Real Vermont Cooking

INGREDIENTS 4 Pounds of veal or beef round steak 1 Teaspoon thyme ½ Cup bacon drippings or vegetable oil 1 Cup water or beef stock ½ Cup flour 1 Cup red wine 2 Cups of chopped onions 3 Bay leaves 1 ½ Cups of chopped green onions 3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce 1 Cup chopped celery ½ Cup chopped parsley 4 Cloves of garlic, chopped fine Salt, red and black pepper to taste. 3 Tomatoes (medium) chopped Directions: Start by cutting steaks into serving-size pieces and removing any external fat. In large heavy bottomed pot add bacon drippings or oil and brown meat well. After meat is well -browned (remember the browning gives the flavor) set aside. Add flour to the same pot with drippings and stir continually, making a roux. Cook until the color of a penny; add onions, green onions, celery and cook until soft and limp. Next add the garlic, tomatoes thyme mixing all ingredients together. Add water or stock, wine, bay leaves, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer all ingredients for 10 minutes add veal or beef pieces of meat back to pot stirring well. Cover and cook until meat is fork tender but not falling apart. You can add water during the cooking process if gravy gets too thick. Taste during the cooking for seasoning (salt and pepper) and add if needed. You can always add if you think Grillades need more seasoning but seasoning is hard to remove. When seasoned and meat very tender add parsley and serve over grits.

Makes 2 Servings INGREDIENTS 2 medium sized merlitons 1/2 pound or 1 cup ground beef 1/2 teaspon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1 small onion, finely diced 1/2 cup cooked rice 2 tablespoons bread or cracker crumbs Butter Directions: Cut merlitons in half lengthwise; cover with salted water in a pot with a tight fitting lid. Reduce heat to simmer; cook until tender, approximately 30 minutes. Do not overcook. With a teaspoon, discard seed, scoop out pulp and set aside, leaving a 1/4 inch shell. Place shell on a shallow greased baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook meat and onion with seasoning until tender. Should add water and stir occasionally, brown lightly. Add merliton pulp, cook 10 minutes longer; blend in the rice. Season again to taste. Fill shells with the mixture, sprinkle top with crumbs, dot with butter. Bake 15 or 20 minutes.

INGREDIENTS 1/2 fryer, cut in serving pieces 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1/4 cup oil paprika salt and pepper Directions: Season fryer generously with paprika, salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy bottomed pot with a lid. Fry the chicken to a golden brown, turning the pieces occasionally. When meat is brown cover with lid and reduce heat. Cook about 30 minutes, adding a tablespoon water if necessary. Uncover and add onion. Cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Serve with cooked rice.

Makes 2 Servings INGREDIENTS 1 or 2 sweet potatoes, enough for 2 servings; peel and cut in large chunks 1 tablespoon soda warm water to cover 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup water a pinch of salt a slice lemon, cut in small pieces 1/4 cup shredded coconut 1 teaspoon butter Directions: Peel potatoes and cut in diagonal chunks. Sprinkle soda over them and pour warm water to cover. Let soak in solution 5 minutes. Drain in a colander. In a saucepan combine water, sugar, salt, yams, and lemon. Boil, cover. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes, turn over the yams and cook uncovered 10 minutes longer. Add coconut and butter.

INGREDIENTS 1 Pound Regular Lump Crab Meat 1 Pinch salt 2 Cups light cream 4 tsp. Butter 1 tsp. Coleman’s prepared mustard 4 tsp. Hollandaise Sauce 6 tsp. (heaping) Small capers Italian bread crumbs Combine all ingredients in a thick aluminum pan and bring to a simmer. Add melted butter. When mixture starts to thicken, add Hollandaise Sauce (two egg yolks can be substituted). Fold lightly without using spoons or stirrers. This is to avoid breaking the crab meat lumps. When consistency is right, spoon into shell or serving dish. Sprinkle with Italian bread crumbs and then dot with small lumps of butter. Place coquille into 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes or place under a broiler until golden.

INGREDIENTS 6 Hard Crabs, cleaned and cut into 24 pieces 1 1/2 Gallons of Chicken Stock 1 Onion, diced 2 Quarts of Half and Half 3 Ribs of Celery, diced 1 Pound of Butter 2 Cups of Flour 1 Pound of Regular Lump Crab Meat Directions: Melt butter in soup pot, and add crabs, cook until crabs are dry, and add onions and celery, cook until tender, add flour and blend the roux, and chicken stock, let simmer at least thirty minutes. Heat half and half and blend in soup. Strain soup, and add lump crab meat and serve.