If there is a restaurant known for both its adherence to tradition and innovation in the culinary and hospitality world, it’s Commander’s Palace.
Guests know when they go to the restaurant, the menu will have turtle soup au sherry, shrimp and tasso Henican, eggs Sardou and Creole bread pudding soufflé, among the offerings. But they also know that new dishes, in keeping with the restaurant’s practice of allowing its chefs — which included legends Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse — to add unique flavors to the menu.
So, when COOLinary, an event that happens throughout August featuring New Orleans restaurants, Commander’s Palace Executive Chef Meg Bickford got busy dreaming up some new dishes.
The Cochon de Lait Tostada
The result? Among them, the Cochon de Lait Tostada, a dish that has been on the restaurant’s menu in other variations, but now it had a Bickford twist.
This multi-layered iteration consists of garlic- and hot sauce-rubbed fall apart 18-hour smoked pork shoulder on a crisp tortilla with smoky boudin, creamy red bean purée, pickled corn and okra chow chow, crumbled Cotija and charred poblano aioli.
Not only does the red bean purée made from Camellia Red Kidney Beans act as the foundation of the dish — and contributes a “rich earth flavor,” says Bickford — it is a great sauce to dip and mix the dish’s other ingredients into. It is also a time-tested Commander’s Palace recipe.
“We braise the red beans with tons of andouille and house-made tasso,” says Bickford. “Then we puree the whole thing with pickled okra and roasted garlic. We’ll add a mound of butter into it so it’s nice, shiny and silky.”
“It’s just phenomenal … I could eat with just a spoon!”
Camellia Beans: An Essential Ingredient
Bickford, whose family is from Cut Off and New Orleans, grew up well-versed in south Louisiana cuisine, “Both my parents cooked, kind of everybody in my family cooks. It’s a rite of passage.”
“We always had Camellia Beans in the pantry. And no matter where we lived, we always used Camellia Beans.”
“It’s a very consistent product. They’re very clean, which a lot of people don’t think about. But when you’re not finding rocks or sand in your beans, it’s a big deal,” she says.
“It also goes beyond brand recognition … you want to use a local product, and that product proves itself to be superior.”
Rich and Buttery
Camellia Red Kidney Beans are also used for the red beans and rice made for the staff meal on Monday.
“Serving red beans and rice every Monday is more than just a meal — it’s a tradition rooted deep in New Orleans culture. It’s how we start the week together, just like families have done here for generations,” says Bickford. “Around that pot of beans, our team becomes a family, sharing stories, laughter and the spirit of this city we love.”
Everyone in the kitchen takes turns making the family meal — for Commander’s Palace, it’s all part of working as a team and part of its culture.
Another bean Bickford is a fan of is the Camellia Cannellini Beans for the garlic-braised white beans, served with a pork tenderloin.
Bickford favors these beans because they are “super rich and buttery, and it kind of gives this nutty flavor a little.”
She also features the cannellini bean in the heartier white bean cassoulet available at the restaurant’s Le Petit Bleu, its Parisian-style cafe next door highlighted inside and out by the restaurant’s signature color, Commander’s blue.
Rooted in New Orleans culture, the restaurant’s use of local Camellia beans — from red beans to cannellini beans — honors heritage, quality and good food not just for COOLinary, but all year long.
Commander’s Palace, 1403 Washington Ave., NOLA 70130; 504.899.8221; commanderspalace.com/ ; on Instagram.