Listen closely to the tinkling of a rag time piano or maybe, it was the sound of shrimp sizzling in a pan of hot oil. Turn a
corner and hear the beat of feet tapping out a melody upon a
sidewalk or maybe, it was just a chief’s knife rapping upon a
wooden block. Here a voice bellowing out a throaty song like
“Satchmo” or maybe, it was just a man behind a counter yelling,
“number four, a shrimp poboy.” The city is a lot quieter now. But
the music, it will never stop playing.
“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we will open our menus to the
sounds of chunks of red fish being stirred into a spicy roux that
is the color of Mississippi River mud.”
Fish Stew
(Serves 4 bowls)
3-pieces of red fish,(skin removed) cut into one inch pieces
1-Tlb. flour
1-Tlb. vegetable oil or olive oil
1-tsp. salt
1-tsp. black pepper
2-Tlb. parsley
3-cloves garlic, minced
1-medium onion, chopped
1/2-cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/2-cup red bell pepper
1-tsp cayenne pepper
2-cups chicken broth
1-cup water
1-can stewed tomatoes, chopped
Directions: Make a roux with the one tablespoon oil and the one
tablespoon of flour. Cook on medium heat stirring constantly.
When the roux is the color of mud. Remove it from the heat and
add the chopped onions and the garlic. Stir in the peppers and the parsley. Add the chicken broth and the water. Add the fish
and the stewed tomatoes. Season the ingredients with the
salt, the pepper and the cayenne pepper. Cook and cover until
the fish is done and the vegetables are tender. Serve over white
rice.
Old Lemon was never better than when he was drizzled over some
pork chops and browned on both sides in some melted butter then
served with a side of homemade apple sauce lightly sprinkled
with some cinnamon.
Lemon Butter Pork Chops
4-lean cut pork chops
1-tsp commerical meat tenderizer
1/2-lemon, juiced
1/2-tsp salt
1/2-tsp pepper
1/2-stick of butter, melted
Directions: Mix the meat tenderizer, the salt and the pepper.
Season both sides of the pork chops with it. Cut the lemon and
squeeze the juice of it on both sides of the pork chops. Let
them set in the refridgerator for fifteen minutes. In a cast iron
skillet, melt the butter and fry the pork chops until they are
done.
Apple Sauce
6-golden apples, peeled and chopped
1/4-cup sugar
1/4-cup water
1/8-tsp cinammon
Directions: In sauce pan, add the apples, the sugar and the water. Cook until the apples are done. Remove them from the
heat and mash them. Let the mashed apples cool and serve them
at room temperature. Sprinkly lightly with the cinnamon.
“This stuff’s so strong, it will open up your nose” she exclaimed. Opening a bottle of liquid crab boil, she measured
five tablespoons of it into a large pot of boiling water. Sure
enough, it did.
Spicy Boiled Shrimp
6-lbs medium shrimp,unpeeled
1-cup sea salt
5-gallons water
2-lemons
1-large onion,quartered
5-tlbs. liquid crab boil
1-bag dried crab seasoning
4-large bay leaves
4-ears fresh corn, cut into half
6-small red potatoes, whole
1/2-bunch parsley, unchopped
In a large pot: add the water and the sea salt. Turn the heat
to high and as soon as the water is hot enough add the rest of
the ingredients but the corn and the shrimp. When the red potatoes are tender, add the corn and then the unpeeled shrimp.
Boil for fifteen minutes. Turn off the heat and let the ingredients sit in the seasoned water for ten more minutes.
The high steppin meal has now ended with a Louisiana style pecan
pie.It has plump pecans nestled inside of a thick and sweet
filling.
Louisiana Style Pecan Pie
1-Tlb butter
1-cup brown sugar
2-Tlb flour
1-cup light corn syrup
3-eggs, beaten
1/4-tsp. salt
1-tsp. vanilla
1-cup pecan halves
1-9″ unbaked pie shell
Directions: Cream the butter and add the sugar and the flour.
Add the corn syrup and the beaten eggs. Beat until fluffy.
Add the salt,vanilla and the pecan halves. Pour into the pie
shell and bake at 325 degrees for forty minutes.
Cooking since the age of fifteen, the author has always enjoyed
learning and cooking the food of Louisiana.
