Chef Serigne Mbaye
The young chef explores the Senegalese foundations of Creole cuisine
Chef Serigne Mbaye had never been to Louisiana, or indeed the South, before he arrived in New Orleans two summers ago and took up a position plating desserts at Commander’s Palace. Yet there was home—Senegal—in the beignets, the fritters, and the gumbo of this new city. Over three hundred years after his ancestral countrymen were forced across the Atlantic Ocean into enslavement in French colonial Louisiana, Chef Serigne can easily recognize how familiar flavors and traditions wove into the state’s creole culture. But he’s ready for Louisiana to taste Senegalese food as he knows it—not traces that whisper echoes of his homeland but brimming bowls and plates that are fragrant, cooked often over wood fires, and absolutely delicious.
A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, the newcomer worked his way through Commander’s rigid stations in just four months to become head line cook. Now just twenty-four, Chef Serigne serves as the evening sous chef at Café Adelaide and in pop-ups around New Orleans showcases Senegalese dishes enhanced by techniques and presentations he’s learned from the Cuban, Italian, Japanese, and Creole restaurants on his long résumé.
On May 12, we’re honored to have Chef Serigne prepare a four-course dinner at Laura Plantation, where unflinching interpretive work gives shape to the individuals, enslaved and free, who once lived on the sugar plantation. Through food, the chef will show how Senegalese traditions mingled with Native American and European influences to form Louisiana Creole culture. “It’s very upsetting when people look at an African country and they automatically think of a third-world country that has nothing to offer,” said Chef Serigne. “There’s so much more to offer. People just don’t have the resources to do it, but the flavors are there. So what if I could use techniques I’ve learned over the years, but still make Senegalese food? The idea is not being lost.”
He walked us through each signature course—though he’s saving some surprises for the dinner. Here’s what’s in store:
Serigne’s Mother’s Gumbo
Seafood gumbo traditionally cooked in an African fashion (soupoukandia), finished with palm oil: “I’ve definitely changed my mother’s recipe. What’s cool about Senegalese cooking is you learn a dish from someone else very perfectly, and then you make it your own.
“So I’ve added some fresh seafood, more local flavors—instead of using dried spices, I use habaneros. She uses a lot of dehydrated seafood seasoning, fermented oysters, baby shrimp, fish. She uses fresh seafood for sure, but mostly fish. I add crabs, shrimp—if soft-shell crab is available, I’m going to add that.
“It might be similar to the gumbo at Commander’s, but it’s a different dish. In Senegal, we make the stock in the same pot, and we add the okra at the beginning. It’s cooked differently, and the love is different.”
Fonio Salad
Cultivated West African grain, fonio paired with cherry tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pickled red onions, tossed in a lemon vinaigrette: “Fonio is a grain cultivated from West Africa. In the next generation, it will beat quinoa. It’s one of the oldest grains throughout West Africa. It’s very cheap, and it’s grown three times in the year. It doesn’t need a lot of water and it can grow in a very dry environment. When it cooks, it triples in size, and it’s very high in protein.
“Tomatoes are very warm and nice, giving that brightness of spring close to summer. Sweet potatoes add a little bit of sweetness. The pickles balance out the sweet. And the lemon vinaigrette gives a light, summery feel. It’s very light and natural, and it’s completely gluten-free. It’s not meant to weigh you down. It’s uplifting.”
Yassa
Citrus onion sauce cooked in traditional Senegalese spices with seared Gulf fish over jasmine rice and microgreens: “Yassa is a dish prepared throughout Africa. In Senegal, we eat it often. The most common version is with chicken, but fish is more of New Orleans. In Senegal, people who have money will get fish instead of chicken. For this, I’ll go to New Orleans Fish House and hand-select the best fish. It’s marinated with onions, peppers, spices, mustard, vinegar, lemon and lime—then you let it sit for a little bit. It’s very high in acid, so it’s pre-cooking the meat. Then you caramelize it for a little bit, then you let it slowly cook.”
Sombi (“Poor Man’s Rice Pudding”)
Sweet & savory rice pudding, toasted coconut, farmers market seasonal fruit: “This dish means a lot to me because growing up, this was a dish you only ate because you had no other choice. You use leftover rice, so it’s a little salty, plus sour cream for sweetness. There’s fresh fruit from the farmers market—and sometimes people add raisins. This is something that you might once have paid nothing for, but now you’ll want to pay something for it. It’s really simple. I don’t want to overcomplicate it.”
Read more about Laura Plantation and our guest Adella Adella the Storyteller, then buy your tickets to join us May 12.
This article originally appeared in our May 2018 issue. Subscribe to our print magazine today.