Jay D's Bites: Molasses Mustard Hollandaise

Adding Jay D’s Louisiana Molasses Mustard to a classic butter sauce was an absolutely delicious idea! This sauce is tasty on anything and everything: vegetables, meats, seafood or your favorite dish. The fat from the butter is balanced well with the acidity from the Molasses Mustard. This hollandaise came out a rural, rusty-orange color and is an excellent contrast over bright green asparagus and a poached egg.

Molasses Mustard Hollandaise

Serves 8-10

Photo: Jordan Hefler Photography

3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten.
1½ sticks unsalted butter, melted until foamy, foam skimmed
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice.
2 Tbsp Jay D’s Louisiana Molasses Mustard
1 tsp Slap Ya Mama hot sauce
Kosher salt

In a saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. In a stainless steel bowl, whisk egg yolks over hot the water bath. Using a small ladle, slowly pour a thin stream of butter into egg yolks while whisking continuously. Keep butter warm (not hot) during process. Add lemon juice after the third ladle of butter is whisked into egg yolks. After all butter is added, add Molasses Mustard, hot sauce and kosher salt to taste. Whisk until uniform color.

Dock & Dine: Bite and Booze does Orange Beach Brunch at Fisher's Dockside

Fisher's Upstairs

Fisher's Upstairs

There are plenty of places to get great Gulf seafood in the resort destination of Gulf Shore and Orange Beach, but Fisher's is stepping things up a notch. Their downstairs oyster bar is great for families, large groups, and anyone looking to have a few good bites and a good time. Fisher's Upstairs is a completely different feel. It's fine dining, but Chef Bill Briand says you should feel just as comfortable in shorts and flip flops as you feel in a button up and tie. The attention to detail in the atmosphere is absolutely impeccable and I can't wait to experience a dinner upstairs. It will happen for sure, but for now I'll settle for brunch at the dock. I know, life is hard.

A couple of $3 mimosas, a bushwhacker, and some delectable dishes from Chef Bill and I was set for the trip back home on a Sunday afternoon. We started out with a tour of the upstairs restaurant and then he treated us to some excellent Gulf smoked tuna dip and deliciously fried crab claws.

The fried crab claws and smoked tuna dip at Fisher's Brunch

Creamy, crispy, and fresh all at the same time... that's what to love about a friend oyster. Gulf oysters are one of my favorite things to eat. While I typically favor them raw, when they are masterfully fried it is hard to go wrong. The Fried Oysters Benedict featured some of the succulent fried oysters with wilted spinach, poached eggs, and hollandaise. This sort of brunch dish can set any Sunday morning right!

Fried Gulf Oysters Benedict

Grits and grillades are a hearty Southern brunch favorite. The pan fried veal covered in a thick gravy over creamy grits is an automatic score in my book any day. The gravy really may have been the star of this dish. As great as the grits and veal were, the rustic brown goodness tied it all together.

Grits and Grillades

Fisher's smoked brisket hash brings another comfort dish to the table which can do no wrong. Served in a cast-iron skillet, the brisket is smoked in house then cooked down with some peppers, onions, and home potatoes before getting topped off with sunny side up eggs. This dish is like a hug for your hungover soul.

Smoked Brisket Hash

Fisher's makes me happy to eat bread pudding again. Okay, I'm usually pretty happy to eat bread pudding. But in Louisiana you can barely go out to eat without seeing it on a dessert menu. While bread pudding typically boasts delicious sweetness, it rarely presents something new and refreshing. But not here. Fisher's bread pudding is light and creamy. The toasted coconut brightens the entire dish. You will definitely want to save room for this on your trip!

Toasted Coconut Bread Pudding

Food Porn from an Airstream: Ignatius Reilly's Gourmet Street Food

Some chefs just get it.  Marcus Day is one of those chefs.  His cuisine is uncompromising.  Food and flavor before all else.  No shortcuts.  Handmade pastas, sauces from scratch, and creativity daily.  The story becomes even more remarkable because Chef Day does it all out of a vintage Airstream trailer.  And he has a name that came out of local literature: Ignatius Reilly's Gourmet Street Food.  For anybody living under a rock, Ignatius Reilly is the name of the main character in John Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces.  Ignatius Reilly is an educated, eccentric, but often slothful 30 year old living in uptown New Orleans.  And he loves to eat.  To know more, read the book.

Bolognese with Fresh Pasta and Parmesan

Marcus also clearly gets the overall Food Truck movement.  The idea of a concession stand on wheels is as old as traveling carnivals.  However, gourmet mobile eateries slinging restaurant quality grub at affordable prices... well that's what turns a trend into a revolution.

Chef Marcus Day's Ignatius Reilly's Gourmet Street Food

Social media has played a large role in the surge of meaningful mobile food vendors.  Chef Day has been on top of his branding from the beginning, posting pictures of dishes of Facebook and interacting with his customers on Twitter.  He also uses the channels to tell his fans where he is set up for lunch, dinner, and even brunch on the weekends.

Carrot Ginger Soup with Mint Creme Fraiche 

Ignatius Reilly's concept is fresh and local, to every extent possible.  His signature items are handmade pastas, carefully crafted soups, and specialty sandwiches.  The top photograph of the bolognese is perhaps Chef Day's signature dish.  Ever on the menu, the pasta with beef sauce and layers of Parmesan lives up to its permanent place on the menu board.  After one bite you can taste the freshness of the homemade noodles and the unique bolognese.  The latest dish that I've tried from Marcus is the above carrot ginger soup.  The delicious and nutritious soup is finished with a little butter to add that wonderful extra richness and then topped with a dollop of mint creme fraiche to just take it over the top. 

Eggs Cancienne: Poached Eggs, Grilled Don's Andouille, French Bread Toast, Fresh Cheese Grits, Tasso Hollandaise 

As I mentioned earlier, Ignatius Reilly's sets up for weekend brunch around Baton Rouge as well.  Make an effort to track him down any weekend and you won't be sorry.  The Eggs Cancienne represent a fantastic all around dish that would be worthy of any brick and mortar joint.  Chef's Day own spin on the classic Eggs Benedict, the tasso hollandaise is bright and rich and is simply superb with the cheese grits on the bottom.

Creme Brulee Pain Perdu: NOLA French Toast, Steen's Cane Syrup, Candied Pecans, Powdered Sugar 

Not to stop there, also found on the brunch menu at times is a French toast dish with some Louisiana favorites.  I could eat this creme brulee pain perdu for breakfast or dessert at any time and be completely content.

Everything that Ignatius Reilly's serves comes in containers made from recycled products which just furthers the notion that Chef Day has it figured out.  Next time you see his stainless steel Airstream around town, make sure to stop by, order some great food, and tell him hey.  You won't be sorry!