How to Cook Garfish

Garfish Recipes - 2  Ways to Cook Gar Fish

1. Fried Gar Balls
2. Smoked Alligator Gar Roast

The garfish is a prehistoric fish.

Its natural skills and ability to quickly adapt to harsh environmental conditions; its slender and elongated armor-plated body which gave it agility and speed; and, its two rows of sharp teeth on a long and protruding snout, all came together millions of years ago to make the garfish a formidable candidate for survival without evolving.

They are, in essence, living fossils which come equipped with an inner air bladder. This means the gar fish can stay alive, out of the water, longer than most other types of fish. Even in low-oxygen conditions the garfish will come up out of the water for air much like some aqua-mammalians  (whale, dolphin and sea cow).

I prefer the smaller species of garfish (long-nose gar) for my table because they are easier to handle, clean and cook.

On the smaller fish, after removing the outer armor, I use a large metal spoon to scrape the meat out from between the connective tissue, which is common to all species of garfish, and set it aside in a bowl to mix with my other ingredients.

Warning: Under NO circumstances should you consume the eggs of a garfish (roe) because it is poisonous to humans and other warm-blooded animals.

I like to use the more-tender meat of a smaller fish to prepare fried gar balls. I usually go half 'n half (half fish meat and half crumbled baked potatoes) to prepare mine.

I add a couple eggs, chopped green onions, as well as salt and seasonings.

In a bowl mix everything together well and form the mixture into golf ball size spheres. Finally, coat them well by rolling the balls in Italian bread crumbs and fry at 365 degrees F. until they are golden brown in color.

I have also prepared alligator gar fish (3 - 5 lb. roasts) on the barbecue.

I use enough aluminum foil to completely wrap the fish roast, but only after I have smoked it and seasoned it enough.

By setting the alligator gar fish roast on a couple sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, (open-face),  I  can manipulate the amount of smoke I want my fish roast to absorb. The temperature should be between 120 and 180 degrees F. I always use hickory chips to create the smoke for my roast, but other hardwood chips will do just as well.

I gauge how much smoke I need by observing the naturally white meat of the garfish as I am smoking it.

When it reaches a slightly smoky color (dull-gray), I wrap the roast with the aluminum foil and continue cooking it until it's done, but not before dousing it with gobs of melted lemon butter and DIY Cajun seasoning. The larger roasts should not take more than an hour to cook after smoking.

I've also used lemon and orange peels on occasion to enhance the taste of the gar fish roast.

Garfish is a good-tasting fish and its meat is somewhat sweet. Some folks like to compare it to crab meat.

I like it for what it is. Try it some time. You might like it, too.

Ahheee!!!

Oyster Stew

Often times the easiest Oyster Stew recipes are the best. Here is one that is easy to prepare and taste delicious.

Ingredients

• 3 dozen oysters
• 1 stick butter
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1-quart milk (preheated)
• 5 green onion tops, finely chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 1 sprig parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. prepare a white roux with all-purpose flour and butter 
2. add vegetables and sauté for a couple minutes on medium-high heat
3. drain oysters and slowly add the oyster liquid to the pot
4. reduce to a simmer and add preheated milk
5. introduce the raw oysters and simmer until oyster edges start to curl
6. finally, add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce

Note: It's important to not "boil" the milk because it will curdle and ruin the stew.

Serve with croutons or crackers.

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Baked Flounder with Crab Stuffing

Ingredients

• 2 one pound flounders
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs. bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup crab meat
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp parsley, chopped
• 1 egg

Instructions

Sauté onions, garlic and bell pepper in butter until tender. Add crab meat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool for 10 minutes. Add bread crumbs, salt, pepper, parsley and egg. Mix well. Stuff into cavity of flounder. Place in baking dish and bake 30 minutes at 375°F. Mmmm--c'est bon!
KT

Baked Shrimp with Lemon-Garlic Butter

This Baked Shrimp with Lemon-Garlic Butter recipe is so simple to prepare and VERY delicious, too... especially when using Wild White Gulf of Mexico Shrimp, which are known worldwide for their sweet and succulent flavor.

16/20 Count Wild White Gulf of Mexico Shrimp

I prefer to use a regular cookie tray like a Wilton 15.25" x 10.25" x  1" when preparing this Cajun favorite. It's a perfect pan because it can hold enough cooked shrimp to serve more than just a couple folks at a dinner party (unless, of course, you invite one of my Cajun relatives).

Try it next time when you get the chance. If you are a shrimp lover like me, I know you will absolutely love this delicacy.

Just recently I purchased several pounds of the 16/20 count Wild White Gulf of Mexico Shrimp from my supplier, CajunGrocer, in Lafayette, Louisiana. I am here to tell you cher, that they are the best that money can buy and you don't have to spend a fortune to buy 'em.

Most of the time I try to order my gulf white shrimp with the heads on because believe or not, they are less expensive with the heads on, and I get a much bigger bang for my buck because I use the heads to make a broth, which I then include in special meals like seafood gumbo. It's excellent for other dishes, too -- like etouffee, piquant, and jambalaya.

I also use shrimp broth in some batter/coating recipes for frying catfish nuggets, oysters, and other seafood. When I am finished boiling and extracting all of the flavors from the heads, I bury them in my garden to feed my vegetables. Nothing wasted! It becomes an excellent fertilizer. Everything has been recycled. And, that's good.

One other thing... the larger the better. When I can get the 9-12 count of gulf whites, I get even more use from the shrimp heads because they are large enough, at that size, to contain a fair amount of meat.

I like to call it the rib-eye of large shrimp. Just pry apart the top portion of the heads from the bottom, clip the legs off with kitchen shears, wash under cool running water, dredge them in your favorite tempura batter and deep-fry at 365 degrees F. for about 3 minutes. It tastes amazingly like freshly fried soft shell crab.

If you would like to take a gander at the latest prices on Gulf of Mexico Wild White Shrimp you can visit my favorite supplier by using this link: Cajun Grocer.

Tell them that RealCajunCooking.com/ sent you.

It takes just 2 or 3 days [ground] to get your order delivered to your door. The shipping rates are reasonable. Your shipment is packed in dry ice and these extra-large shrimp are individually quick frozen (IQF) -- which means you can remove as many as you want individually, without having to thaw the entire bag.

It takes about 20 minutes, or so, for IQF shrimp to thaw out. Use cool water. Once they are thoroughly thawed remove the heads from the body and make your shrimp broth before discarding the heads.

The amount of water that you use will determine the strength of the broth.  I also like to add the shrimp shells to my broth preparation because it offers even more overall flavor.

Note: You may want to use just a tiny bit of salt when preparing the broth to help extract the flavors from the heads and shells, but not too much if you plan to use the discarded refuse as fertilizer for your vegetable garden.

Adding too much salt in the preparation of the broth will affect the soil and consequently the growth of your garden plants if you decide to use it as fertilizer.

If you have any questions please leave them in the comment section below and I will be glad to answer them.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. of 16/20 count Wild White Gulf of Mexico Shrimp, peeled, deveined and butterflied to the tail (leave tails on)
• 1/4 lb. melted butter (or 1 stick)
• 1/4 cup dried oregano or Italian seasoning (your choice)
• 1 large lemon, squeeze the juice out for later use then cut into thin slices
• 2 tsp. of Old Bay with Garlic & Herb Seasoning 
• 1 tsp. salt

Instructions

1.     combine the melted butter. lemon juice and seasoning into a 2-quart bowl
2.     whisk all of the ingredients well for a few seconds
3.     add the peeled shrimp and mix together gently and coating thoroughly
4.     top the cookie tray with heavy duty aluminum foil
5.     layer the top of the foil evenly with lemon slices
6.     add the shrimp on top of the lemon slices until the entire tray is filled
7.     place tray midway in a  preheated 350-degree oven and cook for 12 -15 min.

Voila!  Simple and delicious! An excellent hors d'oeuvres for your lucky guests.

Bon appetite!... Ummm... C'est Magnifique!

Bacon-flavored Ol' Time Homemade Cathead Biscuits

Cathead Biscuits made with hog lard was a very tasty treat at breakfast time when I was a kid growing up on the farm and had a very distinct taste which separated it from today's traditional methods of making biscuits.

Hog lard was the most used cooking fat in our home at that time. There were also occasions when we used the rendered fat of other animals (chicken and beef) in which to prepare specific meals which were associated with the cut of meat being cooked.

If you have never experienced the taste of an omelet or scrambled eggs using a couple teaspoons of chicken oil, then you have missed out on some wonderful taste. To learn how to render oil from chicken skins see an earlier post entitled "Cacklin Cracklins".

Retail hog lard has begun to slowly disappear from the marketplace (even in the deep south) as it is steadily being replaced with processed industrial oils like soy and Canola--the same stuff used in lubricating machinery, running diesel engines, in the formulation of toxic pesticides, as well as for cooking. You can learn more about the toxic effects of soy and Canola oil as a food substance by visiting here.

Today we are going to bake-up a batch of Ol' Time Homemade Cat Head Biscuits made with bacon drippings. I suppose the reason they might be called "Cat Head" biscuits might be because someone  fashioned the biscuits by hand a little larger than usual and they wound-up looking similar to, and as big as, a cat's head when they were done baking. That sounds like a plausible story to me, so I'm sticking with it. I do remember when one of 'em could just about fill me up back in the old days when I was a boy.

I don't fashion the biscuit dough with my hands, however. Instead, I use the opened end of a clean empty food can as my biscuit cutter. It gives me more biscuits of normal size (6 - 8 servings).

This recipe will add a slight bacon flavor to your batch of cat heads. When using bacon drippings keep in mind that it already contains salt from the curing process. Therefore, in this recipe there is no need to add salt when converting the all-purpose flour into self-rising flour.

Note: To make 1 cup of self-rising flour add 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder, a small pinch of baking soda and 1/4 tsp. salt to 1 cup of all-purpose flour and mix thoroughly.

As mentioned previously, there is no need to add salt to make your self-rising flour in this recipe because the bacon drippings already contain enough to create the chemical reaction with the baking powder and baking soda that is needed to make the biscuits rise.

Tip: Liquified bacon drippings can be put in the freezer for a few minutes and it will solidify enough to be cut-in with your flour mix.

Ingredients

• 2 cup self-rising flour
• 3 Tbs. solid and cold hog lard (bacon drippings)
• 1 cup milk

Instructions

1. preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. add self-rising flour into a food blender
3. using the "Pulse" feature add 1/3 of the cold hog lard at the time until it mixes-in well with the flour
4. slowly add and pulse the 1 cup of milk into the blender until a soft dough is made
5. roll out the biscuit dough on a slightly floured cutting board to about 1/2 inch thick
6. cut your biscuits into circles (the size of a soup can)
7. place the biscuits onto a slightly oiled pan (touching)
8. bake at 450 degrees F. for 10 - 12 minutes

Serves 6 - 8
Bon Appetit!
KT

Shrimp Etouffee (A-2-Fay)

Shrimp Etouffee (A-2-Fay) is just a fancy Cajun French expression for 'smothered' shrimp. The gulf shrimp are slow-cooked in a thick and rich garlic butter sauce. We begin by sautéing the Cajun trinity of vegetables--chopped onions, celery and bell pepper--to bring out the traditional and unmistakable flavors of Cajun-style cuisine.

The meal is simple to prepare and rates highly among the more popular Cajun entrées.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. fresh medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup butter
  
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small can tomato juice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. melt butter and stir-in flour, onions, celery and bell pepper, mixing well
2. cook on medium heat until the vegetables become translucent
3. blend-in the tomato juice, water, garlic and seasonings
4. simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes, stirring frequently
5. add the fresh medium shrimp and cook for an additional 20 minutes
6. serve over cooked long grain rice

 Yields 4 to 6 servings.

Question: How do you smother chicken?
Answer: Use tiny pillows and sneak-up on 'em while they are sleeping.

Ahheee!! C'est bon!
KT

Shrimp Au Gratin

• 2 lbs. shrimp
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 1/2 lb.butter
• 4 Tbs. flour
• 1 large can milk (12 oz.)
• 2 egg yolks
• 10 oz. mild cheddar cheese

Peel uncooked shrimp. Sauté onions and celery in butter. Add milk and blend. Remove from heat then add egg yolks and blend. Now add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes. Next, add cheese, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture into a casserole and top it with more cheese. Bake long enough to melt cheese. Serves 6 to 8.

This can be served over cooked rice or toasted bread.
KT

How to Boil Shrimp, Crabs or Crawfish

Boiled Shrimp

If you know how to boil shrimp, crabs or crayfish the way Cajuns do it, then you are in for a delicious treat. As we are heading into the 2017 harvest, get ready to impress your family and friends with this traditional method of preparing them. It's easy and fun.

To do an exemplary job we must include the right kind of seasoning to the water in which the shrimp, crab or crayfish are to be boiled but not before purging them first using cool clean water and regular table salt, for a few minutes, in a different container. Our family and friends have regularly used a #2 galvanized washtub for that occasion.

Boiled Crab

The saline solution during the purging process, especially for crawfish, causes the crustaceans to regurgitate any of the pond water from which they were harvested, and the thrashing around for a few minutes while in the salt water solution helps to clean the underpart of the mudbug and crab shells and tails which will sometimes collect tiny bits of muddy or sandy residue. You may want to stir them around a bit with a broom handle or long spoon to help them along if you would like to speed up the cleaning process. This will agitate them and the water.

Boiled Crawfish

The basic seasonings for the boil consist of salt, ground red cayenne pepper, and black pepper (easy on the black pepper, tho). This is the secret of bringing out the flavor of boiled seafood as served by Louisiana Acadians (Cajuns). It is important to remember that these types of seafood will completely cook in a short period of time. Overcooking can cause problems with texture, taste and the ability to easily peel or clean them. So, take precautions.



Instructions
  
The seasonings presented herein were our own family's special blend which we used long before Zatarain's seasoning became a popular brand.

1. bring your seasoned water to a boil in a large pot then add the shrimp, crabs or crayfish
2. bring to a boil again and cook rapidly for 5 minutes in a large uncovered pot
3. be sure to have enough water to cover the seafood
4. remove from heat, cover the pot and let them set in the hot seasoned water for about 5 minutes
5. the covered pot will retain the heat while the mud bugs, shrimp or crab cools. This allows them to absorb more of the seasoned water in which they were boiled 
6. spread a few sheets of newspaper on a large table and evenly lay the seafood out within reach of your dinner guests
7. don't forget to add containers around to collect the discarded shells after eating 

Tip: Remember to boil only live crayfish or crabs. Discard any dead ones before hand. They certainly won't taste good, and they could make you sick. So, get rid of the dead ones.

When boiling a large amount of crayfish or crabs (20 lbs. or more) you may want to add small new potatoes, small to medium size onions, hot smoked pork sausage (hot Italian sausages are the best) cut into 2-inch links, and you may even include corn on the cob. We've added eggs on occasion to add a little more stuff to the pot. Be sure to have plenty of cold beer on hand to tame the hot seasoning.

Many Cajuns will add dry or liquid crab or shrimp boil, and a cup of oil, to make the crustaceans spicer and easier to peel.

Our Family Crayfish Farm

 "I was seven years old when my grandfather had this crazy idea of flooding our rice fields after the harvest to produce a second crop--crawfish. Grandfather didn't even finish grade school back in the old days but it did not diminish the fact that he was an innovator, or possessed the ability to accomplish great things.

The Gaspard Family has a claim of being the first commercial crayfish farmers in the State of Louisiana. The only challenge to that claim came from the Trahan family who resided about 12 miles away in a small one-horse town called Duson. I think Mr. Trahan copied my grandfather's successful operation, with his blessings, and they subsequently began their own crawfish farming operation.

Back in the day, we used rudimentary harvesting methods to catch crayfish, namely; pyramid shaped henged wire nets with baits affixed in the center of the net with clothespins. Even then, each year we managed to harvest tons of the delicious mud bugs. 

Later on, we made and used wire traps. The traps were made of  ¾ inch chicken wire formed into a cylindrical shape with a funnel opening at each end. We quadrupled our harvest and the 3/4" openings would allow the immature crayfish to escape the cages to live another day while the big ones remained trapped inside.

We operated our crayfish farm for nearly two decades. Most of the money earned from the farm operation was cold hard cash. This was a windfall for me because it allowed me to buy very first car (a brand new 1963 Chevrolet Super Sport) from the money I made and saved. I was 15 years old at the time.

As word spread, people would travel from miles around just to fish our ponds. Back then we would rent the nets by the dozen, sell bait and soda to anyone who did not have their own fishing equipment. 

I remember one time a business man came by to check out our farm. Before he knew it, we equipped him with a pair of waders, a dozen nets, a number two washtub, and a long cane pole. He fished a couple hours and walked away with about 100 pounds of crayfish. I've never in my life seen a Yankee that excited before.

Folk would place the nets at the very end of the pole and from the levee would strategically place them about 15 feet apart... never getting their feet wet. A dozen nets would usually do the trick. If you didn't walk away with about 100 pounds in an hour, or so, it probably meant you were just playing around and not too serious about fishing.

Back in the day we sold our crayfish for 10 cents a pound when people would harvest their own. If we caught them for you it cost 20 cents a pound.

Later on, when I was in high school, my grandfather would give me all the proceeds from the fish farm just for managing it while he was away pursuing other interests. Some weekends I would pocket around $300 - $400. Not bad for a lanky pimple-faced teenage farm boy..

Crayfish season would last only about 4 months until it was time to plow up the fields and prepare for the next rice harvest. This is when I would go down to the coast to catch shrimp and crab. I used a throw net to catch shrimp and nylon string with chicken necks tied to the end of it to catch crabs. We always had a freezer full of seafood. Those were the good old days."

Bon Appetite!
KT 

Chicken and Shrimp with Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

Chicken and Shrimp with Broccoli and Cheese Casserole wasn't the first name for this recipe. It was originally named "Broccoli and Rice Supreme with Shrimp" and first published on November 17, 2009.

Linda Masters of Hooks, TX. first prepared and served this meal to her husband and me over 20 years ago. It is very delicious and easy to prepare. This recipe should not have been gathering dust in my recipe archives with only 29 views in 3 years. It's so good, it doesn't deserve to be hidden away. So, I have decided to change the title to create more interest.

I asked her if it was alright to share her recipe with the NEW title and she didn't mind. Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks again Linda!

Ingredients

• 3 cups of cooked long-grain rice
• 2 cups of broccoli, chopped
• 2 boneless chicken breast, boiled and chopped
• 1 cup uncooked shrimp, chopped
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 (15 oz.) jars of  Cheez Whiz
• 1 can sliced mushrooms
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Boil the 2 chicken breast until tender (using just enough water to cover them), then chop into small bite-size pieces and set aside, but reserve the broth for later use.

In a pan, sauté the broccoli and onions in the butter until they are translucent then slowly stir-in the cream of chicken soup and the Cheez Whiz. Blend together thoroughly on low-to-medium heat for a couple minutes then add the chopped uncooked shrimp and chopped already cooked chicken. Stir and mix well.

In a large bowl add the above mixture and 3 cups of cooked long-grain rice. Mix together thoroughly until well blended. If the mixture seems too dry at this point you can resolve the problem by adding a small amount of the reserved chicken broth to moisten it.

Next, pour the entire contents in a large casserole or baking dish (9 ½ x 12 inch) and bake at 350° F. for 1 hour.

6 servings
KT

Fried Catfish Nuggets

These spicy fried catfish nuggets are absolutely delicious! There's no doubt your friends will beg you for this recipe, but don't give it to 'em. Just send them over to Real Cajun Cooking - Pure and Simple so they can discover how to make this and other tasty dishes, too.

Ingredients

• 12 catfish fillets cut into bite size pieces
• 2 egg whites
• 1 Tbs. Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 4 oz. fresh beer
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 1 quart peanut oil

In a bowl add the egg whites, Tony Chachere’s seasoning, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, salt, Tabasco sauce, baking powder and beer together and thoroughly mix. Next, dissolve 2 tsp. of cornstarch in a small amount of cold water and add it to the solution. Again, blend all of the ingredients together then add a handful of nuggets at a time to the batter and coat them well.

In a separate bowl, with a lid,  mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of yellow corn meal together. Add the fish nuggets, close the lid, and shake until they are well coated on all sides.

Heat peanut oil to 365°F. and fry the fish nuggets for about 7 minutes or until they float to the top. Don’t attempt to fry too many nuggets at one time.

Peanut oil can be used several times before it is discarded. Bon Appetite! ... Ahheee!!
KT

Cajun Fish Patties

Cajun Fish Patties

Cajun fish patties include a medley of familiar ingredients and herbs which are common in many foods prepared by the Acadians of South Louisiana. Some of the fish which I have personally used to make these delicious fish patties, besides catfish, include buffalo fish, (I've posted a 3-part instructional video on another site which shows what a buffalo fish looks like and how to go about processing one.)

In addition to buffalo fish, I have also used other kinds of white flesh fish, like garfish, to make my fish patties. Here's a garfish info link if you want to see what they look like in their natural habitat.

I've also used fillets of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white perch and other kinds of fish to make these fish patties... the list goes on.

Once, several years ago when I lived in the Atchafalaya swamp basin in south Louisiana, I made enough of these delicious fish patties to satisfy 8 hungry grown men and a couple puppies. It only took a couple fish, which I had caught earlier that day, to do produce the dinner. Each fish weighed around 10 lbs.

Everyone loved it, too! What was the fish, you ask?

We call the fish 'choupique' (pronounced shoe pick) down south where I was raised, but in other areas of the country it is known by different names... including mudfish, mud pike, dogfish, Grinnell, cypress trout and bowfin.

Did you know that the roe of the bowfin fish produces quality caviar? Yep! Last I heard the roe from this fish was fetching nearly $120 for 16 oz . You can see a picture of it here.

Most folk that I know up here in NE Texas consider some of the above species of fish, like buffalo fish and garfish, as "trash" fish, and find enjoyment in hunting them using fancy bows with tethered arrows designed for bow fishing ... just for the sport of it. Most of the fish which are killed are left behind to decompose.

I bet if they knew how tasty these fish are when prepared the way we Cajuns do it, they would think twice about not including a few for the dinner table.

Hope this helps. Bon appetite!

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. of deboned fish (most kinds of white flesh fish may be used)
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups onions, chopped
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs. boiled potatoes, crumbled and slightly mashed
• 3 cups bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• salt
• black, white and/or red pepper to taste
• a few dashes of Tabascos sauce
• enough oil for frying

Instructions

1. cut fish in small pieces
2. season with salt and ground peppers
3. place fish in pot with 1/2 cup cooking oil
4. cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes at 350°F. 
5. add onion, celery and garlic
6. cook until vegetables are wilted then remove from heat
7. add crumbled mashed potatoes and half the bread crumbs
8. next, add eggs, chopped green onions and parsley
9. mix well.
10. use a large tablespoon to scoop mixture and flatten into round patties
11. coat the fish patties with remaining bread crumbs
12. fry patties in oil at 365 degrees F. for 2 1/2 minutes on each side (or until golden brown)

Serves 8.

Bon jour!
KT

Cajun Broiled Catfish Fillets

Cajun broiled catfish fillets are quick and simple to prepare. My family and friends have always preferred the smaller catfish which are between 12 to 16 inches long because they are more tender and tasty than the larger ones, plus they cook more quickly.

Ingredients

Broiled Catfish Fillets

• 12 small catfish fillets, patted dry
• 3/4 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1 Tbs. mustard 
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1/2 cup butter
  
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. place the catfish fillets in a well-oiled baking pan or cookie sheet
2. rub a small amount of mustard on top of each fish fillet 
3. combine the remaining wet ingredients to make a basting sauce
4. lightly brush sauce over the fillets 
5. lightly sprinkle Italian-style breadcrumbs on each fillet
6. broil on high until golden brown (around 6 to 7 minutes).

The heat source should be about 5 to 6 inches from the fillets. Do not flip the tender fillets because it may cause them to fall apart. Serve over fried rice.

Bon Appetite!
KT

Angels on Horseback (bacon-wrapped oysters and cheese)

I first discovered "Angels on Horseback" at Fat Jack's Sports Bar which is located on the Arkansas side of the state line which separates it from Texas. The only change that I made to this delicious recipe was using pepper jack cheese rather than mozzarella because I prefer the extra spicy bite this cheese contributes to the dish. They make great hors d'oeuvres and are easy to prepare.

Ingredients

• 8 oz. canned boiled oysters
• 8 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
• smoked bacon, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. individually roll the oysters with a slice of smoke-flavored bacon
2. space the wrapped oysters evenly on a cookie sheet 
3. bake in the oven at 350 degrees F. for around 20 minutes (or until the bacon has thoroughly cooked)
4. top each morsel with pepper jack cheese and continue cooking until the cheese has melted
5. remove the wrapped oysters from the oven and serve.

Now wasn't that easy? Enjoy! Ahheee!!

Stuffed Crab | Rich and Succulent Cajun Style Stuffed Crab

Stuffed Crab, Cajun style, is one of the best and most succulent seafood dishes you can ever eat. Yummy!

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked crab meat
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 12 cleaned crab shells

Instructions

Sauté onions in oil for approximately 5 minutes. Add crab meat and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add parsley, onion tops, bell pepper and seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add 2 Tbs. bread crumbs and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Stuff mixture into crab shells and sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs. Bake in 350°F. oven for 30 minutes, or deep fry until golden brown.
KT

Wild Duck Gumbo | Dark Chocolate Color Roux with Cajun Vegetables and Spices

Ingredients

• 2 large ducks, cut into pieces
• 1 gallon water, unseasoned
• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 quarts water
• 2 Tbs salt
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1/2  tsp red pepper
• 1/2  cup green onions, chopped
• 1/4  cup parsley, chopped

Instructions

Slow-boil the duck pieces in the gallon of unseasoned water for about an hour to reduce the wild taste. Drain and rinse the duck meat to remove any coating which may have formed during the boiling process. Next, make a roux with the flour and oil until you have attained a dark-chocolate color. Sauté the vegetables in the hot roux until tender.

Gradually add and mix the 3 quarts of water to the roux and vegetables then bring everything back to a slow boil.  Add the duck to your gumbo and continue to cook on medium heat for 30 - 40 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper seasonings and continue cooking on medium-low heat until the duck meat is tender and the spices are absorbed by the roux.

About 10 minutes before serving add the chopped green onion tops and parsley. Serve with cooked long grain white rice.

Mais C'est Bon! Ahheee!!
KT

Garlic-Loaf Shrimp Po-Boy

• 2 dozen large shrimp, deveined and fried
• 1 fresh loaf (garlic) French bread, large
• 1 cup lettuce, shredded
• sliced tomatoes
• tartar sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Begin by frying a couple dozens large shrimp using the Gaspard's Spicy Catfish Nuggets recipe (just substitute shrimp). Deep fry until they float to the top.

Prepare a dozen at the time and don't over-cook. When a light golden-brown color is reached (about 3 minutes at 375 degrees F.) remove the shrimp from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and place them onto some paper towels to cool and to absorb any excess oil. Repeat the process until all the shrimp are done.

Purchase the garlic French bread already sliced in half (lengthwise). Use your oven broiler to lightly toast the garlic loaf (spread side up) and set aside. Later, when you are done, you can slice the loaf in half to make two equally proportioned po-boys.

On the bottom-half of the loaf, evenly distribute the shredded lettuce. Then on top of the lettuce arrange the tomato slices along the entire length of the sandwich.

On the top-half of the loaf spread a generous amount of tartar sauce. Complete your sandwich by arranging the fried shrimp on the bottom-half of the loaf, season to taste, put the bread-cap back on, perform your final cut ... and Voila!--two Shrimp Po-Boys...Cajun style! (if you end-up with a few left-over shrimp just eat them as a snack and enjoy) Ahheee!! C'est Bon!

KT

Shrimp Cocktail

• 12 Colossal wild shrimp, cleaned and deveined (leave tails on)
  
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tbs Zatarain's Shrimp & Crab Boil
• ice
• cocktail sauce
• 1/2 lemon, cut into 4 equal wedges
  

Add 1 Tbs. Zatarain's Concentrated Shrimp & Crab boil to 2 cups water. Bring to boil. Add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Immediately put them on ice to stop the cooking process. Make a cocktail sauce by mixing 2 parts catchup; 1 part prepared-horseradish, a few drops of lemon juice and a couple shakes of Tabasco sauce. Mix well and serve in dipping bowl.

You can make your own shrimp boil by using red or cayenne pepper, bay leaves, cloves, powdered garlic and celery salt. (In the old days we used only cayenne pepper, quartered lemons and salt.)

Arrange the lemon wedges equal distant around the dip bowl with 3 large shrimp between each. Place bowl on a bed of ice on top of fresh lettuce. Serves 2 - 4.

This specialty dish can be prepared faster than a cat can lick its ... uh ... tail.

It don't get no better than this.

Mes amis--Enjoy!

Wild Gulf of Mexico White Colossal Shrimp

Whew! That was a mouth full--and so were the U/15 count shrimp, (meaning under 15 per pound), which I used in this easy to prepare shrimp cocktail recipe.

Shrimp are decapod crustaceans (ten legs). Like lobsters, crabs, and crayfish, shrimp are fascinating and busy underwater workers and a delightful addition to the culinary desires and tastes of diners throughout the world.

Out of the nearly 5 million tons of shrimp harvested annually, the largest importer is none other than the United States. Americans, no-doubt, love to eat shrimp.

Worldwide there are about 300 known species of shrimp ... but the world's best eating variety (the Wild Gulf of Mexico White Shrimp), is highly coveted for its firm texture; its uniquely delicate taste, and ease of preparation.

Today's chefs purchase shrimp and other seafood in an IQF state (Individually Quick Frozen), with convenience and preservation being the main consideration. By stocking an inventory of IQF shrimp, restaurant cooks (and home cooks, too) can remove as much as needed from the freezer, individually. They are not all stuck together.

Large shrimp boats are able to venture farther out in the waters these days to discover shrimp because they utilize spacious on-board arctic blast freezers. These blast freezers can render the entire catch into a sub-zero rock-hard state within moments after hitting the deck.

In this highly frozen state, the shrimp are less likely to attract harmful bacteria. Some boats stay out on the waters for weeks and months at the time before returning to dock with the knowledge that their seafood are as fresh as the moment they were harvested. The quality and freshness have been cryogenically frozen in time.

In the past decade or so, discussions on health-safety issues and the consumption of imported farm-raised shrimp (especially the popular Asian Black Tiger variety often seen in U.S. supermarkets and restaurants) have been swimming around in a sea of controversy.

The main issue seems to be the negative environmental impact created when foreign shrimp ponds are abandoned or misused versus harvesting the shrimp (in the wild) from the world's oceans, gulfs and bays.

Since the U.S. is the world's largest importer, any embargo or strict import regulations would present serious problems to the consumer by driving the prices up sky-high. To cover the present demand, should the foreign farm-raised shrimp become unavailable for any reason, would be practically impossible. The void could not be filled solely with "wild" shrimp. The oceans could become depleted in record-time.

The other concern has to do with the quality and safety of consuming overseas products which are not under the direct auspices of our own federal regulatory agencies. We are all privy to some of the tainted Chinese products (like animal foods, baby formulas and toys) that have been recently discovered and subsequently banned from the U.S. market place.

In other words, it's tough to keep a close-eye on foreign shrimp growers and suppliers. The U.S. cannot impose regulations on foreign growers with respect to using safe protocols as it does with its own shrimp farmers, nor can it filter-out any potentially harmful substances which may have been passed-on through the food chain into the mouths of the consumers. Most of the time, unfortunately, the discovery of unsafe products is usually made after-the-fact.

This is not the case with Wild White Gulf of Mexico Shrimp (or the pink and brown varieties for that matter) because all three American varieties are safe and good to eat.

In conclusion, if you are intent on buying farm-raised shrimp, you might consider purchasing the ones grown in America. The shrimp farmers there offer a safe product.

Bon jour!

Update: Toxic Seafood Warning!  (video)

Please follow this link to download a government published document about seafood fraud:
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09258.pdf?source=ra

Fish Courtbouillon (fish soup)

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. fresh fish
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• ½ cup celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large can tomato sauce
• 1 medium can Rotel tomatoes
• 2 medium bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Cut fish into bite size pieces. Season generously with salt, red and black pepper then set aside.

Using the flour and oil, prepare a roux to medium brown color. Add onions and celery. Cook over medium heat in uncovered pot until onions are barely soft, stirring constantly. Add tomato sauce, Rotel tomatoes, bay leaves, and water. Cook about 40 minutes to 1 hour. Add garlic and fish. Continue cooking over medium heat for about 25 minutes.

Serve in soup bowls with cooked long grain rice. Use bread or hush puppies. Serves 8 to 10 people.

(K-T)

Grilled Rainbow Trout Salad

Now, I know this recipe is not true to theme, but it tasted so good and it was so simple to make that I just had to share it.



I started with a couple of nice rainbow trout fillets, skin on. I coated both sides of each fillet with olive oil. On the meat side of the fillets, I sprinkled with Flower of the Ocean Celtic Sea Salt (this stuff is great). I added some lemon zest, fresh cracked black pepper, fresh dill, and oregano.

I heated the grill to 375 degrees, cleaned and oiled the grate, then cooked the trout. I started with the meat side down for about 4-5 minutes. Then, I flipped the fillets over and did the same with the skin side down.

When the fillets were done, I squeezed a little lemon juice. I tossed a baby green salad with some red wine vinaigrette, some blue cheese crumbles, and some candied pecans.

The fat between the meat and the skin rendered nicely, allowing the cooked fillets to slide right off. I topped the salad with the grilled trout, and served with some chilled white wine. Delicious!

Update:  I tried this again, but this time I skipped the lemon zest, and added smoked paprika to the spices I put onto the fish. I served the fish skin-side down. 

On the salad, instead of pecans I used walnuts, but I added some chopped granny smith apple.  I squeezed a little lemon on the salad to brighten it up. 

When I grilled the trout, I also grilled some shucked corn-on-the-cob over high heat, until I got some good browning on many of the kernels.  Back in the kitchen, I cut the roasted kernels off of the cob, and sauteed them in a pat of butter and olive oil, along with some chopped red bell pepper, and chopped red onion, with a little Celtic Sea Salt. 

I served it with some chilled Menage et Trois white wine, which went perfectly with this healthy and delicious meal.

How to Filet a Redfish