Real Vermont Cooking

Makes 4 Servings INGREDIENTS 1 pound tender beef steak, cut 1/2 inch thick Salt Red pepper 1/4 cup cooking oil 1 medium onion, finely sliced Water Directions: Season steak with salt and pepper. In a heavy bottomed skillet, place meat in cold oil over medium heat and cook until most of the liquid has cooked out. Turn meat, add 1 tablespoon water and cook until meat starts frying, then turn meat and add water. Continue with the process of turning, frying and adding water until meat is tender. Add onion, cook until tender. Add a little water; this makes a sauce rouille, or rusty gravy. Serve with cooked rice or creamed potatoes.

INGREDIENTS 1/2 lb. or more filet of catfish, trout or redfish 2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/2 pint of shelled oysters 2 cups chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery Gumbo File 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped parsley 1 gallon water 4 cloves minced garlic salt, black and red pepper to taste Directions: 1 – 1/2 cups cooking oil 1 – 1/2 cups flour Place cooking oil in heavy iron pot over medium heat. When oil is hot, stir flour in a little at a time, blending thoroughly with each addition. Lower heat. It is very important that you keep stirring constantly. After all of the flour has been combined with the oil, turn fire down very low and cook until golden brown, stirring constantly. Pour the mixture into another container and continue as follows:

Makes 4 Servings INGREDIENTS 5 Tablespoons butter 4 Bananas cut in half lengthwise then halve 4 Tablespoons brown sugar ¼ cup of light rum 1 Teaspoon cinnamon 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream 3 Tablespoons banana liquor Directions: Melt butter in a skillet or flambé pan. Add sugar, cinnamon, and banana liquor and stir until sugar melts. Add bananas to sauce and sauté until bananas are soft and browned. Add rum and allow to get hot so that you can flambé (ignite) the pan. Liquor should ignite if hot and placed near a flame. Tip pan in circular motion. Place ice cream in 4 bowls topping with 4 pieces of banana. Spoon sauce over bananas and ice cream and serve immediately.

(with Whiskey Sauce) INGREDIENTS 1 loaf French bread 2 Tablespoons Vanilla 1 qt. Milk 1 cup golden raisins 3 eggs 4 Tablespoons butter 2 cups of sugar Whiskey Sauce 1 stick of butter (1/4 Pound) 1 egg 1 cup confectioners sugar 1 jigger of bourbon Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Break French bread into about 8 pieces. In a large bowl, soak bread in milk until well soaked. Mix the bread around before adding the next ingredients. Beat the egg, sugar and vanilla well then add to bread mixture. Next add the raisins and stir mixture well. Grease a baking pan with butter ; pour the mixture into the pan. Place the pan with the pudding in another shallow pan with about an inch of water in it. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until pudding is firm. When cooked take out of oven and allow to cool. WHISKEY SAUCE In a double boiler, cook butter and sugar until completely dissolved. Add egg, beating very quickly so that it won’t curdle. When the mixture smoothes add whiskey. If you desire a stronger whiskey taste add more. Cut bread pudding into serving pieces and place in deep dish. Add whiskey sauce to the top of the pudding.

(Makes 1 ½ Quarts) INGREDIENTS 2 Eggs ½ cup each, shallots & celery 4 Tablespoons paprika 4 cloves garlic 2 Teaspoons salt 5 stalks parsley ½ cup Creole mustard ¼ cup tomato catsup 1-½ pints of vegetable or olive oil 3 bay leaves ½ cup vinegar 2 Tablespoons horseradish 1 lemon 4 shots of Tabasco or to taste Directions: Put eggs, paprika, salt and Creole mustard into a mixing bowl. Add oil slowly; after mixture is thick, add vinegar. Grate lemon rind into mixture; squeeze the juice from the lemon into the mixture. Finely chop celery, garlic, parsley, and shallots, add to mixture. Blend in catsup, bay leaves, horseradish and Tabasco. Chill for 5 hours. Serve with cold shrimp or crabmeat.

INGREDIENTS 1 heaping teaspoon all purpose flour 1 tablespoon parsley 1 teaspoon salt 2 very thin slices lemon 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon green onion 1 lb. cleaned crawfish tails, commercial kind crawfish fat and water to make 3/4 cup 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste 1 stick margarine or butter 1 medium onion, chopped fine Directions: Use a saucepan with a tight fitting lid to etouffee, (French for smother). Season crawfish tails with salt and pepper, set aside. Melt butter, add onion, cook over medium heat until tender. Stir in the flour, blend well. Add water, crawfish fat, lemon, tomato and garlic. Cook slowly, about 20 minutes, and add a little more water occasionally. When sauce is done, add crawfish tails, cover with lid. Cook 8 minutes. Season again, to taste. Add green onion and parsley, cook 2 minutes longer. Serve on steamed rice. Garlic bread and green salad is a good companion to crawfish

INGREDIENTS 1 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon minced onion, or shallots 1 tablespoon capers 1 teaspoon vinegar 1 tablespoon chopped sweet pickles 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard 1 hard boiled egg, finely chopped Directions: Combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill in covered dish until ready to use. Serve with almost any fried fish.