Catfish Meuniere

12 jumbo shrimp (peeled and deveined)

1 small onion (chopped)

A la meuniere

2 green onions  (sliced/cut)
6 Tbs butter
1/2 cup crabmeat
1 cup soft breadcrimbs
1 med. green pepper (cut into strips)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/4 pepper
6 catfish fillets

Baked Stuffed Shrimp

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup lemon juice
tomato, lemon wedges (optional)

parsley (optional)
enough vegetable oil for about 1 1/2 inches in a frying pan

Slit the shrimp from head end to tail tip  slicing deeply enough where the shrimp can lie flat. Saute onions  in the 6 tbs butter til tender. Saute crabmeat about 3 minsutes add breadcrumbs mix well. Stuff the shrimp w/mixture. Arrange shrimp w/green peppers in a 13x9x2 baking dish and set aside.

Combine milk, eggs, salt and pepper; mix well. Dredge fillets in the flour then dip in egg mixture ten back in the flour. Fry in hot oil til golden brown. (drain well) Combine 1/2 cup butter w/lemon juice i small saucepan til blended thoroughly. Broil shrimp r-5 minutes. Place filets on a serving platter; spoon lemon butter over the fish. Then arrange and peppers on platter w/Catfish. Decorate (dress) w/tomato, lemon wedges and parsley (if desired)  (about 6 servings)

Olive salad for Muffaletta

(Prep Time: 15 minutes)
Ingredients: 

Muffaletta with olive salad

    3/4 cup pimento-stuffed olives
    1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
    1/4 cup giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables)
    2 lg. pepperoncini
    3 - 4 pickled onions
    2 Tbsp. capers
    1 md. clove garlic, chopped
    1 tsp. dried oregano
    A couple of grinds of black pepper
    2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
    2 Tbsp. olive oil
Preparation:
Drain all ingredients.
Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
Refrigerate overnight.

My take on a Muffaletta

 A whole muffaletta is usually served on seeded round loaf of bread about eight inches in diameter and two inches tall. There are as many variations as there are people in New Orleans.  This would also include types of bread.  If you can’t eat a whole sandwich, Central Grocery (which in my mind is the only place to buy them) sells them by half or quarter sandwiches We’d often go in together and split the sandwich and the cost accordingly . My point of view is the main aspect is the Olive Salad Mix. So ideally, you should make the sandwich an hour or so before you eat it so the juices from the olive mix can soak into the bread.  This makes it a perfect picnic sandwich. (Prep Time: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
    1 loaf Mufaletta bread (or use a good loaf of store-bought Italian bread )

Original from Central Grocery

    1 cup olive mix
    1/4 lb sliced ham
    1/4 lb sliced mortadella
    1/4 lb sliced Genoa salami
    1/4 lb sliced provolone
    1/4 lb sliced mozzarella
Preparation:
 Cut bread in half horizontally.
 Spread half with olive mix then layer on meats and cheeses.

 Cover with top. (remember make the sandwich in advance then tightly wrapped in plastic wrap to allow for ultimate soakage) Slice into quarters and serve.

hors d'oeuv

Smaller versions of these on slices of baguette can be made to go w/soup on a chilly winter day, or as an appetizer, or hors d'oeuvres for parties 

w/soup for a hearty meal

(recipe for Olive Mix to follow )

Crayfish and Goat Cheese Crepes

Here's another one from my class outings w/the Connecticut Cajun (Phil Hubbard). It's a two part-er the crepes first, Phil calls them Big Easy Crepes:

1 1/3 cups whole milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
3 tbs unsalted butter
1 tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients in blender til smooth. Cover batter and chill for @ 15 minute no longer than a day. Spray 7" non stick w/vegetable oil. Ladle w/small ladle (3-4 tbs) batter in center of pan. Swirl to coat entire pan.Cook until the edges are light brown (about 1 min) Gently loosen edges (w/spatula) and turn over to cook it will begin to brown in spots in 30seconds or so.@ that time transfer to another plate and cover w/paper towel. Repeat action till batter is all used (adding spray oil as needed). Remember to put paper towels between crepes and covering the last.
(makes about 20)

Now for the filling:

1 oz yellow onion (diced)
1/2 oz. green pepper (diced)
1 oz tomato (diced)
1/4 garlic (minced)
1/4  tsp Joe's Stuff (Creole seasoning)
4 oz Crawfish tails
1 oz white wine
1oz unsalted butter
1 tbs oil
5 oz Goat Cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chives (chopped)
1/2 tsp shallots (green onions chopped)

Add oil to saute' pan add peppers an onions saute' till soft.  Add  tomato, garlic and seasoning saute for 30 seconds add the tails and saute' for 30 more. Reduce heat slightly add wine the butter and adjust seasonings to your taste. Spoon onto warm crepes.  (filling serves 3)

Crayfish Quiche

Here's where I combined my love for crayfish w/my liking of quiche.

1/3 cup onions (finely diced)
1/4 cup red bell pepper (finely diced)

Crayfish Quich

2 tsp. garlic (minced)
1/2 lb crayfish tails
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbs. chives (chopped)
2 tbs. grated Parmigiana-Regina cheese
1/2 cup white sharp cheddar cheese
12 cup medium cheddar cheese
1 cup whole milk
2 eggs
(dash Tabasco to taste)
Pre-heat oven to 400           

Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add the veggies (not the chives) & 1/2 seasonings, saute' for 3 min.; add crayfish tails & saute' for 1-2min. more.  Remove from heat allow to cool.
In a mixing bowl whisk together milk, eggs, remaining salt & pepper, dash of hot sauce.  Arrange  crayfish tails in a pie shell (pre-made is fine w/me)

Reduce oven to 375 when pacing quiche in oven bake for 30 min. or til center sets.  Remove from oven when done & allow to cool before cutting.  Serve warm or cold to your liking

Sweet Potato crab chowder

This recipe comes from one of the classes by Phil Hubbard (the Connecticut Cajun) I went to as I spoke of in the about me section of my blog. Here we go:

2 pieces of bacon cut into 1" pieces

4 oz.smoked sausage (ground or chopped)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup shallots (green onions)
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tbs. minced jalapeno (seeded)
1 15oz. can cream style corn
2 15 oz. cans low sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp Joe's Stuff (another Creole seasoning mix)
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
2 cups cut sweet potatoes (cooked & diced)
1 cup whole milk
8 oz. coked lump crabmeat
2 tbs. of parsley (chopped)

Cook bacon in a large heavy stock pot. (I use my mama's Dutch Oven) Remove bacon as it crisps. Add sausage to drippings saute' sausage (about 3 min. set aside 2 tbs for garnish) Add bacon back w/all the veggies  saute' for 5 min. (til all are tender) Add cream corn, seasoning & pepper simmer uncovered (10 min.) Add sweet potatoes stir to incorporate allow simmer 5 more min., then gently add all but 2 tbs. of the crabmeat making certain the mix is heated through. Garnish w/all set aside.

Fried Soft Shelled Crab / Boiled & Stuffed crabs

Crabs are exoskeleton they have to shed their shells in order to grow larger. Since they grow rather rapidly from juvenile to adulthood (12-18 months) the crab goes through multiple growth stages during its lifetime. The blue crab is one of the few species of crab that can actually be eaten in this form. Although one can eat the shell one has to be careful when preparing the crab for frying.

sniping off face

You have to cut off the face (eyes & such) so you can lift the shell & remove the dead mans fingers. (the lungs) also around this area is the sand pouch remove that. On the underside is the tablier or apron. When you look @ the apron it is easy to tell the sex of the crab. (the apron on the female is round; on the male it is long and thin) Wash gingerly in cold so as to not remove the delicate flavor.
Ingredients

decent sized soft shell

1 dozen soft shelled crabs
Breadcrumbs/cornmeal/crumbled crackers
1 quart milk
Seasoning (salt,pepper, cayenne, etc.)

soak & massage the crabs making certain that the seasoned milk has permeated the crab. Take crab out roll in one or the other of the above or a mixture shaking off excess then fry in hot grease/oil deep enough for the crabs to swim. Fry til golden brown take carefully out of pan an place on brown paper bags

Boiled Crabs
Note this recipe was in a cook book pre the US entering WWII
(before packaged/bottled boils?)
1 dozen crabs

bunch of celery w/tops

4 sprigs sweet marjoram
4 sprigs sweet basil
4 sprigs thyme
4 chives
a dozen allspice
3 blades mace
3 bay leaves
a red pepper pod
cayenne pepper
enough salt to make a brine

Chop the celery stalks leaving about 2 inches w/tops. In a large pot toss in seasoning by themselves or in a cheese cloth bagged Bouquet garni for the smaller items. In 2-3 minutes after boiling brine should be flavored. Lower the crab basket into the boiling briny water (crabs should be alive) let them boil rapidly til shells are bright red (10 minutes)

Stuffed crabs

1lb crab meat (check for pieces of shell)
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion (minced)

Stuffed crabs in saved hard shelled backs

1 clove garlic (minced)
2 tbs green bell pepper (minced)
2 tbs celery (minced)
1 tsp thyme (fresh minced)
1/4 cup green onions (minced)
2 tbs parsley leaves(minced)
1 bay leaf (minced)
1 bay leaf (minced)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Pinch cayenne
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs (fine)
1/4 cup cream

In a large skillet melt the butter and, til it begins to froth, add the trinity (onion, celery, and green bell pepper) Cook til translucent (4 min.) Add the garlic w/the spices (ya don't want it to burn) thyme, cayenne and bay leaf (1 minute more) Remove from the heat and gently fold in the crabmeat (not disturbing the lumps) parsley, green onions, egg, salt, cayenne, and black pepper, 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs (reserve a couple of tsps) and the cream (holding back some as well) Fold well to combine. Transfer the crabmeat mixture to the cleaned crab shells (if you have or saved any. If not you can purchase aluminum ones) and sprinkle reserved bread crumbs. Top each crab shell with a pat of butter and bake until golden brown and thoroughly heated, about 20 minutes.