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.

12-3 oz port loin or tenderloin medallions 1/4 c. oil 1/4 c diced onion 1/4 c diced celery 2 tbsp chopped garlic 1/4 c sliced mushrooms 1/4 c green onions 2 oz red wine 3 cups of brown sauce Salt and black pepper to taste Stale french bread Season medallions with salt and pepper. Saute in oil over medium high heat, browning on both sides. Add onion, celery, garlic, mushrooms, and green onions. Saute until vegetables wilt, deglaze with red wine, reduce by half, and add brown sauce. Cook until done. Slice and toast stale french bread, serve one medallion per slice of bread (2) and cover with sauce. Serves 6

Ingredients 1-1/2 Lbs. – Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh Meat – Chopped 1-1/2 Lbs. – Manda (or your favorite) smoked Pork Sausage – Sliced 1-1/2 Lbs. – Boneless Boston Butt Pork – Cubed 1-1/2 Lbs. Onions – Chopped 4 – Stalks of Celery – Chopped 2 – Small Bell Peppers (Green, Red, Or Yellow) – Chopped 1 – Bunch Of Green Onions (Shallots) – Chopped 1/2 Cup – Parsley Flakes 1 – Tablespoons of Sweet Basil 3 – Bay Leaves 3 – Tablespoons of Fresh Garlic – Minced 1 – 14oz. Can Of Delmonte Cajun Recipe Stewed Tomatoes 1 1/2 Lbs. – No.3 Luxury Spaghetti 4 1/2 Cups – Water Dash of your Favorite Hot Sauce (Crystal or Tobasco) Dash of Black Pepper Dash of Cayenne Pepper Dash of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning 2 tbls – Garlic Powder 2 tbls – Worcestershire Sauce 2 tbls – A1 Steak Sauce Brown the chicken sprinkled with Tony’s seasonings then remove from pot. Brown pork first, then boil down with some water till tender (about 30 minutes) and most of the water has reduced. Add sausage to pork and brown for about 10 minutes on medium heat while constantly stirring. Next add onions, bell pepper, celery, Cajun recipe, bay leaves, basil, parsley flakes, fresh garlic, and dash of hot sauce. Let cook down on medium heat while carefully stirring to prevent sticking. Vegetables will make extra water. When cooked thoroughly and vegetables are wilted, add the water (4-1/2 cups) and return chicken to the pot. Next season mixture with pepper, garlic powder, Worcestershire, A1 and Tony’s. Remember that pasta will absorb the seasonings, so make sure the water tastes just a little more salty and peppery than you would like. Next, raise the heat to medium high so water starts boiling. Break pasta in half and sprinkle into mixture. Be careful that pasta does not stick together and clump. When all the pasta has softened and absorbs most of the water, lower heat to medium low and add the green onions. Stir carefully; place lid on pot for 3 minutes. Next lift the lid, stir pot completely then replace the lid. Lower heat to very, very low and cook covered for 15 minutes. Finally, turn the heat off, do not remove the lid, and let sit for 30 minutes. After this, lift the lid, stir the pot over, and your dish is ready to serve….Enjoy !!!

Ingredients 1/8 # bacon 4 oz. sliced mushrooms 4 cloves garlic-minced 1/4 bunch green onions-chopped 1/2 stick butter (1/8 #) 2 c. flour 1 1/2 qt. milk 1/4 tsp. egg shade food color 1/2 # boiled shrimp diced 1/2 pt. oyster juice 1/2 c. lemon juice 1/2 c. sherry 1/4 c. chopped parsley 6 doz. oysters with shells Cut bacon into small pieces and fry until brown. sauté mushrooms, garlic and green onions. Add butter and when it has melted, blend in flour. Cook slowly 5 minutes, then gradually stir in milk. After sauce thickens, add egg coloring, shrimp, oyster juice, lemon juice, sherry, and parsley. Simmer slowly 15 minutes. Have 12 pie pans half filled with rock salt. Arrange 6 oyster shells in each pie pan. Put a raw oyster ( at room temperature) on each shell and top with sauce. Place under broiler (6 inches from heat) until heated thoroughly and browned on top. Serves 12.

Ingredients 30 oysters and liquid 2 sheets of 8.5 x 13 puff pastry 1 egg beaten 1/4 c. melted butter 1/2 c. diced Andouille sausage 1 tsp garlic chopped 1/4 c. sliced mushrooms 1/4 c. green onions 1/4 c. diced tomatoes 1/4 c. bell pepper 2 oz. champagne or white wine 1 c. heavy whipping cream 1/4 # cold butter chips Salt and pepper to taste Place one sheet of pastry over the other. Cut out circles with pastry or biscuit cutter. Brush the top with egg wash and bake at 400 degrees about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Set pastry aside and keep warm-do not cover!!! In a saucepan, add 1/4 c. of melted butter. Sauté Andouille sausage and all vegetables until soft. Add oysters, liquid, and wine. Sauté about 2 minutes. Add heavy cream and simmer until reduced by half. When cream is a saucy consistency, add chipped butter a little at a time, swirling the pan as the butter goes in. Continue swirling or the butter may break if left to overheat. Season with salt and pepper. Remove top half of pastry, spoon mixture over the bottom, and replace the top pastry. Serves 8.

Ingredients 60 peeled and de-veined 21-25 count shrimp, tail on 4 oz. butter 10 mushrooms sliced 2 bunches green onions sliced 5 tbsp garlic 5 tomatoes wedged 3 Golden bell peppers, julienne 3 red bell peppers, julienne 1/2 c. lemon pepper seasoning 5 c. white wine salt, red pepper, dill 10 tbsp butter, frozen 5 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 30 oz cooked pasta- angel hair, cappelini, fettucini This is a fast sauté item. Put the first 4 oz butter in a heated sauté pan or rondo. Add shrimp, mushrooms, green onions, and garlic, then sauté. When the shrimp begin to turn pink, add the tomatoes, both peppers, lemon seasoning, other seasoning, and sauté for 1 minute on high. Add white wine and blend together. When the wine has heated, lower the fire, add frozen butter, Parmesan cheese and shake/stir. Fold in the pasta. Serves 10 , serve immediately.

Ingredients 1# cooked Tortellini 1# crawfish tails 1 pt. whipping cream 1 tsp. butter 1/4 c. diced onion 1/4 c diced red or green bell pepper 2 tbsp chopped garlic 2 tsp chopped parsley 2 tsp chopped green onion tops Salt and cayenne to taste Melt the butter in a skillet, add onions and bell pepper and sauté until the onions clear. Add whipping cream and simmer until the cream coats the back of a spoon. Add crawfish tails and reheat to simmer, add Tortellini, parsley, green onions, salt and pepper to taste. If too thick, add a little more cream, too thin, a tsp of corn starch in cold water can be added while simmering.

5 # crayfish tails (the best are from Louisiana waters) Vegetables: 9-10 bunches of green onions (chopped) 2 onions (chopped) 1 bunch celery – about 9 pieces (chopped) 7 toes garlic (chopped) and garlic powder (to taste) 1 bunch parsley (chopped) 1 1/2 sticks of butter (to sauté the vegetables) OR canola oil 5 cans of chicken broth (if too thick add a sixth can) 1/2 can tomato paste (to color and thicken) Approx.3 lg. cooking spoons flour (not tablespoons) A little water from rinsing crayfish bags Salt (to taste) Pepper (to taste) Creole Seasoning (to taste) Sauté vegetables in butter. Add chicken broth, tomato paste, flour, crayfish, and water. Add salt, pepper, and Tony Chacherie’s to taste. May add a dash of Tabasco. Cook approximately 1 hour on low heat. Serve over rice.

Ingredients 1/4 c. melted butter 2 tbsp garlic 1/4 c. green onions 1/4 c sliced mushrooms 1/4 c dry white wine 1/2 c whipping cream 1 # crawfish tails 3/4 # butter chips cold Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 c melted butter, add garlic, mushrooms, green onions and sauté until wilted. Add wine and reduce by half. Add whipping cream and reduce by half again. Add crawfish. A little at a time, swirl in the cold butter chips. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper (red or white). Serve over or under your best fish.

Makes Serves 2 INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup crabmeat 1/2 shell of a beaten egg 1 pound fillet of pompano 1/2 cup cracker crumbs 4 tablespoons butter salt and red pepper to taste 1 small onion, chopped fine 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 stick celery, chopped fine 1 teaspoon chopped green onion 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon chopped parsley 1/2 cup milk 2 pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil 1 tablespoon sherry wine (optional) juice of a half a lemon Directions: Season pompano with salt and pepper, put in covered dish in refrigerator for 2 or 3 hours. Cook onion and celery in butter over low heat, stirring, until tender. Stir in the flour, blend well, add milk, cook and stir until mixture thickens. Pour mixture in a bowl. Let cool. To the cooled mixture, combine with ginger, egg, cracker crumbs, parsley, green onions, and wine. Beat well and fold in the crabmeat. Divide the fish into 2 equal parts, place half on buttered pieces of paper or foil. Spoon crabmeat filling over each and spread evenly. Place other halves of fish over filling, squeeze lemon over the top, then dot with butter. Fold paper or foil over, seal all around, crimp the edges together to make the package air tight. Arrange the papilottes on a baking sheet, and bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve fish in their envelopes, garnish with lemon wedges.