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Ever dreamed of whipping up some authentic Cajun and Creole dishes at home?
Check out this hands-on cooking classes at the Mardi Gras School of Cooking in New Orleans.
You’ll be creating delicious meals in no time!
New Orleans has so much to give to food lovers, starting with muffuletta sandwiches and ending with beignets, those deep-fried pillows of dough smothered in icing sugar.
But as a food writer and cookbook author who has interviewed Louisiana cooking legends Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse, I wanted to do more than just eat on my recent trip.
Best Hands-on Cooking Class
No time to read the whole article? Our top pick for a cooking class in New Orleans is the Roux Class at Mardi Gras School of Cooking.
It gets fantastic reviews too!
So I signed up for a cooking class in New Orleans to learn to make Cajun and Creole dishes.
Knowing that Louisiana cooking draws on French, Spanish, African, Sicilian, Caribbean, Irish, German and Native American influences, I picked a roux class at the Mardi Gras School of Cooking.
The French Quarter school promised to reveal the importance of the “Cajun holy trinity” — onions, green peppers and celery — and teach me to make a dark and light roux.
The roux is Louisiana’s version of mirepoix, the mix of celery, carrots and onions that forms the base of many French dishes.
The class would revolve around three dishes, feature plenty of drinks, and culminate in a properly plated dinner.
I arrived with friends at 6 p.m. for three hours of hands-on fun.
🌟 Related: Taking a cooking class is not only a blast with a group of friends but it’s also a great activity to include on a romantic couples’ getaway in New Orleans.
Overview of this Cooking Class in New Orleans
I taught myself to cook as newspaper food editor who ran a test kitchen for 15 years. I also interviewed celebrity chefs, cookbook authors and people who cooked for a living.
At the Mardi Gras School of Cooking we were paired with chef Mark Falgoust.
He grew up in the Algiers neighbourhood of New Orleans on the Mississippi River and dreamed of being a chef. This, despite pushback from certain male family members who consider cooking to be women’s work.
A hunter and fisher, Falgoust went to cooking school and cooked at popular local restaurants like Commander’s Palace, Herbsaint, Peristyle, Cochon and Grand Isle.
Menu and History
During this cooking class, he taught us to make Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo, Shrimp Étouffée and Bananas Foster.
But he also explained why they’re iconic dishes.
Gumbo is the official state dish of Louisiana and the name comes from West African word for okra (ki ngombo).
Okra is often used as a thickener and some gumbo recipes, including ours, still include the pods.
Filé powder (ground sassafras) is often used for thickening and flavour.
No two gumbos are alike but they’re all made using the “holy trinity” and ours had a dark roux.
Etouffée comes from the French word “to smother.”
Shellfish, typically shrimp, is simmered in a creamy sauce with a light roux and served over rice.
Bananas Foster was invented here when the city was a major port of entry for bananas from Central America and South America.
In 1951, Brennan’s Restaurant owner Owen Brennan challenged his chef Paul Blangé to create a banana dessert.
The result was bananas sautéed in butter, light brown sugar and cinnamon, bathed in rum and set aflame to burn off the alcohol.
Brennan served on the New Orleans Crime Commission under chairman Richard Foster and named the dessert for his friend.
New Orleans Cooking Class Features
My cooking class was fast and furious. But Falgoust and his assistant ran a tight ship, cleaned up constantly and were mindful of my shellfish allergy.
“It’s just cooking, y’all,” said the cheeky chef who shared all kinds of pro tips.
Falgoust got us using a special shrimp deveiner (also useful when making Spanish paella) and taught us to skim the fat when simmering gumbo.
He also introduced us to a banana liqueur used in addition to rum in the Bananas Foster.
Pros of the Mardi Gras School of Cooking
- Classes are for two to 10 people — a nice size.
- Classes are held daily at 10 a.m., noon or 2 p.m. So you can do them for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- Wine, beer, soda pop, tea and water are included.
- Champagne or Bloody Mary bar that serves four to six people cost an extra $250 USD.
- Menu modifications are possible with advance notice. I’m allergic to shellfish and made étouffée with chicken instead of shrimp.
- Other class options are New Orleans Creole, vegetarian, brunch and “traditions” (featuring age-old recipes).
Good to Know
- You won’t visit a market or grocery store.
- Instead of getting the recipes at the start of the class so you can follow along, you must wait for the recipes to later be emailed to you.
- You don’t make each dish from scratch. For example, shrimp stock is made in advance.
- Just because I had Falgoust, doesn’t mean you will. But the teacher in the kitchen beside us also seemed wonderful.
Who is This New Orleans Cooking Class For?
This class is ideal for couples or friends on a weekend getaway. Or Mother-Daughter vacations.
It’s also good for families with kids who are at least 10 and love to cook.
Singles are welcome — one woman joined our group of seven.
Pricing and Location
This roux class cost $150 USD per person (effective May 2024 and subject to change).
Children pay the same price as adults.
The price includes the three-hour cooking class, free-flowing drinks and copies of the gumbo, étouffée and dessert recipes.
Gratuities are extra.
Check prices and availability of this Roux Cooking Class in New Orleans on Viator.com
Final Thoughts: Is this Roux Cooking Class Worth It?
We recommend this cooking class for anyone who’s interested in Cajun and Creole cooking. It’s also for those who wants to have fun making three iconic recipes.
Be sure to make time to enjoy some of the many other things to do in New Orleans. You can visit Bourbon Street or Frenchman Street for live music when you’re done.
Preservation Hall has multiple ticketed 45-minute sets of jazz each day.
This historic venue offers intimate, living room-style acoustic performances featuring bands drawn from a collective of 50-plus masters of traditional New Orleans jazz.
Trip Planner
Mardi Gras School of Cooking: https://www.themardigrasschoolofcooking.com
Official New Orleans Tourism: Visit New Orleans
Official Louisiana Tourism: Explore Louisiana
Where to Stay
It was an eight-minute walk to the Mardi Gras School of Cooking from the Royal Sonesta New Orleans at 300 Bourbon St.
Rooms and suites, some with balconies, offer views of either the French Quarter or a quiet courtyard and outdoor heated pool.
The Royal Sonesta opened in 1969 with a façade and balconies designed to replicate a row of houses that stood during the 1830s.
It’s home to Restaurant R’evolution, Desire Oyster Bar and the Jazz Playhouse.
The hotel hosts one of the most beloved Carnival traditions in New Orleans — Greasing of the Poles.
What began as a way to deter overzealous revellers from shimmying up the building’s support poles to the coveted balcony space has evolved into a splashy event.
It’s considered by many to be the French Quarter’s official Mardi Gras weekend kickoff.
Check rates and availability of the Royal Sonesta New Orleans on Booking.com.
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Jennifer Bain is a recovering newspaper food and travel editor who now travels the world in search of quirk. Based in Toronto and with a retreat on Fogo Island in Newfoundland and Labrador, she’s an award-winning freelancer who has written two cookbooks and two travel books. View her portfolio at JenniferBain.co