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 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.

1 # lump crabmeat 1 # backfin crabmeat 1 # clawmeat 1 tsp dry mustard 1 tsp cayenne 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp Chopped parsley 3 eggs beaten 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup Bread crumbs 6 oz. clarified butter Clean crabmeat of any shells. Mix mustard, red pepper, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and eggs with mayonnaise, fold in crabmeat. Add bread crumbs and mix. Using a 4 oz. scoop, form cakes. Saute over medium heat in butter until brown on both sides. Serve with corn relish, mustard, mayonnaise, tartare sauce or cocktail sauce.

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.

Ingredients 1/3 c. light oil 2# cut okra 2 c. chopped onions 1 c. celery 1 c. bell pepper 2 c. chopped tomatoes 1 # smoked or Andouille sausage 5 # peeled head on shrimp (make a stock with the shells) 1/2 c. chopped green onions 2 tbsp minced garlic 10 c. seafood or shrimp stock Salt, white pepper, leaf thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper Saute half the okra in hot oil, season with white, red, and black pepper and cook until browned. Stir in the onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook about five minutes. Add 1 c. of the stock and simmer another five minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and two more cups of stock. Simmer, add the remaining okra, leaf thyme, season with red, white and red pepper, and then the last of the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce and add sausage. Simmer 45 minutes, add shrimp and green onions. Skim the surface for excess oil, serve over rice. Serves about 8

4 Servings INGREDIENTS 8 Trout fillets (skinned) 1 Stick of butter (1/4 Pound) 1 Cup flour 1 Juiced Lemon (keep juice) 2 Teaspoons of salt or to taste. ¼ Cup of chopped parsley (Flat leaf preferably) 3 Teaspoons of red pepper or to taste. ½ Cup roasted sliced almonds (Roast at 375 degrees 7 minutes) Directions: Sprinkle trout fillets with seasoning then dredge in flour. Melt butter in shallow skillet; add fish and cook slowly until golden brown on both sides. Remove fish from skillet and set in oven to keep warm. Add lemon juice and parsley to butter and drippings in the skillet. Mix well then poor over cooked fish fillets. Sprinkle sliced almond over the fillets.

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 ¼ Pound of butter (1 stick) 6 Ears of fresh corn, cut off cob 2 Large onions, chopped 2 Medium tomatoes, diced 2 Cloves of garlic, diced fine ½ Cup milk 1 Bell Pepper, chopped Salt, black and red pepper to taste Directions: Sauté onions, garlic and bell pepper in heavy bottomed pot with butter for 6 minutes or until mixture starts to soften. Next add the corn that has been cut off of the cob along with its milk (its own juices). Stir to mix all ingredients and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes then add tomatoes, milk and seasoning to taste. Simmer or about 1 hour covered on low heat. Stir occasionally and if mixture becomes dry add a little water. When finished cooking check seasoning; add black pepper if not spicy enough.

INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 pound butter 1 teaspoon rosemary 1 teaspoon leaf oregano 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon red pepper 8 cloves garlic, chopped 4 bay leaves Juice of 1 lemon 12 large shrimp, heads on (16 to 20 to the pound) Directions: Melt butter in a large saucepan and add all ingredients, except shrimp. Cook over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. Add shrimp and saute for 4 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and ladle butter sauce over shrimp. Garnish with fresh parsley and three slices of lemon. Serve with French bread and salad for a classic New Orleans delight. Makes 2 Servings

INGREDIENTS Salt and red pepper to taste 1 clove garlic, mashed Pinch thyme 1/3 cup tomato sauce mixed with 1/3 cup water Pinch nutmeg 1 tablespoon green onion 4 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoons parsley Pie dough enough for 4 individual pies (or 2 large) 1 – 1/2 cups crawfish tails; crawfish fat and water to make 2 cups 3 tablespoons cooking oil 1 medium onion, chopped fine 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup chopped celery Directions: Cook onion, celery, and garlic in cooking oil, stirring until tender. Dish out half the cooked mixture.To the mixture, add tomato sauce, water, and crawfish fat, cook over medium heat and when it boils, slowly add cornstarch and water stirring until sauce thickens, season with nutmeg, thyme, red pepper and salt to taste; set aside. To the remaining cooked onion mixture in a saucepan add crawfish tails, butter, cook 2 to 3 minutes. Combine sauce, crawfish, green onion and parsley. Cook, then pour into 4 pastry lined pie plates, equally divided. Wet edges of under crust, cover with uppercrust. Press edges together; prick with a fork. Bake in a 450 degree preheated oven 5 minutes; reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake about 15 minutes longer.