New Year

As Seen by Queen Grace

Happy New Year! Like everyone, I have completed my list of resolutions for 2015.  Included in the list is to continue to share with you all my Sugar Palace has to offer. If you are planning your first visit to Houmas House, I must prepare you. It's overwhelming.     

I love to watch the faces of those coming for the first time.  I can always spot them right away by the look of fascination and excitement on their faces.  From my private living quarters I can hear the laughter, the gasps, and the  applause of the guests as they tour the mansion.  My favorite part is when they walk onto the veranda and look down the alley of mossy oaks. Sometimes they get a glimpse of a paddlewheel docked right in front. This is the favorite spot to take selfies.  It's fun to see these images  pop up on social sites everywhere.  I love to see what each new visitor takes away with them. Sometimes it's a picture of the spiral staircase, sometimes a trinket from the gift shop, and almost always  it's a "doggy-bag" from the restaurant.

Smoked Duck Salad

For Dressing

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon Steen's Cane syrup

1 teaspoon Creole mustard

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 cups mixed salad greens

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice,

cane syrup, mustard, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Slowly drizzle in

the olive oil, whisking continuously. Combine the salad greens with about

two thirds of the dressing, taste, and add more dressing, salt and pepper if

necessary.

For Duck

4 Duck Breast

2 cups of apple juice or cider

1/4 cup kosher salt

1 bay leaf, crushed
 1 clove of garlic, crushed
 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns, cracked

In a large mixing bowl, combine apple juice, salt, bay leaf, garlic, and pepper corns, making sure the salt is completely dissolved. Soak the duck in the brine overnight, or 6 hours minimum. Remove duck from brine and rinse. then dry with paper towels. Using pecan wood chips, place the duck breasts into a 225 degree Fahrenheit meat smoker for 1 hour, or until internal temperate is 135 degrees. Remove duck from smoker and refrigerate.  

To serve, pile a heap of the dressed greens in the center of

each plate. Arrange slices of Duck around the edge of each salad.

Chef Jeremy Langlois leads the culinary team at the Houmas House Plantation as Executive Chef of the award winning Latil's Landing Restaurant, named by Esquire Magazine as one of the top twenty best new restaurants in America.  There he masterfully creates wonderful dishes in a style that he calls "Nouvelle Louisiane". 

Preparing for Jack Frost

One of our biggest assets at Houmas House is the 38 acres of formal gardens that surround the 200 year old mansion. Visitors marvel at over 750,000 plants meticulously planted and maintained throughout the year.  The gardens go through an extensive color renewal twice a year to represent both Summer and Winter.  And although our winters in the South are considered mild, the occasional freeze makes for days of preparation to preserve the foliage.  Artist Gardner Craig Black has designed and developed these gardens for over forty years.  A painter and poet, he views these grounds as a blank canvas and prides himself on creating art with nature.

So, have you ever wondered how we preserve the gardens in the dead of Winter?  A local news team visited with us last week while preparing for below freezing temperatures.  Luckily, after a few days we're enjoying sunshine and bright colors once again- perfect for garden strolling!   See the Entire Story Here

And for more pictures of our winter gardens, Click HERE.

Craig Black has been the head gardener at Houmas House Plantation since 1974.  His art gallery is located on the grounds of Houmas House and is open to the public.  He is always accompanied by his companion, Chip.  

Looking for Romance?

   
Can you think of a better place to celebrate Valentine's Day than the Inn at Houmas House? Only a few rooms are remaining for the most romantic place in Plantation Country.

  Valentine's Day at Houmas House

Make your reservation soon for a romantic night at Houmas House.   For February 13-14, enjoy a five course tasting menu in Latil's Landing and The Carriage House Restaurant.  $100 per person. Reservations are recommended. Call 225-473-9380.

~Starters~

 Crab and Mango Cake

 Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

 Bisque of Curried Pumpkin, Crawfish, and Corn         

 ~Salads~

Houmas House Salad

Roasted Beet and Crab Salad

~Sorbet~

Cosmopolitan

Cranberry sorbet topped with grey goose orange 

infused vodka

~Entrees~

Seafood Crepes

Grouper

Filet Mignon 

Duck Breast

Rack of Lamb Burnside

~Dessert~

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

 with white chocolate and ginger ice cream

Turtle Creole Cream Cheese Cheesecake