafayette has been a classic for over 40 years. It’s a great addition to your collection, or to give as a gift.

Hebert’s is open Monday through Saturday, 10 till 6. There’s a lunch special from 11-2 Monday through Saturday, for you to dine in or carry out. On Friday’s, the Hebert’s luncheon menu features stuffed catfish with shrimp and crab and etouffee on a bed of rice. What a treat!

Beignets and café au lait are served every Saturday from 10 till noon. The food is always delicious. The festive music is always free at the big red house just west of 71st & Lewis. If you have a special dinner party or evening meeting, consider reserving the dining area. Be sure to mark your calendar for Hebert’s upcoming events: on March 8 from 7-11 p.m., Hebert’s will host Quinn’s first annual legacy fundraiser to benefit Meals on Wheels. Enjoy wonderful food, drink and entertainment, and help members of the community in need. Seating is limited. May 17 will bring the annual Crawfest Festival benefiting Therapeutic Service Dogs of Oklahoma. Live Cajun music will set the atmosphere for fun and a wide variety of crawfish dishes will be served. Call 298-8400 for more information.

For more information, contact

Hebert’s Specialty Meats

2101 E. 71st St., Tulsa, OK 74136

Big red house just west of 71st and Lewis.

(918) 298-8400

www.hebertsmeats.com