Real Vermont Cooking

Ingredients 1 # crawfish tails (fat pack if available) 1/4 # butter 2 tbsp all purpose flour 1 medium onion Рdiced 1/2 bell pepper- diced 3 stalks celery- diced 2 pods garlic or 1 tsp- minced 1 tsp sweet basil 1 tsp leaf thyme 1/4 c. diced parsley 1/4 c. diced onion tops 1/2 c. shrimp or seafood stock, water if unavailable Red, white, black pepper, and salt to taste Saut̩ flour and butter together to form a blonde roux. Add celery, onion, bell pepper and garlic, saut̩ until the onions clear. Add shrimp stock and fat if available. Add basil and thyme, some pepper. Simmer 20 minutes minimum. Ten minutes before serving, add crawfish tails and bring back to a light simmer. Adjust salt and peppers to taste. Immediately before serving, stir in onion tops and parsley. Serve on hot Louisiana rice. Serves up to 4 people.

WITH TOMATO, BASIL AND SAFFRON INGREDIENTS 2 pounds shrimp (21 to 25 count) peeled and deveined. Use 6 to 8 shrimp per person 1 pound lump crabmeat or crawfish tails 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and cayenne pepper 1 ounce brandy 2 dry shallots, finely chopped 2 ounces vermouth 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced 1/2 bunch fresh basil 1 cup cream, scalded with a pinch of saffron threads Directions: Lightly season the shrimp with salt and cayenne, and saute in butter and olive oil until pink. Remove from heat and pour in brandy. Return to burner and tilt the pan to flame the brandy. Transfer the shrimp to a warm bowl. Add shallots and tomatoes to the pan and pour on the vermouth. Cook for a few minutes over medium-low heat until liquid is reduced by half. Add saffron-cream and chopped fresh basil. Bring to a boil. Simmer several minutes until creamy, then toss in shrimp and crabmeat or crawfish and heat through. Check seasoning and serve with pasta, rice or zucchini noodles. Serves 6 to 8.

INGREDIENTS 1/2 pound fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined and washed 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1 bay leaf 1 small piece of bell pepper, cut fine 1/4 lemon 1/8 teaspoon sweet basil 1 – 1/2 cups water pinch nutmeg 1 – 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil 1 small piece of bayleaf 1 small onion, chopped 1/8 teaspoon red pepper 1 clove garlic, mashed 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch 1 cup whole tomatoes, fresh or canned A small amount of green onion 1/2 cup tomato sauce Liquid from boiled shrimp Directions: In a stew pan, add water, salt, bay leaf, lemon and shrimp. Cook over medium heat. When water comes to a boil, cover and cook 5 minutes. Drain and reserve liquid. Saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add tomatoes, shrimp broth, sugar, and bell pepper, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add sweet basil, nutmeg, red pepper and salt to taste. Cook a few minutes more. . Make a paste with corn starch and 2 tablespoons water. Stir it into the sauce; stir and cook until it thickens. When ready to serve, add the boiled shrimp, parsley and green onion.

Ingredients 2 # whole corn 1/2 stick butter 1 tbsp flour 1/2 c. onion-diced 1/4 c. celery-diced 1/4 c. bell pepper-diced 1/2 c. fresh tomatoes-diced 1/4 c. diced parsley 1/4 c. diced onion tops 1 tbsp oregano 1 tbsp basil 1 tbsp minced garlic Salt, black red and white pepper to taste Saute butter and flour together to form a blonde roux. Add onions, celery, and bell pepper. Saute until the onions clear. Stir in tomatoes and corn, garlic, oregano, basil and simmer about 10 minutes. Adjust the salt and peppers to taste, add onion tops and parsley, serve. (Note-this dish lends itself well to the addition of any meats or fish. Add meat after the onions have cleared, add fish later depending on the size and texture of the fish. Try it with crawfish and tasso for a great combination.) Serves up to 8 people.