Chef Braden Gastineau is a true believer in the power of onions, green bell peppers and celery — otherwise known as the Cajun holy trinity.
“My first job was shucking oysters and I did that through high school,” Gastineau said.
However, after working in Cajun and Creole kitchens across the south, Gastineau wanted to share his own gumbo, jambalaya and étouffée recipes with folks in the Rocky Mountains.
Recently, the executive chef launched his Cajun food pop-up and delivery business known as “Gastineau’s The Roaring Cajun.”
Chelsea Self / Post Independent
Gastineau prepares all of his Cajun and Creole offerings at a commissary kitchen in Rifle, freezes them and then delivers to customers throughout the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys.
Gastineau’s food trailer can be found at various locations throughout the region and sells frozen dishes by the quart, which customers can heat up and serve at their convenience.
“It has a six-month shelf life in the freezer,” Gastineau said. “All they have to do is heat it up and it’s delicious.”
Although Gastineau plans on rotating menu items, a few of his Southern staples will remain readily available. Those dishes include chicken and sausage gumbo, seafood gumbo, crawfish and shrimp étouffée, jambalaya and shrimp creole.
From 1-7:30 p.m. on Mardi Gras Day and Ash Wednesday, Gastineau’s The Roaring Cajun will be parked outside of Big John’s Ace Hardware located at 2602 S. Glen Ave.
At the Fat Tuesday event, customers can pick up frozen dishes from Gastineau’s food trailer or place delivery orders for a later date.
The executive chef hoped to share his Cajun and Creole creations not only with the region’s Southern transplants but also with those who might be less familiar with the Cajun holy trinity.
According to Gastineau, when The Lost Cajun’s Glenwood Springs location closed in March 2019, he knew it was time to showcase his own Cajun and Creole dishes for the community.
While Gastineau certainly incorporates plenty of Gulf seafood into his cuisine, he also utilizes an assortment of local produce.
“All of this stuff from Montrose and Palisade, I was blown away,” Gastineau said of the region’s fresh produce. “The potatoes, carrots and people were foraging… I’d never seen anything like that.”
Whether seafood gumbo or shrimp and crawfish étouffée, Gastineau liked to bring people together over food.
For more information about Gastineau’s, customers can visit roaringcajun.com.
“It’s about community,” Gastineau said. “I want to do the best that I can to intertwine Colorado with the South.”
mabennett@postindependent.com