Chef Kevin Belton: ‘Love is the secret ingredient’

By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald

At 6-foot-9, New Orleans chef Kevin Belton, a former football player, casts a massive shadow over the local culinary scene.

Belton’s friends from Brother Martin High School, where he graduated in 1977, say the gentle giant has a smile and a heart to match his supersized frame.

Lenny Delbert Jr., a fellow Crusader alum and cameraman for many of Belton’s PBS cooking shows that have garnered him national acclaim – his fourth show, “Kevin Belton’s Cookin’ Louisiana” will air locally in July on WYES – says the studio crew employs a towering 2-by-4, topped by a Styrofoam head, to help them adjust the lighting. 

That prop has become a source of awe to the directors of other shows.

“People see this thing and they’re like, ‘What is that?’ and we tell them, ‘That’s Chef Kevin’s stand-in,’ and they go, ‘There is no way he’s that big!’” Delbert said. “Well, he is.”

But, Delbert says, there’s something more important.

“If you take the body and expand it – and the heart expands at the same rate – his heart is bigger than what would even fit within his body,” Delbert said. “He would give you his last dollar. Until this last year, he drove a 1995 Crown Victoria, beat up. He’s not the flashy, Food Network kind of guy.”

Belton’s big heart has attracted thousands of fans across the country, including 9-year-old Sophia Rhodes of Indiana, who became enamored of his cooking while watching one of his PBS shows. Sophia was born with a chronic health condition that does not allow her to process food and requires her to take liquid nutrition through a feeding tube.

Sophia religiously follows Chef Kevin’s recipes in preparing special meals for her family, but she can’t even eat the food she prepares. Belton was so amazed by her story that he surprised Sophia recently by hosting her on a video conference call and mailed her a gift box of an autographed cookbook, a gumbo recipe and other food goodies.

“Keep practicing, keep being that sweet, lovable person that you are and promise me you’re going to take care of mom and dad,” Belton told her.

Belton, 60, said he almost missed connecting with Sophia because her letter to him got lost in the shuffle. But when Sophia’s mother followed up by contacting the chef on Instagram, Belton’s wife Monica made sure the two connected.

“I kept flashing back to when I was a kid watching PBS on Saturdays – I would sit and watch Julia Child,” Belton said. “I even would call out to my mom, ‘Hey, Mom, you should come see what this lady is doing.’

“I can’t imagine that now, all these years later, I’m on television, which I never planned, and having kids watching me. Wow, it’s true
what they say about coming full circle.”

Belton, who also appears on Tuesdays as WWL-TV’s resident chef on the station’s morning show, likes to dispel two “myths” about Louisiana cooking.

“Everybody assumes Louisiana cooking is complicated, right?” he said. “It’s just using what’s there and making it taste good, in the right combination.”

The second myth is that when you eat a forkful, you have to call the fire department.

“That’s just not true,” Belton said. “It is flavorful and well-seasoned.”

Belton learned how to cook in his Uptown home at the elbow of his mother and grandmother, who were constantly telling him stories. 

“My mom used to say, ‘Hey, it doesn’t matter what ingredients you have – you’ve got to put love into it,’” Belton said.

Belton’s wife Monica heard that story so many times she hand-hammered into a sterling silver spoon  Belton’s mom’s stock phrase: “Love is my secret ingredient.”

“When I’m cooking, I always have that spoon  with me,” Belton said. “I take it with me when I travel. I usually keep it in my bag so I don’t lose it, because I’d cry if I did.”

As a child, he would deliver meals his mother cooked to the nuns who taught and lived at Our Lady of Lourdes convent.

“That’s where I first learned that nuns had hair,” Belton said, laughing. “I rang the bell, and Sister comes out of the elevator, and she didn’t have her habit on. The only thing I had ever seen were a few bangs right in the front, and here’s this beautiful, red hair. My mouth was just hanging open. The first thing she said to me was, ‘What, you thought I was bald?’”

One of his favorite memories at Brother Martin also involved food.

“Brother Bosco gave me my freshman year science final exam – we had to weigh an M&M with a homemade scale!” Belton said. “We had a cigar box, a paperclip and a pin. The only problem was he had broken out a big box of M&Ms and put one at everyone’s desk. Three of the guys said it was too late because they thought it was a treat he was giving them before the exam.”

Belton has included two recipes for Lent – Stuffed Flounder with Crab and Shrimp, and Shrimp and Orzo Salad. More recipes are available online at www.clarionherald.org.

“The biggest thing with recipes is that folks have to trust their own taste,” Belton says. “The best piece of equipment you have is your tongue.”

As for his ability to make people happy with his food, Belton calls it “a blessing.”

“I thank God every day that Monica and I have the ability to bring happiness to people,” he said. “I grew up at that kitchen table. I did my homework at that kitchen table. I helped peel shrimp. I was that free labor at the kitchen table. You don’t realize it, but not only do you learn family values, you learn family history. 

“You learn about medicine, because someone gets sick and you talk about what they had or maybe they need surgery. You learn business. They would sit there and say they had to pay this bill and save this much. As a kid, you don’t pay any attention to it, but you’re absorbing and soaking it in. I think so many times we’ve gotten so busy where we’re losing that time at the table. We need to celebrate the table.”

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Stuffed Flounder with Crab & Shrimp for Lent 

4 tablespoons butter, divided

3/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1⁄4 cup yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

1 cup small cubes French bread, toasted

1⁄4 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons Creole seasoning, plus more for seasoning the fish

Kosher salt, to taste

1⁄8 teaspoon white pepper, optional

3⁄4 pound claw crabmeat

1⁄2 pound(16- to 20-count) shrimp, uncooked, peeled, deveined and chopped

1 (2-pound) whole flounder, scaled and dressed

2 whole fresh lemons, 1 cut into 1⁄8-inch thick slices and the other into wedges, for garnish

2 tablespoons  minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.

To prepare the bread crumbs, add the bread cubes and milk to a small mixing bowl. Mix together until the bread is thoroughly saturated. Squeeze out excess liquid.

Add soaked bread to the onion mixture and mix to thoroughly incorporate. Add the seasoning, salt and cayenne pepper, if using, and mix to combine. Add crabmeat and shrimp and lightly mix. Set aside. 

Prepare flounder by cutting along the center bone of the fish with the brown side up. Peel open the fish and form a pocket by gently pulling back the outer skin. Lightly season the outside of the fish with Creole seasoning and salt.

Divide the stuffing in half and fill the pocket with the stuffing mixture, patting it gently to form a mound. Close the flaps and place the fish in a lightly greased, glass baking dish.

In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over fish. Bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the stuffing is warmed through, about 25 minutes. Serve hot garnished with lemon slices and parsley. 
 

Lemon Butter sauce 

4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1 tablespoon  fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and finely ground pepper

Place the butter in a light colored saucepan or small skillet over medium heat.

Melt butter then leave on the stove, whisking/stirring every now and then. When the butter turns golden brown and it smells nutty – about 3 minutes – remove from stove immediately and pour into a small bowl. Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir, then taste when it has cooled slightly. Adjust lemon/salt to taste. Set aside and it will stay pourable for 20-30 minutes.

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Crispy Fried Catfish 

(and a l’il lagniappe to help make it a delicious day! Pass the hot sauce and lemon!) 

6 pounds catfish fillets

1 cup buttermilk

4 cups vegetable oil or lard for frying

Cornmeal Mix:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cornstarch 

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

2 tablespoons Creole seasoning 

1 teaspoon  garlic powder 

2 teaspoons  ground black pepper

Rinse fish fillets under cold water, cut into 2-inch wide strips; place in a large bowl.

Cover fish with buttermilk and mix with hands, cover and refrigerate. Let soak for 30 minutes to an hour before frying.

In a large zip-top bag, combine flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, Creole seasoning, garlic powder and black pepper.

Heat oil in a large iron skillet over medium-high heat to about 400 degrees.

Drain buttermilk from the fish. Drop 3 to 4 pieces into the cornmeal mixture and coat each piece well.

Fry fish pieces for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.

Remove from hot oil and drain on paper towels. Serve hot. 

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Basic Potato Salad 

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, diced

1 tablespoon  yellow or Creole mustard 

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup parsley, chopped 

1/2 cup green onions, sliced 

6 eggs, hard boiled and chopped 

Creole seasoning, to taste 

kosher salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

paprika for garnish

Boil and drain potatoes. Place them in a large bowl and stir in mustard and mayonnaise, mixing well. Fold in parsley, green onions, eggs, then season with Creole seasoning, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Sprinkle paprika over the top and serve.

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Shrimp and Orzo Salad

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons  olive oil

4 cups corn, cut off cob

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound  orzo, cooked

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped basil

2 tablespoons  chopped parsley

1 cup green onions, chopped 

4 pepperoncini, sliced 

2 teaspoons  pepperoncini juice

3  tablespoons red wine vinegar

1  lemon, zested and juiced

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons  pepper

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning 

2 cups shrimp, grilled or sautéed 

In a large skillet over high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and corn and sauté, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes or until fragrant and corn is tender. Let cool.

Season shrimp with Creole seasoning, and sauté in skillet for 3-4 minutes until cooked.

In a large bowl, combine corn, orzo, tomatoes, basil and parsley, and stir well. In a medium bowl, combine green onions, 1/2-cup olive oil, pepperoncini, vinegar, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper, then whisk. Pour dressing over salad and toss well. Top with shrimp. Salad can be made up to 6 hours in advance. Serve cold or at room temperature.