Designed by Trahan Architects of New Orleans, the 27,500-square-foot museum building evokes the region’s heritage with linear earth-colored exterior cladding inspired by plowed fields and sinuous molded stone interiors suggesting slow-moving rivers. Photo: Trahan Architects

by Ed Lallo/Louisiana Seafood News

More than a half-century after nominating its first class of sports legends, the Louisiana Sports Writers Association has found a permanent home for its inductees and their collected memorabilia.

Created in 1958, the organization realized its fondest dreams and greatest aspirations as the doors swung open on a $23 million Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum in Natchitoches’ National Historic District.

The Crescent City Raquette Club banner was popular in the late 19th century. “Raquette” was a rugged sport that resembled both tennis and lacrosse. Photo: Louisiana State Museum collection

Groundwork for the museum started at a sports writers meeting in Lake Charles in 1950. Although plans didn’t immediately take off, a standard was advanced that still abides in the Hall of Fame’s selection philosophy.

“An organization with a membership so exclusive that nobody may immediately qualify to be tapped will open for business this weekend as a going concern,” wrote Otis Harris, sports editor of the Shreveport Journal, in a Dec. 11, 1950 column. “It is the Louisiana Hall of Fame – a hall of fame for the state’s greatest athletes, men or women, amateur or professional, living or dead.”

“The purpose,” he explained, “is to make the hall of fame mean something and limit the roll to athletes, past or present, who have become figures of national or international renown in the general sports pattern. Only the state’s immortals in the sphere of athletes will be enshrined.”

The Hall of Fame has 300 men and women on its roster.

Famous names such as Vida Blue, Eddie Delahoussaye, “Pistol Pete” Maravich, Willis Reed and Joyce Walker, but others are relatively unknown today such as New Orleans-born Audrey “Mickey” Patterson, the first African-American woman to win an Olympic medal in the 1948 London games.

The opening of the northern Louisiana facility was celebrated in grand style with Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne cutting the ribbon and Chef John Folse sharing his favorite recipes that local chefs prepared for the event.

The opening of the northern Louisiana facility was celebrated in grand style with Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne (right) cutting the ribbon and Chef John Folse sharing his favorite recipes that local chefs prepared for the event. Photo: Kathy Andersen, The Graham Group

The event provided an opportunity for both the Department of Tourism and the Seafood Board to work together for the first time since coming together under the Lieutenant Governor’s office.

The Landing Restaurant’s Chef Randy Ziglar prepared Folse’s Crawfish Cardinal, as well as his own boiled shrimp, alligator and a shrimp and oyster po-boy, while Chef Angela Lasyone of Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant prepared Folse’s BBQ Shrimp Tangipahoa, as well as her own crawfish meat pie.

“Natchitoches has added a world-class attraction to go along with their already famous ‘meat pies’,” said Folse. “This sports museum will draw visitors from around Louisiana and the country, and the city’s chefs will be able to share their unique seafood cuisine with the world.”

The Landing Restaurant prepared Folse’s Crawfish Cardinal, as well as there own boiled shrimp. Photo: Kathy Andersen, The Graham Group

According to New Orleans Times-Picayune writer Tammy Nunez, the evenings most anticipated guest “nearly had to duck to get through the front door”. Shauquille O’Neal, the former LSU basketball great who went on to become an NBA legend, drew hordes of admirers throughout the evening for his induction into the Hall.

Visitors viewed baseballs signed by slugger Mel Ott, Archie Manning’s No. 8 New Orleans Saints jersey and a souped-up Ford Thunderbird that became the fastest car in the world in 1963 are just a few of the artifacts that the museum has collected over the years.

Designed by Trahan Architects of New Orleans, the museum features an extensive collection of jerseys, gloves and shoes donated by the inductees. It also employs modern technology allowing visitors to enjoy interactive, touch-screen exhibits.

“The main goal in designing exhibits and selecting artifacts was to inspire people, especially young people, to think about greatness,” Louisiana State Museum director Mark Tullos said. “Every object here tells a story. Seen together, they create a visitor experience that we hope is both uplifting as well as entertaining.”

“The purpose is to make the Hall of Fame mean something, and limit the roll to athletes, past or present, who have become figures of national or international renown in the general sports pattern,”  explained Harris,  the 1950′s sportswriter in his column. “Only the state’s immortals in the sphere of athletes will be enshrined.”

Kathy Andersen (left). who was manning the Louisiana Seafood exhibit, and Shauquille O’Neal clowned it up with his likeness for photographers during the opening celebration.and his induction into the Hall. Photo: Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Facebook

Chef John Folse’s BBQ Shrimp Tangipahoa

Frank Manale was known for two things, his weekly poker games and his BBQ shrimp dish that he served to friends during the game.

Founded in 1913, Manale Restaurantwas a family-run Italian-Creole restaurant is located in uptown New Orleans and was originally called Manale’s. When Frank died in the 1940s, his nephew Pascal took over and renamed it Pascal’s Manale. He ran it until the 1950s, when his daughter Virginia took over.

Today, Virginia’s fourth-generation children operate the restaurant: Sandy, Bob, Mark and Ginny. Mark DeFelice is chef and co-owner of the 95-year-old restaurant.

The restaurant is most famous for its barbecued shrimp, which comes in wonderful garlic and herb sauce that you can’t help but sop up with bread – enjoy Chef Folse’s recipe for this magnificent dish served at the Sports Hall of Fame grand opening.

Pascal’s Manale is famous for its barbecued shrimp, which comes in wonderful garlic and herb sauce that you can’t help but sop up with bread – enjoy Chef Folse’s recipe for this magnificent dish served at the Sports Hall of Fame grand opening.  Photo: Stock

Prep Time: 45 Minutes

Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds (16–20 count) shrimp, head-on
• ½ pound butter
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup minced garlic
• ¼ cup minced purple shallots
• ½ cup sliced green onions
• 3 tbsps chopped basil
• 3 tbsps chopped oregano
• 3 tbsps chopped rosemary
• 2 tbsps chopped thyme
• ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup beer
• salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• granulated garlic to taste
• Creole seasoning to taste
• Louisiana hot sauce to taste

 Cooking Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a 13″ x 9” baking dish with a 2-inch lip, spread shrimp evenly over bottom of dish. Set aside. In a 1-quart saucepan, heat butter in oil over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, shallots, green onions, basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Sauté 3–5 minutes to flavor butter with herb mixture. Blend in Worcestershire sauce and beer then pour hot mixture over shrimp. Season well with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, Creole seasoning and hot sauce.

NOTE: Over-season shrimp because shells will prevent meat from absorbing most flavors. Place in oven and cook 15 minutes or until shrimp are pink and curled, stirring once during cooking.

Do not overcook as shrimp will become hard to peel. Divide shrimp evenly among serving bowls and top with equal portions of herb-butter sauce. Serve with New Orleans French Bread.

The post New Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame a Recipe for Success appeared first on Louisiana Seafood News.