The Lagasse Legacy

Portuguese home cooking by way of New Orleans

“You tell me, Dad, but these are based off of Miss Hilda’s classic takes, and they just change slightly to show in the restaurants,” says E.J. Lagasse, chef of Emeril’s in New Orleans, in conversation with his father about classic Portuguese dishes made by his grandmother. “It’s the same thing you see in Italian American cultures and what is known as Luso American culture, which is Portuguese American culture.” Emeril agrees: “They’re sort of adaptations of dishes from the motherland.”

All this and more from Emeril and E.J. Lagasse in this tell-all feature on their family legacy, as seen through the lens of their flagship restaurant, Emeril’s, in New Orleans, where E.J. is now head chef. Read on for this exclusive deep dive!

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