Chef Biography
Emeril Lagasse is the embodiment of the spirit of Louisiana’s new garde chefs, and the food at his New Orleans restaurants, Emeril’s, NOLA, and Delmonico’s, is at the very apex of the new culinary style. He calls his food “New Orleans cuisine”. Critics call it, and him, top notch. He was the face of the Food Channel, and was named one of the top chefs in the country by Food & Wine, to Who’s Who of Cooking in America by Cook’s magazine, Best Southeast Regional Chef by the James Beard Foundation, and Distinguished Visiting Chef at his Alma Mater, Johnson & Wales University in Providence, among a slew of other honors. Emeril’s has been named Restaurant of the Year by Esquire, and won an Ivy Award from Restaurants & Institutions magazine. His cookbooks also receive critical acclaim. But it is Emeril himself, with his outgoing personality and ability to explain his art, who is the real star.
Lagasse’s background is down to earth, which is where he stands feet firmly planted despite international fame. He grew up in the small town of Fall River, Massachusetts. His mother was Portuguese and his father French-Canadian. Food and the family dinner table were central to his life. In childhood, Lagasse worked at a local Portuguese bakery, and as a teen he turned down a music scholarship in order to work his way through the culinary program at Johnson & Wales University, from which he holds a doctorate degree.
After polishing his cooking skills in France, at Paris and Lyon, he returned to the States and cooked in fine restaurants in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. He was offered the position as head chef at Ella and Dick Brennan’s historic Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, following in the footsteps of Chef Paul Prudhomme. During his seven-and-a-half years there, he lightened and brightened the menu.
It was while he was chef at Commander’s that Emeril was first asked to participate in Great Chefs, taping segments for their first one-hour special,Great Chefs, An International Holiday Table. He prepared his favorite Portuguese holiday fare like kale soup, and tuna in Portuguese sauce. It was his first experience with national television.
A few months later, he prepared oyster patties, pickled pork hash with red bean sauce, and a banana cobbler for another Great Chefs special, A New Orleans Jazz Brunch, a concept that the Brennan family had started. In 1990, Lagasse opened Emeril’s Restaurant in a deserted New Orleans warehouse district, which struggled. In 1992, Great Chefs included Emeril in their latest television series, The Louisiana New Garde, that featured up and coming New Orleans chefs. Shortly after that, one of the Great Chefs partners called to ask if he would like to participate in a cooking series on the Nashville Network with Florence Henderson. Later that year, the Food Network called, and the rest is history.
He opened NOLA in 1992, and later revived the classic Delmonico’s in New Orleans. He has since expanded his restaurant empire to Las Vegas and Orlando, and has cooking products around the world.
Recipes
Banana Cobbler
Serving: 8 Print Banana Cobbler By Great Chefs November 19, 2015 Ingredients Pie Dough All-Purpose Flour – 2 cups Salt – 1/2 teaspoon Shortening – 1/4 cup Cold Butter – 6 tablespoons Ice Water – 4 to 6 tablespoons Filling Butter – 3 tablespoons Brown Sugar – 3 cups Sugar – 1 cup Banana liqueur […]
Pickled Pork Hash with Red Bean Sauce
Serving: 6 Print Pickled Pork Hash with Red Bean Sauce By Great Chefs November 19, 2015 Hash topped with eggs is a frequent sight at breakfast. New Orleans’ version uses pickled pork shoulder, cooked in liquid crab boil to add the “bite,” and red bean (kidney bean) sauce, lifting this jazz brunch specialty far beyond […]
Tuna in Portuguese Sauce
Serving: 4 Print Tuna in Portuguese Sauce By Great Chefs April 10, 2014 Seared tuna fillets arrive covered with a very Portuguese mixture of peppers, olives, tomatoes, and anchovies. This dish, prepared for Great Chefs by Emeril Lagasse when he was executive chef at Commander’s Palace, begins with Commander’s seafood seasoning. You may use cod, […]
Grilled Tuna Steaks with Andouille Potato Hash
Serving: 4 Print Grilled Tuna Steaks with Andouille Potato Hash By Great Chefs April 9, 2014 Robust barbecue sauce accents fresh tuna steaks and is drizzled around the plates as garnish. The tuna steaks are served with hash made with andouille, a favorite smoked sausage in Louisiana (other smoked sausage may be substituted). The Creole […]
Caldo Verde (Kale Soup)
Serving: 10-12 Print Caldo Verde (Kale Soup) By Great Chefs April 9, 2014 Richly flavored with linguica, perhaps the definitive Portuguese sausage, this soup is even better when it is made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight to marry the flavors. If your knowledge of kale is limited to Woody Harrelson’s kale extract venture on […]
Tamarind-glazed Pork Chops with Sugar and Spice Sweet Potatoes
Serving: 4 Print Tamarind-glazed Pork Chops with Sugar and Spice Sweet Potatoes By Great Chefs April 8, 2014 Rich barbecue flavor wraps double-thick pork chops. They are served with sweet potatoes which have been treated to cinnamon, sugar, and butter. Creole spice is a mixture of salt, paprika, black pepper, white pepper, and cayenne; you […]
Scallop and Leek Flan
Serving: 6-8 Print Scallop and Leek Flan By Great Chefs April 7, 2014 In this savory flan, a filling of scallops, cream, leeks, and potatoes is baked in a crust and served with a cool cream made with fresh chives. Ingredients All Purpose Flour – 1 1/4 cups Salt – 1/2 teaspoon Unsalted Butter – […]
Shrimp and Andouille Cheese Cake
Yield: One 9-inch cheesecake Serving: 12 Print Shrimp and Andouille Cheese Cake By Great Chefs April 7, 2014 No wonder Emeril Lagasse earned a nickname as The Cheesecake King in New Orleans. This is just one of his many recipes for savory appetizer cheesecakes. A small slice goes a long way! Save the creole seasoning […]
Louisiana Crab and Vegetable Hash with Vanilla Bean Sabayon
Serving: 4 Print Louisiana Crab and Vegetable Hash with Vanilla Bean Sabayon By Great Chefs April 7, 2014 Chef Emeril Lagasse stretches a familiar dish — hash — and a dessert sauce — sabayon — to new limits. This hash is made os crab meat with sweet potatoes, celery, green pepper, onion, and sweet corn. […]
Three-berry Tart with Vanilla Cream
Yield: One 8-inch tarta Serving: 6 Print Three-berry Tart with Vanilla Cream By Great Chefs April 7, 2014 Too much of a good thing is never enough when berries are in season. Chef Emeril Lagasse combines berries and puff pastry to make a contemporary deep-dish berry tart. Ingredients Tart Puff Pastry – 1 thawed frozen […]
Chicken Roulades with Andouille-Cornbread Stuffing, Baby Vegetables, and Roasted Garlic Sauce
Serving: 4 Print Chicken Roulades with Andouille-Cornbread Stuffing, Baby Vegetables, and Roasted Garlic Sauce By Great Chefs April 7, 2014 Anyone who likes roast chicken with stuffing and gravy will love chef Emeril Lagasse’s stuffed chicken roulades with roasted garlic sauce. Don’t let the length of the recipe daunt you; preparation is simple and direct. […]
Restaurant Information
Phone : 504-528-9393
Address : 800 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130
