When clients request something that’s authentic Nola, Stephan Blaser, Centerplate’s executive chef at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, knows just the thing. It’s spicy, creamy, meaty and fresh: Louisiana crawfish spring ragout and grits. “I made the dish for one of our Mardi Gras balls, the Orpheus Open House,” Blaser explained. “One of the local [guests] said it was the best crawfish dish he’d ever had.”
That Switzerland-born chef credits the venue’s authenticity in its culinary offerings to the staff that surrounds him. “Two of the gentlemen who have lived here all their lives and have worked in many major hotels in the city taught me a lot about it,” he said. “They’ve taught me a lot about the history, heritage and all that good stuff.”
For this tried-and-true bite, Blaser uses Louisiana-milled grits and folds in mascarpone and butter before topping with cheddar cheese and baking them for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. The grits, Blaser explained, come out “almost like a flan.”
The crawfish ragout portion is made in a large sauté pan, where Blaser adds olive oil, Vidalia onions, asparagus tips and local lima and butter beans. He deglazes the pan with stock before adding the crawfish, seasoning with salt and pepper. A cold butter thickens the sauce, then places the mixture atop the grits, garnishing with basil and green onions.
“It’s a complex dish, but it’s a very simple dish,” he described. Once plated, it’s served with a tapas-style meal of small plates. Blaser also has plans to offer it as a quick-serve option soon.
Contact: Stephen Blaser, (504) 670-7251
Executive Chef Stephan Blaser
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans
Stephan Blaser is a native of Switzerland who cut his teeth in the Northeastern U.S. before landing in New Orleans, where he ultimately took the reins as Centerplate’s executive chef at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. “I came [to the convention center] for what was supposed to be a year, and that was four years ago,” he said.
While he sometimes pulls from his cosmopolitan background, Blaser has steeped himself in the local culture and food scene, which he describes as “one of the culinary capitals of the world.”
“There’s not an influence you don’t see here,” he added. “You have all people coming in from around the world. It’s not a typical American city; that’s for sure.”
Blaser’s philosophy for creating menus at the convention center focuses on regional flavor and authenticity: “I throw in a lot of [my] European background, but the mission really is to give a true taste of Nola.”