1 lb okra, sliced
1 bay leaf (remove before serving)
1/4 cup shortening
2 tsp Cavender's Greek Seasoning
2 Tbl flour
2 quarts water or fish stock
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
I bunch green onion, chopped
1/2 lb crab meat or 1 dozen crabs*
3 Tbl butter
1 Tbl chopped bell pepper
2 toes garlic chopped fine
1 pound shrimp, cleaned
1 jar oysters ( check for shells )
2 sprigs parsley , chopped
1 can ( 10 1/2 ounces ) tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 tsp file, if desired
*If crabs or used: Scald live hard-shelled crabs and clean, removing the spongy substance and the "sand bag" on the under part. Break off and crack the claws and cut the body in half.
In a frying pan:
Fry okra in 2 Tbl shortening until it ceases to "rope" ( slimy strings connecting the okra ).
This takes about 30-45 minutes. Take your time and don't burn it. It's worth the trouble. Set aside.
In a heavy iron skillet:
Make the roux with the remaining shortening and the flour. Fry slowly until dark brown and smells great. Don't burn. Set aside.
In the Gumbo Pot:
Melt the butter and fry the onions and celery until soft. About 5 minutes.
Add the shrimp, oysters, garlic and bell pepper and simmer about two more minutes.
Now, add the rest of the ingredients: tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf, Cavender's or thyme, water or stock, roux, fried okra and crabs.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer for at least 30 minutes longer. Some people cook Gumbo for hours. I don't think that's necessary. Some people cook it in the morning, refrigerate it and reheat for supper. That works.
It should be served with hot rice. Crackers and file on the side.
Simmer veggies in the butter till onions are clear. Add the oysters
and simmer till cooked.
Allow to cool a little so the eggs don't cook.
Combine with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Dressing should be moist, but not soggy. If it's too wet, add some
dry bread to the mix.
Stuff into the body cavity and craw.
After stuffing the turkey, cover the dressing with tin foil. The turkey
should be covered with a separate piece of foil for all but the last hour of baking.
During the last hour of cooking, baste the dressing in the body cavity
twice with two large spoonfuls of the drippings.
This simple version is good.
Extras: Add to recipe by themselves, or in combination. (experiment)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 finely chopped boiled egg yolk
A dash of garlic powder
1 T chopped salad olives (with pimentos)
½ t chopped parsley (fresh)
½ t chopped capers
½ t dried tarragon
1 t Creole mustard
Substitute sweet pickles for dill.
Combine sugar and flour.
Then, mix in the buttermilk, melted oleo and vanilla.
Beat eggs and fold into the batter.
Pour into unbaked pie-crust.
Sprinkle the shredded coconut evenly on the top.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Bake for 15min., then, turn down
to 350 degrees and bake for 30 min.
Something this good is usually harder to make !
This works best with a toaster oven.
Bread
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Genoa salami or pepperoni
Sliced tomato
Mayonaise
Salt & Pepper
Toast one side of two slices of bread.
On one slice of the untoasted bread place the Mozzarella cheese.
On the other slice place the meat and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Broil. Browning brings out the taste.
When done ... spread the Mayo on the cheese side and place the
salted and peppered tomato on the other side.
Join together for a Pizza Sandwich.
Use a large pot that can be covered:
Brown the salted and peppered meat along with the onion
in 2 Tbl. oil. Uncovered.
Add the tomatoes, garlic powder, 1 sliced carrot, 1 chopped
celery stalk and all of the seasonings except the cumin.
Add water to cover meat and veggies by 1 inch.
Cover and boil slowly for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender.
Check water level occasionally.
Add the corn, green beans and the rest of the carrots and celery and continue boiling for another 10 minutes.
Test seasoning.
Add the potatoes and cumin and boil another 10 minutes.
Serve with crackers or bread and butter.
Potatoes ... 4 cups diced and cooked
Red Onion ... 2 T chopped fine
Green Onion ... 1T chopped fine
Celery ... 5T chopped fine
Parsley ... 1T chopped fine
Salad Olives ... 5T chopped
Eggs ... 3 hardboiled chopped
Mayonaise ... to taste
Red Wine Vinegar ... 1t
White Pepper ... sprinkle to taste
Black Pepper ... sprinkle to taste
Salt ... to taste
Mix and chill before serving
Start to bake in covered roasting pan at 325 degrees.
After 1 1/2 hours add the sauce, which is:
Two 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce
16 oz. of wine (red burgundy is preferred).
Baste with the sauce every 30 minutes until done.
Uncover about 45 min. before done, so turkey can brown.
After turkey cools somewhat, pour off sauce into a boiler
and reduce about 35 to 50 percent.
Check seasoning, adding salt
and pepper to taste.
Dip the turkey in the sauce. It tastes best at warm room temp.
I learned this recipe in Fairbanks, Alaska from a Puerto Rican
fellow soldier.
1. The Bread.
If you’re in New Orleans you should be able to find good po’boy bread.
If not, you have to search for a nice light, airy French bread that has a good crust.
Yeasty, heavy/dense and sour dough breads should not be used.
The bread should not be chewy; in fact, a sign of a good bread is when you
bite in to it, little flakes of crust drop onto your plate.
The H.E.B. store in Atascocita, TX sells a small French-type roll called a BOLILLO that is great.
They are just the right size for a po'boy!
But, it’s hard to believe what some stores try to pass off as French Bread.
Be careful.
2. Pickles.
I don’t know what kind Parasol’s uses, but they are incredible.
However, thinly sliced Heinz Genuine Dills will suffice. Allow to warm to room temperature before using.
3. Mayonnaise.
The Parasol's and New Orleans' favorite is Blue Plate. If you can't get it use Kraft Real Mayonnaise. Don’t even think about low fat.
4. Lettuce.
Slice it thin like you’re making cole slaw. Bring to room temperature.
5. Tomatoes.
Use ripe tomatoes and slice them thin.
The Meat.
So far, I got my my best results when using a bottom round roast.
I seasoned it with McCormick’s Garlic Pepper Blend and a little salt.
Then, I got it brown on all sides by frying in peanut oil in a Dutch Oven.
Water was added about halfway up the roast and the simmering on a very
low fire was started. The pot should be covered.
I then added some additional seasoning. Vary according to your taste.
6 - 10 toes of finely chopped garlic
1/4 tsp. - 1/2 tsp. Cavender’s Greek
1/4 tsp. - 1/2 tsp. Zatarain’s Creole
Let it simmer for about an hour and a half.
Then, take out the meat and slice it thinly across the grain; this adds to the tenderness. Put the juices back in the pot.
Return the meat to the gravy and let it simmer for about 2 more hours or until it is very tender. You don't want it to fall apart.
Then, add some brown
roux to thicken the gravy to the right consistency. If the gravy needs drastic reduction, remove the meat first.
Correct the seasoning to taste and you're done.
Building the po’boy.
I like to slightly warm the bread before I start making the po’boy.
Put the Mayo on one side of the bread, the meat and gravy on the other.
Add the lettuce, tomato and pickle, join the halves and put back in the 325 degree oven until the bread feels hot and crispy. About 5 to 10 minutes.
This last step is very important. The flavors will come together in a magical way.
Have plenty napkins at the ready; if you made it right, you will need them.
Leo O’Neil
2002
BTW … It only took me 40 years to figure this out.
About Roasted Garlic:
When I go to a five star restaurant I always notice an incredible
aroma that whets my appetite .... roasted garlic! Fantastico, and it's so easy to do.
Separate several nice size cloves, rub on some olive oil and bake them for about 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
The inside should look light brown.
Let them cool and squeeze the garlic out of the skin to add to your dish. Wow! What a difference it makes.
Directions:
Melt enough butter to cover bottom of pan with 1/16 inch of butter.
Add from a tsp. to a Tbl. of Olive Oil to taste.
Add chopped onion, sprinkle on some Cavender's and add Roasted Garlic.
Sauté onions until they are transparent.
.
Season fish with the listed seasonings to taste(I use just a touch of the Zatarain's), add to pan along with the almonds and sauté till done.
Make the fire hot enough to brown everything.
About 2 minutes before it's done, you can add a few drops of wine, if desired.
Don't over-season the fish. Remember, the onions and sauce have already been
seasoned.
After cooking this a few times, you'll get the seasoning right for your taste.
Serve the fish with the onion and butter-sauce poured over the top.
I like a few drops of lemon juice on it as well.
A good wine really rounds out all the flavors.
The wine that inspired me to write out this recipe was "Bolla - Bardolino". I know it's red, but it was fabulous.
This also works very well for shrimp. Cook shrimp with the shells on. It
really improves the flavor.
Hot French Bread goes well with the shrimp dish.
Bon appetit
Cooking Instructions
Remove the skin of the mirlitons with a potato peeler.
Cut mirlitons in half and boil until tender...but not mushy. About 30 minutes.
Remove seed in center and also, remove any tough or sticky skin. Dice.
Reserve boiling liquid; it may be needed to loosen stuffing.
Cut up the other squash and boil for about 3 minutes (Don’t overcook). Dice.
In a frying pan, sauté onions, celery, green pepper and Cavender’s in oil and
margarine until the onions are transparent.
Add the garlic and shrimp and cook until the shrimp are pink -- about two minutes.
In a large bowl combine all the ingredients except ¼ cup bread crumbs and mix well.
Add some of the reserved liquid to loosen if necessary. It’s rarely needed.
Place in a casserole dish.
Sprinkle top with the ¼ cup bread crumbs.
Bake at 365º until bubbly and top is starting to brown. About 40 to 45 minutes.
It's really good the next day, too.
Mix dates with boiling water to which baking soda has been added.
Cream butter, sugar and then add the egg. Add water and date mixture.
Sift flour, spices and baking powder together, add mixture and mix well. Add nuts and vanilla.
Bake in "loaf pan". Bake around 1 hour at 325 degrees until done.
Test by putting toothpick or ice pick into center.
If it comes out clean the cake is done.