James Allen Graham
Executive Chef, Prejean's Restaurant and owner of Fish & Game Grille in Lafayette, LA

Brad: Welcome to the TABASCO Chef Chat. Tonight's guest speaker is Chef James Allen Graham Executive Chef at Prejean's Restaurant in Lafayette, LA and owner of Fish & Game Grille. The chef just informed me he just got back from the Jazzfest.

Chefgraham: Hi everyone! Let's talk about wild game.

Brad: Please submit your questions to the chef.

Chefgraham: Everybody get a glass of chardonnay and let's get started. I'm drinking a glass myself.

Brad: what kind?

Chefgraham: Stags Leap '94

Brad: Sounds good. now - wild game?

Chefgraham: Along with Prejeans, I just opened up the new Fish & Game Grill in Lafayette, LA. We specialize in antler game of N. America, game birds of the South and salt water fish of the Gulf of Mexico in a fine dining atmosphere with a French Somalier that we acquired from the Burgundy region of France. His name is Felipe Simonne. House specialty is caribou.

Brad presents the speaker with question #5 from Court:What type of hunting do you enjoy most?

Chefgraham: Bow hunting for elk in Montana which I do every year. This year I killed a 5 x 6 bull and also a 29" spread on the rack of a mule deer which I killed on the last day of the hunt. It's hanging on the wall of the Fish & Game Grill.

Brad presents the speaker with question #6 from Court:How old were you on your first hunt?

Chefgraham: 12. I've always been a bow hunter. I've never hunted with a rifle except for ducks.

Brad presents the speaker with question #2 from Bigbob:what's your favorite dish?

Chefgraham: My favorite dish is Elk Madison Crossing which is a mesquite roasted elk tenderloin stuffed into a bordeaux marinated boneless squab. Then its baked, sliced and set in a black butter morel sauce. That dish comes from the Fish & Game grill off the fixed price menu. Our most popular elk dish at Prejeans is a rack of elk sliced, bronzed and topped with an andouille and mushroom cream

Brad presents the speaker with question #4 from Bigbob:where's your favorite place to eat?

Chefgraham: Gotham City Grill, NYC

Brad presents the speaker with question #3 from Bigbob:what's your specialty?

Chefgraham: Salads. We do a pinot noir poached pear topped with a maytag blue cheese moose with a 50 year old balsamic vinegar and huckleberry champagne.

Brad: Sounds good

Chefgraham: It's house made - the champagne.... and a Brie and gorgonzola stuffed quail wrapped with applewood smoked bacon fire roasted set over baby greens...

Brad: I just ate and you're making me hungry!

Chefgraham: ...with a red currant and rice wine vinaigrette with a pineapple fake chutney.

Chefgraham: At my restaurant, I would recommend a bottle of wine and three different salads. Our customers' favorite salad is the coconut crusted prawn with Asian slaw and a reduced Balsamic thai glaze

Brad presents the speaker with question #8 from Xib:Is Gotham city in the east village?

Chefgraham: I'm not sure. It's near the James Beard House on 18th Street

Laspicy: where do you buy your wild game, do you shoot it yourself?

Brad: Did you participate in Jazz Fest this year?

Chefgraham: Yes. With the pheasant quail and andouille gumbo. Crawfish stuffed mushrooms with crab butter cream sauce. We also had a Thai Atchafalaya Alligator. This was our 5th year.

Brad: was there long lines at your booth?

Chefgraham: We sold 13,000 portions of food in the two weekends of Jazz Fest with an average price of $5.00. We were the only bank serving where you there in the booth? food in New Orleans this weekend!

Laspicy: can you give me some tips on cooking wild game?

Chefgraham: We also had Jimmy Buffet and Ed Bradley in the back of our booth enjoying the gumbo

Brad presents the speaker with question #11 from Xib:I've heard a lot about that gumbo at JF

Chefgraham: The gumbo received best food at the Fest for 5 years running. A little place out of Ville Platte. The processor's name Steel McDaniel and the phone number is 318-948-0903 and the going price is $4.25/lb. for farm-raised baby fillet.

Brad: did you see any music?

Chefgraham: I did. I watched a local musician--Wayne Toups--who was incredible. Then on Sunday the Doobie Bros played. The best weather we've seen at the Jazz Fest in a decade

Brad: I hope you feel at home here at pepperfest

Chefgraham: Yes.

Brad presents the speaker with question #9 from Xib:sounds divine, how early should you make reservations to eat at your restaurant on a weekend night?

Chefgraham: A week in advance. Mother's Day - a year in advance. This Mother's Day will be our first Sunday open, and the only Sunday we'll open this year. It's already booked.

Brad: is your name pronounced pre-john or Pre-jeens?

Chefgraham: PRAY - JEAN - like Dijon Mustard

Brad: ah

Chefgraham: Prejean is the only word that 38 states cannot pronounce.

Brad: Where do you get your alligator from?

Brad: Are they farm raised or running wild?

Chefgraham: There is a wild season in the fall where approximately 16,000 alligators are taken out of the swamps by licensed hunters. Their meat is much tougher than the farm-raised.

Brad: Sounds dangerous

Chefgraham: Can be.

Brad presents the speaker with question #12 from Xib:would you recommend a place to stay in Lafayette?

Chefgraham: What are you looking for - breakfast in bed or a hotel?

Brad: recommend both!

Chefgraham: Bed & Breakfast - The Mansion of Chreathion Point built in 1850 and on its front lawns were fought two of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War at Karen Crow Bayou. The nicest hotel we have is the Hilton on Bayou Vermillion. It's within walking distance of three bad restaurants so rent a car.

Brad chuckles in amusement.

Brad presents the speaker with question #14 from Alecv:Do you ever cook with nutria?

Chefgraham: Paul Prudhomme and his sister Anola are pushing the nutria making everything from nutria sausage to fried nutria. I prefer lobster

Brad presents the speaker with question #16 from Alecv:Does anyone in Lafayette still speak French?

Chefgraham: 80% of the old people, 20% of the young people and currently there are four grade schools that have french immersion which my son Alex is kindergarten and half of his day is in French and half in English

Chefgraham: This is their first attempt to introduce French back into the community through school

Brad presents the speaker with question #17 from Xib:how long have you been cooking

Chefgraham: 23 years

Brad presents the speaker with question #15 from Xib:do you really serve the game that you hunt yourself?

Bigbob: aaayyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alecv: Aiiiiieee!

Chefgraham: On the grounds that it may incriminate me, I serve only USDA farm inspected game

Chefgraham: It is against the law to serve killed game in any restaurant. Absolutely.

Brad presents the speaker with question #18 from Xib:what would you suggest to do on a night out in lafayette after a nice dinner at your restaurant?

Chefgraham: Go to Grant Street Theatre for some southern blues or drive to the French Quarter

Brad presents the speaker with question #21 from Xib:have you ever cooked anywhere outside of louisiana?

Chefgraham: ...I did in my first 3 years cooking outside of Louisiana

Chefgraham: Yes, Florida...

Brad: details?

Chefgraham: ...Pacific, Ft Lauderdale, Miami

Brad: what were those places like?

Chefgraham: Wonderful products, very fresh seafood with no seasoning. It's amazing the flavors achieved with cajun, creole and french technique...

Chefgraham: ...I go through more cayenne, white and black pepper in a week than...

Chefgraham: Well-seasoned food does not mean hot.

Brad presents the speaker with question #25 from Alecv: Do you have any ideas for what to do with a half-pound bag of dried unsweetened cherries... besides muffins?

Chefgraham: Add them to a demi glace simmered on a very low fire with grilled pheasant breast...

Brad: wow

Brad presents the speaker with question #23 from Brianb: Without giving too much of an endorsement do you recommend Poche's market as a source of LA style meats? or somewhere else?

Chefgraham: Poche's andouille and tasso is the finest in the world. It is ALL that we use here at Prejeans and the Fish & Game Grill

Nancy: can you tell me about boudin?

Chefgraham: If you call to order some, they'll ship anywhere you are at. And tell Floyd Poche that you're a friend of mine and you'll get a deal!

Brad presents the speaker with question #26 from Alecv: Do you have any vegetarian ideas?

Chefgraham: Yes, We like to do vegetarian napoleons here with different mesquite-grilled vegetables layered with mustard greens or sauteed spinach

Chefgraham: I like to use to Asian and Thai sauces with our vegetable napoleans. My favorite thai sauces are from a book called "True Thai" by Chef Victor Sadsok... FABULOUS book

Nancy: where did you learn to cook Thai food?

Chefgraham: Bin 555 Windham Estate Australian Shiraz

Brad: Tonight's guest speaker is Chef James Allen Graham Executive Chef at Prejean's Restaurant in Lafayette, LA and owner of Fish & Game Grille.

Brad presents the speaker with question #22 from Xib: what's your favorite wine to go with game

Chefgraham: Red Zinfandels - pick one

Brad presents the speaker with question #24 from Xib: where in Miami did you cook?

Chefgraham: At Martha's on the intercoastal

Brad presents the speaker with question #28 from Xib: have you written any books, or do you plan to

Chefgraham: I have a book in the works right now. It is complete, but we do so many competitions! We are not ready to get all of our sauce recipes out there yet.

Brad: ahh - secrets!

Chefgraham: In states and national competitions I've won 70 gold medals in 5 years

Court applauds fervently.

Brad: wow

Chefgraham: The book will be called "Cast Iron Magnolias"

Brad chuckles in amusement.

Alecv shakes its head.

Chefgraham: One book we have out that myself and 5 friends did is titled "Asian Revelation" which is 120 gold, silver and bronze winning recipes from Louisiana competitions

Brad presents the speaker with question #27 from Xib: which one of your restaurants do you spend most of your time at

Chefgraham: Someone could open a restaurant with this book and do well. Daytime - Prejeans. Nighttime - the Fish & game Grill... Sundays - flat on my back on my couch with sports on TV, of course

Brad presents the speaker with question #30 from Brianb: Although you may not be able to serve it at the restaurant ?Do you ever prepare squirrel? Do you recommend it? If so how do you prepare it?.

Chefgraham: Squirrel is excellent done in a brown gravy...

Brianb grins evilly.

Chefgraham: ...Also fabulous in a jambalaya!

Xib gasps in astonishment.

Chefgraham: Brown the meat after seasoning (with cajun seasoning) and clarified butter...

Chefgraham: ...add onion, bell pepper and celery...

Chefgraham: ...and a bottle of TABASCO! Bon Appetit!

Ahote: heh

Chefgraham: Don't forget the garlic!!

Brad: Well I think thats about it for tonight's chat - I want to thank Chef James Allen Graham and everyone for coming and joining in.

Brianb: Sounds great.

Brad: Any final comments or questions?

Brad presents the speaker with question #35 from Nancy: have you ever eaten nutria?

Chefgraham: I have eaten nutria

Chefgraham: I enjoyed it--Nutria is a vegetarian which makes the meat tender and mild... It would make a much better fur coat, though. The pelt is like a mink.

Brad: or a screensaver!

Brianb: Thanks for a great chat chef.

Brad: Thanks so much Chef - and thanks everyone for coming. Mark you calendars: Next month's chat is Chef Sam Arnold

Brianb: Brad, thanks for a great chat. I thought chef Graham was terrific. Can you give me directions to his restaurant from New Orleans.

Brad: Prejeans in Lafayette

Brad: www.yahoo.com

Brianb smirks.

Brad: well thanks guys for coming- we will start a Team TABASCO chat soon.

Brianb: Thanks again. It was great. Bye.