Real Vermont Cooking

Makes 4 Servings INGREDIENTS 2 Pounds of Catfish Fillet cut into 2 inch chunks 1 Bay leaf 4 Cloves of garlic minced ½ Teaspoon sugar 1 Large onion chopped fine 1 and a 1/2 Quarts of water 1 Stick of celery, chopped fine 3 Tablespoons chopped parsley 1 Cup whole tomatoes chopped 4 Tablespoons chopped green onions ¼ Cup tomato sauce ½ Lemon sliced thin Salt and Red Pepper to taste Directions: Season catfish with salt, red pepper, black pepper and garlic. Let sit in refrigerator until ready to use. The next thing you want to do is make a roux by heating the oil in a heavy bottomed pot. Add the flour and stir constantly over medium heat until the color of a penny. Remove from heat and add onions and celery, stir mixture well and return the pot to the fire. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat. Add tomatoes, sauce, bay leaf sugar, and water and stir until well mixed and roux dissolved. When the sauce comes to a boil reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add your Catfish and lemons and bring back to a simmer for 15 minutes. You do not want to overcook the fish. It should flake, but not fall apart. Take the pot off of the fire. Add parsley and green onions let stand for about 5 minutes and serve in soup bowl with a large scoop of white rice.

Ingredients 2 Tbsp. oil 5 # beef round cut in 3″ squares and pounded thin 4 tbsp. flour 2 medium onions diced 1 bell pepper diced 3 tbsp. minced garlic 2 tsp leaf thyme 3 bay leaves 3 c. beef stock 1 can tomatoes 1 small can tomato paste 1 c. chopped parsley Salt and white pepper to taste Brown beef in oil, remove from pot (cast iron Dutch oven works best). Clarify the fat by boiling any water out of the oil. Add flour and make a medium dark roux. Add onions and peppers, sauté until onions clear. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaf, beef stock, “Rotel” tomatoes, and browned beef. Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer, add tomato paste, cook until beef is tender-45 minutes is about the minimum. Before serving, add fresh parsley and adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper. Traditionally this dish is served over grits, but it does well over pasta, rice, mashed potatoes or staling biscuits. Serves about 12. \

(Scallops) INGREDIENTS POACHING 1 C: dry white wine 1 bay leaf ½ Teaspoon salt 1 Pound Sea Scallops ½ Teaspoon pepper ½ Pound sliced fresh mushrooms SAUCE 3 Tablespoons butter 2 Egg yolks 4 Tablespoons flour ½ Cup whipping cream ¼ C: scallop liquid or seafood stock ¼ Lemon juiced ¾ C: of whole milk 10 Tablespoons Swiss cheese Salt and pepper for taste Directions: Combine all poaching ingredients except the Scallops and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer for a few minutes; add Scallops and mushrooms and enough water to slightly cover Scallops. Bring back to a simmer and lower heat so that liquid is not boiling but slowly poaching for about 5 minutes. Melt butter and mix flour to make a white roux. Do not let the flour brown. Cook slowly until mixture is smooth. With the fire turned off blend in the poaching liquid, then the milk. Cook for about 2 minutes on low fire. Blend the egg yolks and cream in a separate bowl. When blended drip the egg and cream mixture slowly into the hot sauce beating until sauce is smooth. Return sauce to heat and stir for about 2 minutes then add the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Add the Scallops and mushrooms to about 2/3 of the sauce and mix well with fire off. Butter Scallop shells or ramekins and add the Scallop and mushroom sauce mixture. Spoon remaining sauce over Scallops and top with grated Swiss cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and sauce is hot. Should be served immediately from oven.

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 1 pound dried red beans or kidney beans 1 large hamhock from left over ham, or sausage 2 tablespoons margarine or ham fat 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 or 2 clove garlic, finely minced 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon red pepper 1 small piece bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon oregano powder 2 large ripe tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes Directions: Pick and wash red beans. In a large sauce pan boil 1-1/2 quarts water, drop in the beans, boil 1 minute. Set aside until they cool. Cook onion in fat until tender. Add to beans, with garlic, hamhock, tomatoes, bayleaf, salt, and pepper. Cook over high heat, then reduce to simmer until tender, about 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Take out hamhock, cut meat away from bone and add to pot of beans. Add oregano. Serve in soup plates over rice. Chopped scallions over this is delicious.