Savoy introduces Cajun foods and culture to Russia

Moving from Eunice to Russia five years ago, Sarah Savoy did not leave behind her Cajun foods cooking skills, nor her love of Cajun music.
Savoy has recently published a cookbook “The Savoy Kitchen: A Family History of Cajun Food.” The book is filled with her stories, recipes and more and reflects food, music and culture of Sarah’s life as the oldest daughter of Marc and Ann Savoy of Eunice, renowned Cajun musician.
At age 23 Sarah left home to explore the world, spending five years in Russia as the marketing director of American Medical Centres in Moscow. She started playing Cajun music with friends in France and moved to Paris to play in a band.
Paris is her home now where she lives with her daughter Anna and husband Manolo Gonzales. She works as a musician -playing music, performs cooking demonstrations, lectures, writing and more.
Savoy’s daughter, Anna Marquette, 4-1/2, can testify to her mother’s great Cajun cooking as she never cared too much for traditional, bland baby food, and instead preferred homemade chicken leg stuffed with cayenne and garlic.
Savoy said, “From the first taste she ate almost all the meat off the drumstick even though she only had two teeth.” Anna’s favorite foods today are Cajun boudin and gumbo.
Savoy’s cookbook is her work of “real and imaginary” and a chronicle of growing up as a Savoy. “I’ve spent many hours lying in bed reading cookbooks,” said Savoy. “When I started writing my own, I wanted to include stories and anecdotes with some of the recipes. And it turns out to be a pretty rich collection of memories.”
The book contains dozens of photos from the family kitchen, boucheries, jam sessions, Mardi Gras runs and more. Recipes range from breakfast foods and appetizers, like couche-couche and barbecue prawns (shrimp), to green gumbo, Marc Savoy’s Seafood Medley Courtbouillon and Boules Rouge (red balls of coconut, condensed milk and JellO)
Because the book was published in the U.K. Sarah wanted to be sure that it honestly reflected genuine Cajun home cooking. Her desire was that families anywhere could prepare a Cajun meal from the book and have it turn out like we have in Louisiana. Savoy added, “I have seen several European Cajun cookbooks and kept thinking, ‘Who wrote this mess?’

** Recipe from
Savoy’s cookbook**

Barbecue Prawns
(UK publisher’s prawns are known to US as shrimp)

Olive oil
2 lbs. large prawns, unpeeled, heads on
1 lemon
2/3 cups beer
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne
6 Tbsp. butter, cut into cubes
French bread for serving

Heat the grill to its highest setting. Lightly oil a large baking tray and spread out the prawns in a single layer. Cut the lemon in half: cut one half into thin slices and squeeze the juice from the other half into a small bowl.
Add the beer, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaf, paprika, black pepper, salt and cayenne to the bowl of lemon juice and whisk until combined. Pour this over the prawns, then top them with the lemon slices and cubes of butter. Grill for about 6 minutes or until the prawn turn pink.
Transfer to a serving dish and serve with French bread for sopping up the juices. Great with a cold beer.

Savoy grew up in rural St. Landry Parish east of Eunice, and is a member of one of the most influential families in Cajun music and culture. Her father, Marc, is a pioneer Cajun accordion builder, maker of Acadian-brand instruments since 1960.
Her mother, Ann, is a Grammy-nominated musician/producer and author of “Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People.” Sarah’s brother, Wilson, leads the Pine Leaf Boys and won a Grammy last year as a member Cajun trio Courtbouillon. Their CD was recorded on her brother Joel’s label, Valcour Records. Her sister Gabrielle is an artist and photographer - focused on Louisiana’s people and events.
“The Savoy Kitchen: A Family History of Cajun Food,” can be purchased at Savoy Music Center in Eunice and at the country store at Le Village or through Amazon.com
Savoy also wrote a song about Eunice (CD is sold with the 2014 Accordion Babes Pin-up Calendar and CD). It’s called Eunice, LA and is available online as a single.