New Orleans-style recipes for Mardi Gras

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Mardi Gras is coming up on Feb. 9! The holiday, translated as "Fat Tuesday," falls the day before Ash Wednesday, and the 46-day start of the season of Lent in Christianity, leading up to Easter.

New Orleans is famous for its Mardi Gras celebrations, with parades, floats, bands and food.

Chefs from Porkchop and Chop restaurants, Jovanis Bouargoub and Kenneth Robinson, showed-off some delicious New Orleans inspired dishes on ABC 7 Eyewitness News just in time for Mardi Gras.

RECIPES:

SHRIMP PO BOY

Four large shrimp (cleaned), season with cajun spice, then place shrimp in buttermilk, add dash of sriracha, toss in cornmeal, deep fry for 4 minutes, toast hoagie bun, brush with butter, herb and garlic, garnish with tomato, red onion, mixed greens, chipotle mayo drizzle.

BREAD PUDDING WITH WHISKEY SAUCE

Ingredients:

3 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

5 eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups of milk

2 cups whipping cream

5 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 loaf of bread (texas toast)

1 cup of raisins

1 1/2 cups pecan piece

Preparation:

-Set oven to 300 degrees. In a large mixing bowl blend the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk in eggs, milk, cream, and vanilla.

-Tear bread pieces into big bite-sized pieces place in a lightly buttered pan. Pour the mixture over bread and let it soak until soft, usually an hour.

-Stir the raisins into pudding, top with nuts

-Bake uncovered 1 1/2 hours

-Top with whiskey sauce

WHISKEY SAUCE

Ingredients:

2 cups whipping cream

9 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons of cold water

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup whiskey

Preparation:

-To prepare whiskey sauce: heat cream and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium high heat until mixture books.

-Mix the cornstarch and cold water in bowl until smooth, whisk in simmering cream. Simmer 2-3 minutes

-Put yolks in a bowl, whisk

-Temper yolks by slowly whisking in 1 cup hot thickened cream into yolks

-Return yolk mixture to hot cream mixture, whisking in slowly. After the mixture is whisked together, cook over medium low heat until mixture reaches 140 degrees

-Remove heat and pour through fine mesh strainer

-Add whiskey, adjust to taste, keep warm until ready to use