This month: Shrimp, New Orleans, and Asparagus! Please post your favorite recipes.
(If you would like to be on or off of this monthly cooking thread ping-list, please send a private message.)
-JT
One of staples down here. And also crawfish etoufee.
Love shrimp!
I saw this article recently - it’s in-depth, historical & very interesting
The Chef Restoring Appalachia’s World-Class Food Culture
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-appalachian-food
Here’s a very brief excerpt of some of the food mentioned that is being brought back:
The farm-to-table revolution was exploding, and interest in Southern cuisine was high. Milton parlayed the attention to feature foods he’d grown up with in southwest Virginia.
For example, a stack of fried green tomatoes might bring a medley of mountain heirlooms breaded with Bloody Butcher cornbread instead of flour and a topping of strawberry-rhubarb relish. A collard greens dish might include heritage varieties such as Champion and Alabama Blue, and be paired with leather britches made from Pink Tip Greasy Beans, cubes of grilled Candy Roaster Melon Squash, and bacon crumbles from a West Virginia Tamworth pig.
The response was cult-like. Area food critics crowned Milton one of the city’s top chefs.
One way I like it is wrapped in phyllo leaves, like just one sheet per spear. Drizzle with oil or butter and seasonings, Bake til golden brown.
Asparagus, ham, & gruyere frittata (or scrambled eggs). Yum.:). Cream of asparagus soup is probably my favorite asparagus dish.
I now live 4 hours from New Orleans. What bounty! Did my birthday at Brennan’s. Sazaracs followed by turtle soup, gumbo and shrimp etoufee in all that pink beauty. Wonderful service as well.
Exactly how I do asparagus. I will also do that & cut it up & add to a chicken, garlic, & vermouth sauce over fettuccine.
I was out of vermouth & dry sherry last time. Subbed vodka from the freezer & it was perfect!
Have a pot roast slow cooking in the oven. Going to put it over egg noodles later.
Popular appetizer ....
Pickled Shrimp
https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Pickled-Shrimp/
“Briny, faintly spicy pickled shrimp are a staple of Southern cuisine. In this Georgia-inspired version from from Hugh Acheson’s A New Turn in the South (Clarkson Potter, 2011), frozen raw shrimp are a fine substitute for fresh. As Hugh notes in his comment below, if the shrimp remain covered with oil, they’ll last for “a good week in the fridge. The longer they sit in their pickle liquid, the picklier they get.” This recipe first appeared in our October 2011 issue along with Wendell Brock’s book review “Sweet and Tart: A Southerly Course and A New Turn in the South.”
They seemed to like it.
Best pan for this is the turkey roaster lined with foil.
Takes a bit so do not make this for a quick lunch. :)
Take a stick of butter add a quarter cup dill, (fresh is best) a smushed garlic clove and about a teaspoon of lemon zest, melt it all together.
Now take about 16 red potatoes and 8 ears of corn. Quarter the potatoes and break the ears of corn in half. You can up the potatoes to 24 if they are really small and just cut them in half. Cut two large onions into eighths. This is an ear of corn and two or three potatoes per person.
Take a nice firm white fish. I used lake white fish that we caught last summer. (Ok, that he caught. I packed the lunch and went along to keep him company.) About three pounds. Cut them into pieces about two inches thick, two inches wide and about four long.
Put it all in roaster and pour the butter over them. Kind of shake around to coat. Quarter and squeeze two lemons over them and add to the roaster as well. Shake some salt on it. I did about four shakes which is about 1/4 a teaspoon.
Take two sausages, you can use Andouille if you like more heat or smoked if you like mild. I used Polish Kielbasa because it falls somewhere in the middle and it was what was on sale at the butchers. Cut into bite size chunks and dump them on top of the potatoes, corn and fish.
Now put the whole thing in the oven for about 60 minutes on 375. Covered.
While it is baking you need to take four of pounds of shrimp and at least two of crab and pour about a half cup of liquid seafood boil over them and let them set. You did keep the liquid from the package didn't you? Add that in. (Note: please use THAWED seafood. It you put it in frozen dinner will not be served on time.)
Open roaster (do not burn yourself the steam will be hot) and dump in the shrimp. If you are using raw shrimp close it back up and let it cook for about seven minutes before adding the crab. If you are using cooked just add the crab on top. Cover and let heat until the crab and shrimp are hot. That is about five to seven minutes.
Serve with a salad that everyone will ignore, twice as many biscuits as you think you will need, bowls of melted butter and more lemon wedges.
Expect that your guests will be staying for a couple of hours as they lie around digesting.
yeah, I’m for roasting too. Actually but putting it in boiling water which removes the flavor. I do it under the broiler ...and drizzle olive oil over the top.
You had me at, ‘Shrimp’ and, ‘Asparagus!’
My patch is three years old this coming Spring so I can FINALLY cut me some home-grown asparagus!
I REALLY miss the 40-foot, well-established row of it I left behind at my other farm...but there’s still time. ;)
I saw Mexican asparagus on sale for $1.49/LB. I love asparagus.
Bookmark... I hope people will post recipes...
Peruvian cuisine varies greatly by adapting a mix of European, Asian and indigenous ingredients and styles. Too broad to describe in this space, here’s a link to a brief description of typical dishes. Following is my recipe for Peruvian style shrimp chowder, “Chupe de Camarones”. Despite a lengthy ingredient list, it comes together quickly, requires no special expertise and ingredients are readily available. The only downer is prepping the shrimp!
As they say “Waaay Down South” - Buen Provecho! - Enjoy the Meal!
Chupe de Camarones
Peruvian Shrimp Chowder
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1-2 Tbsp. jarred yellow pepper paste – “aji amarillo” - or minced fresh chili pepper of choice
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. ground red pepper – “ají rojo” or paprika
4 cups stock or water
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into small chunks
1 cup green peas
1 cup corn kernels or 2-3 halves corn-on-the-cob – if available, use large kernel Peruvian corn - “choclo”.
1/4 - ½ cup rice – perhaps split the difference between the two - rice expands and may overwhelm the liquid content.
2 tsp. oregano
Salt & pepper to suit
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 eggs, beaten or top each serving with a “soup cooked egg”
1 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
1 cup Feta cheese. Optionally, Queso Fresco or grated Parmesan cheese may be used.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high flame.
Add the onion and chili pepper and sauté until the onion is translucent, 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic and ají rojo or paprika and sauté for another minute or so.
Stir in the stock or water, potatoes, peas, corn, rice, oregano, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
To the mixture, stir in the shrimp.
Add eggs one-at-a-time keeping separated while “poaching” or add eggs individually, stirring to break up and blend into the chupe. Either way, simmer for another 5 minutes or so.
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the evaporated milk or cream and the grated cheese.
Adjust seasoning to suit and serve hot in bowls.
Variations
Stock: “Chupe” will gain extra flavor by preparing a stock made from the shells & heads of the shrimp. Buy shell-on shrimp with heads. Shrimp have two sacks inside the head. Discard the black one, and keep the grayish-green roe which contains additional flavor. Add the peeled shells & heads to a saucepan of water. Bring to a boil then simmer until the shells turn pick. Strain the shrimp stock and discard shells & heads. Add this stock to the chupe.
Chupe de Mariscos (Seafood chowder): To suit, use a variety of shellfish and chunks of fish fillets instead of just shrimp. Clean the shellfish well, and stir everything into the simmering soup as you would the shrimp.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Majas Galuska
1 raw chicken liver chopped very fine
4 sprigs of parsley chopped fine
1 small onion grated
4 eggs
1/2 tsp of salt
Dash of black pepper
2 cups of flour
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Drop by 1/2 teaspoonful into salted water or chicken stock for soup. Cook about 20 minutes or until done. Water can be added if the batter is too stiff.
My Mom used to make this as soup. She added spring onions or fresh spinach to round it out.
BTT for shut ins!