During the heart of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu was responsible for gathering mayors from around the country to support the Louisiana seafood industry. Photo: Ed Lallo/Louisiana Seafood News
by Jenny Peterson/Louisiana Seafood News
Protecting the lives and property of the city’s residents is the always the primary focus of city officials during any disaster – natural or man-made. For New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, his concerns also include preserving his native city’s unique culture and culinary experiences – especially when it comes to the state’s seafood supply.
Louisiana has always had a love/hate relationship with the water that surrounds much of the southern part of the state that includes New Orleans.
The coastal waters teem with a wide variety of plentiful seafood from which thousands earn a living harvesting the bounty. But the gulf waters also make those living on the coast frequent targets for wandering hurricanes and tropical storms – like the recent Hurricane Isaac.
“Fishermen help supply the Louisiana seafood served in New Orleans restaurants and contribute to our state’s 30-percent share of the national seafood market,” explained the Democratic mayor. “We’re very hopeful those communities can overcome setbacks as quickly as possible.”
New Orleans is also a frequent target of these storms. Future hurricanes will continue to threaten the shore, the city and the livelihoods of those who work in the seafood industry.
Support of local fishing communities
Fortunately, the city was spared from the latest storm Isaac. The local fishing industry, however, was not so lucky.
“Hurricane Isaac delivered a hard blow to fishing communities in some of the nearby areas, including Lafitte, Plaquemines Parish, Hopedale, Delacroix and Shell Beach,” explained Landrieu. “We want to help in any way we can.”
Photo: Ed Lallo/Louisiana Seafood News
“Hurricane Isaac delivered a hard blow to fishing communities in some of the nearby areas, including Lafitte, Plaquemines Parish, Hopedale, Delacroix and Shell Beach,” explained Landrieu. “We want to help in any way we can.”
That means not just helping Louisiana fishermen get back on their feet, but getting the entire seafood industry back on its feet – an industry that’s become synonymous with the Gulf Coast and one of the area’s largest economic boosters.
Landrieu considers the Louisiana seafood industry to be an essential part of the region’s culture, and he’s become a champion of promoting the seafood industry both locally and around the world.
Cultural Economy
“As Lieutenant governor, I coined the phrase ‘cultural economy’ to quantify the impact that our indigenous culture has on our economy,” he said. “Louisiana is the nursery of the Gulf, and our seafood industry is considered by many to be the most diverse in the U.S. So I try to promote that often.
That included a major marketing effort following Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to get tourism and seafood commerce back up and running quickly.
Local seafood is regularly on center stage in the city. The Louisiana Seafood Festival, sponsored by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, recently drew approximately 150,000 seafood lovers to New Orleans’ Woldenberg Park.
Photo: Louisiana Seafood Board
“Marketing money provided by BP after the oil spill infused over $40 million to the region for marketing and promotion. The city received about $5 million, and we’ve used it to promote the city’s unique culture and traditions, including our world-class cuisine,” Landrieu explained.
During October – national seafood month – fishermen, dealers and distributors are doing everything they can to ensure that the seafood supply remains abundant and available. The city is also stepping up to the challenge.
Local seafood is regularly on center stage in the city. The Louisiana Seafood Festival, sponsored by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, recently drew approximately 150,000 seafood lovers to New Orleans’ Woldenberg Park.
“There’s not a weekend that goes by without a festival where our indigenous culture is celebrated, and where people enjoy our native cuisine,” Landrieu said. “Louisiana seafood is always a big part of those events.” This includes Landrieu’s personal favorite seafood dish: local shrimp, battered and fried.
Seafood Tourism
Efforts at promoting New Orleans and the area’s culture paid off this year, when the City of New Orleans was announced as one of the winners of the 2012 World Tourism Award.
“My job as mayor is to make sure our culture, our cuisine and music is valued and supported.” Landrieu said. Events like the Great American Seafood Cookoff bring tourism dollars to both the city and state.
Photo: Ed Lallo/Louisiana Seafood News
The award recognizes extraordinary initiatives by individuals, companies, organizations, destinations and attractions for outstanding accomplishment in the travel industry. The city will be presented the award in November in London, putting New Orleans on a world stage.
“This is a tremendous honor for the city and testament to the more than 74,000 New Orleanians, who work in the cultural economy,” Landrieu said about the award.
Ewell Smith, executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, acknowledged the seafood industry as an important tourist attraction in his statement about the award.
“Food and culture are an important part of tourism, both in New Orleans and Louisiana,” Smith said. “The Louisiana Seafood family works hard to continue to provide the freshest seafood for the finest chefs in the world to serve to our visiting guests.
New Orleanians pride themselves on their culture, and that includes their native cuisine.
Time and time again, the seafood industry has had to recover from both natural and man-made disasters. Time and time again, elected officials have stepped up to lead and facilitate that recovery.
“My job as mayor is to make sure our culture, our cuisine and music is valued and supported.” Landrieu said. “People here are strong and resilient, and our cultural traditions are alive and well, even as our communities continue to rebuild.
It’s not something any disaster – and we’ve been through a few – can wash away.”
Mayor Landrieu’s Favorite New Orleans Seafood – Southern Fried Shrimp
Recipe courtesy of Jyl Benson/Louisiana Kitchen & Culture magazine
Southern Fried Shrimp.
Photo: Louisiana Kitchen & Culture
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
- oil for frying
- 2 dozen large Louisiana shrimp, peeled
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk mixed with 2 teaspoons Creole mustard (optional).
Method:
Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/ 4 teaspoon pepper.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, 11/2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon pepper, and the cayenne.
Heat oil to 350°F in a large pot or deep fryer.
Pour the buttermilk mixture over the shrimp and, working in batches, toss them in the seasoned flour.
Slip the battered shrimp into the hot oil and cook until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.
Drain on paper towels or brown paper.
Serve them straight up or load them on to slabs of French bread for po-boys.
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