During my “In Memory Of” series, I was introduced to sauce piquante, a Creole-American cajun chicken stew. Made with chicken, several vegetables, garlic, and creole seasoning, this rich, buttery chicken dish is simply inspired. Swimming in a creamy, spicy tomato sauce, this flavorful, tender family-style meal truly is a labor of love.

This sauce piquante recipe was brought to us by Alaina from Louisiana. Although she currently resides in Kansas, she still indulges in delicious Cajun cuisine—particularly her Papa Charlie’s sauce piquante. Alaina’a grandpa was proud to be Native American and Cajun, and this showed in this cooking. Sauce piquante is a primarily Creole dish with French, Spanish, and African infusions, and Papa Charlie would cook this dish in large quantities for his beloved family. 

Alaina associates this meal with family time, love, and important memories. Before Papa Charlie passed away two years ago, he would call her weekly, and they’d both make this dish often. Alaina describes him as family-oriented, hard-working, dedicated to his family, and full of unconditional love. His strong belief in Alaina was inspiring, and she carries to with her to this day. This sauce piquante recipe means a lot to her, and I was honored to take it on.

The tastes of the chicken, rice, and sauce were like nothing else. A whole stick of butter was used to cook the chicken, and though this was rather naughty, I must say it was also delicious. And it makes sense if you’re making this dish true to form as a family-style meal for several people to enjoy! 

Thank you to Alaina and her Papa Charlie for such a yummy meal. It is always a privilege to cook such incredibly meaningful recipes, and I truly enjoyed this sauce piquante. All the different flavors and cuisines involved in this dish came together to create an exemplary meal, and I hope that many others around the world try it.