THE TABLE • WORTH THE SPLURGE
From New Orleans to the Silver Screen
Some dishes arrive at the table. Poulet Tchoupitoulas makes an entrance.
Its name reaches deep into Louisiana history, connecting the dish to the Indigenous Tchoupitoulas people and to the New Orleans street that follows the curve of the Mississippi River. In the city’s kitchens, “Tchoupitoulas” has come to represent a family of bold restaurant creations rather than one strictly defined folk recipe—each interpretation carrying its own measure of Creole spice, richness and unmistakable New Orleans confidence.
Emeril Lagasse’s version layers Creole-roasted chicken over a savory bread pudding filled with caramelized onions, sweet corn and smoky andouille sausage. Southern greens bring depth to the plate, while white-wine gravy supplies the sort of finishing touch that politely declines to be called “just sauce.”
The dish found its cinematic moment in Last Holiday, when Georgia Byrd prepares it while following along with Emeril. It is a fitting choice for a film devoted to finally enjoying the beautiful things one has been saving for later: the good dishes, the ambitious recipe and, perhaps most importantly, the life waiting beyond the planning.
A little dramatic? Certainly. But so is planning a wedding, and dinner deserves its moment too.
Set the Scene
This plate is already the main event, so the rest of the evening can afford to be effortless. Dim the lights, unfold the cloth napkins, and pour the same crisp, dry white wine used in the gravy. Lemon sparkling water with a ribbon of citrus makes an equally elegant nonalcoholic option.
For dessert, share Bananas Foster for the full New Orleans treatment, or linger over chicory coffee once the plates are cleared. The wedding spreadsheet will survive the evening without you.
WTV’s date-night directive: Queue up Last Holiday, bring out the good plates and stop saving a little luxury for someday.
SERVES 2 • APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS
What You’ll Need
- 2 skin-on chicken halves, breastbones removed
- 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, divided
For the Andouille–Sweet Corn Bread Pudding
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1½ cups thinly sliced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- Scant ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
- 6 turns freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ounces ground andouille sausage
- 1½ teaspoons finely chopped garlic
- ½ cup fresh or frozen sweet-corn kernels
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
For the Southern Cooked Greens
- 2 ounces bacon, chopped
- ¾ cup chopped yellow onion
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons minced shallot
- ¾ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon rice-wine vinegar
- 1½ pounds assorted greens, such as collard, mustard, turnip, kale or spinach, washed with tough stems removed
For the White-Wine Gravy
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup finely minced yellow onion
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup whole milk
Make It Together
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use ½ tablespoon of the butter to grease a 1-quart baking dish and set it aside.
- Begin the greens. Cook the bacon in a heavy pot over medium heat until lightly crisp. Add the chopped onion and season with salt, black pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Cook for 6–7 minutes, until the onion is soft and golden. Stir in the brown sugar, shallot and garlic; cook for another 2 minutes. Add the water and rice-wine vinegar.
- Add the greens to the pot in batches, pressing each batch gently into the liquid as it wilts. Season again to taste. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender.
- While the greens cook, prepare the bread pudding. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion, ½ teaspoon salt, half of the cayenne and the black pepper. Cook for approximately 6 minutes. Add the andouille and cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the garlic and corn and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the 2 eggs and egg yolk until combined. Whisk in the heavy cream, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, remaining cayenne, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Fold in the cooled andouille mixture, followed by the bread cubes. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and bake for approximately 50–55 minutes, until puffed, golden, and set in the center.
- While the bread pudding bakes, combine the Creole seasoning with 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Rub the mixture evenly over the chicken. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add enough of the remaining oil to coat the bottom. Place the chicken skin-side down and sear for approximately 6 minutes, until deeply golden.
- Turn the chicken skin-side up and transfer the skillet to the 350°F oven. Roast for 20–25 minutes, or until the thickest portion reaches 165°F. If the oven has enough space, add the chicken when the bread pudding has approximately 25 minutes remaining. Rest the cooked chicken for 5 minutes before serving.
- While the chicken rests, prepare the gravy. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced onion and cook until tender; season with salt and black pepper. Stir in the butter and flour and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Add the white wine, bring it to a boil, and reduce it by half. Lower the heat, add the milk, and simmer until the gravy is smooth and thickened.
- Taste the greens and adjust the salt, pepper, or vinegar if needed. Spoon the warm bread pudding into the center of each plate, arrange the greens alongside it, and place the roasted chicken over the bread pudding. Drizzle the white-wine gravy around the chicken and serve immediately.
WTV’s date-night pick: Queue up Last Holiday, bring out the good plates, and remember—ordinary evenings are allowed to feel a little extravagant.
Recipe inspiration: Adapted for two from Emeril Lagasse’s Poulet Tchoupitoulas, featured in Last Holiday.