If one were to trace the origins of real Cajun cooking, a look to the distant past would be in order. I would speculate that many of today's popular dishes originated in France. When the Acadians, (Cajuns), were exiled from France they settled in Nova Scotia where there was an abundance of seafood as was the case along their arduous southward trek down the eastern U.S. seaboard to south Louisiana. It is the south Louisiana foods to which this publication is addressed.

Again, if I were to speculate, I can surely claim to be an authentic true to form, honest to goodness Cajun. I am a connoisseur who believes that to impart a true understanding of how real Cajun food is prepared, one has to have actually experienced it first hand. Again, I do qualify.

Also, through my travels, I realized that not many restaurants actually serve authentic Cajun dishes anymore. Real Cajun foods have succumbed to a menagerie of exotic add-ons and spices which do not correctly reflect the foods I grew up on as a kid.

The main ingredients in real Cajun cooking are onions, bell pepper, garlic, celery and a few choice salts and seasonings. It's always…always…'cook the onions first, add the bell peppers and celery, (don't overdo the celery), and toward the end of the cooking cycle add the garlic to get the utmost flavor'. All Cajuns know that.

Some are too impatient to appreciate what a little slow and prolonged cooking time can do to enhance flavors. Many of my readers probably have heard that gumbo is especially good the day after it is cooked.

This is true because the all-purpose flour/oil base, called 'roux', (pronounced roo), acts as tiny sponges. They continue to absorb the flavors from the gumbo's spicy liquid long after the cooking process is done. Many Cajuns prepare their foods in stages and larger than normal quantities. Much of the foods can be bagged and stored in the freezer for later consumption. Slow and continuous cooking processes can make all the difference in the world in the way the food tastes.

Seasoning. Now there's a hot topic. The hot tastes usually associated with Cajun foods did not come about until the existence of an abundant resource of cayenne and other peppers, which, in the late 18th and early 19th century, began to flourish in south Louisiana. It was not until the Spanish/Mexican influence, (Tobasco), that many of the indigenous peoples began using these and other spices to add flavor to their meals. Seeds to grow your own peppers also became plentiful.

In conclusion, I think there are many wonderful "modern" Cajun dishes and there are probably more to come. However, before the old time recipes are forever lost I want to share some with you. Nothing fancy...just pure and simple.

Please leave a comment if you need further clarification on any of these recipes. I will respond to your request as soon as I can.

Bon Appetite!

Jacques Gaspard
Murals Your Way www.freeplants.com
-->

Thursday, April 05, 2007 

Peño Puppies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup minced onions
1/2 cup minced (pickled) jalapeño pepper
buttermilk (enough to make a moist and thick batter)

Thoroughly mix the above ingredients. (except buttermilk) Slowly add buttermilk and stir until a thick batter is formed.

You will know how much buttermilk to add by testing it with a teaspoon. You want gravity to do most of the work when you are ready to release the batter into the hot boiling oil.

(I prefer using a heavy metal pot, (such as cast iron), with sides tall enough to accommodate around 3 inches of oil.)

In a metal pot, heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees. Drop teaspoons full of the mixture into the hot oil, one after the other, until evenly distributed about one-half inch apart. (about a dozen at the time) The pups will rise to the top. Allow them to cook until golden brown. Flip them over from time to time so they can cook on both
sides.

The rich taste of the buttermilk delicately tones down the bite of the jalapeño peppers without compromising the flavor of the peppers.

Thursday, December 14, 2006 

Gaspard's Mock Oyster Stew (original)

Note: Fresh ingredients works better in any dish you prepare. In this recipe, if you can obtain fresh oysters that is great! But, remember, the oyster juice is essential. For those who do not eat the oysters for whatever reason, can eat the mock oysters (the eggplant) and not lose the unique flavor of the dish.

1 - 10 oz. can of oysters (drain and save juice)
1 pint of Half 'n Half milk/cream
1 can Golden Cream of Mushroom soup (roasted garlic brand)
1 can cream of celery soup
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp chopped green onion
2 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp minced bell pepper
salt and pepper to taste

In a 2 quart sauce pan melt the butter and saute the minced onions and bell pepper for a couple minutes. Add the oyster juice and simmer a couple more minutes until the vegetables are translucent. (Do not add green onions until the end of the cooking process)

Slowly add the 2 cans of soup to the mixture and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly. (do not allow the mixture to stick to the bottom of the pan. If you notice it starting to stick, it's an indication that your heat setting is too high. Lower the heat) Set aside and allow to cool until the mock oysters are ready to be added. DO NOT add the half 'n half until the end of the cooking process.

When the mock oysters are prepared (see instructions below0 you are ready to mix the half 'n half to the mixture. On a low heat bring the mixture back to a near boil. Slowly add the half 'n half until you have a smooth and creamy mix.

Add the mock oyster (egg plant quarters) and the real oysters (optional) to the mix making sure they are well drained first. (water will dilute the creamy consistency of the stew) Add your preferred seasoning. Do not allow the stew to boil. This will make the milk product in the stew begin to curdle. Yuk!

Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes and you are ready to serve

Sprinkle the green onions on top of stew before serving. Serve with crackers are garlic toast.

Preparing Mock Oysters.

1 average size egg plant.

Peel the entire egg plant and cut into 1/2" slices. Quarter each slice and add to enough lightly salted water to cover the top of the egg plant. Slow boil the egg plant until the consistency is similar to oysters (about 20 minutes).

Saturday, July 01, 2006 

What is File'

File', pronounced “fee-lay” consists of finely ground sassafras leaves. This adds an exotic flavor to the gumbo. It can be purchased in most supermarkets.

 

How To Make a Gumbo Roux


1 cup cooking oil
1 cup all-purpose flour

Mix well. In heavy metal pot or skillet stir over medium heat. It is important to stir constantly because this action prevents the oil and flour mixture from burning. If any part of the mixture begins to burn it will create a bitter taste and consequently ruin the entire dish.

Stir and cook the roux until it becomes a chocolate color. When the roux turns to a dark chocolate color remove from heat and set aside until ready for use. The roux can be stored in a cool place for later use. It will keep for a long time.

Roux is one of the basic ingredients in preparing many Cajun dishes. It can be prepared in three different bases - off white, golden brown and dark brown (chocolate color). Each base will produce its own unique and distinct taste.

 

How to Boil Shrimp, Crabs or Crawfish


Season the water in which the shrimp, crab or crawfish are to be boiled. The basic seasonings consist of salt, red pepper, and black pepper. This is the secret of bringing out the flavor of boiled seafood as served by Louisiana Acadians.

Bring seasoned water to a boil in a large pot then add the shrimp, crabs or crawfish. Bring to a boil again and cook rapidly for 5 minutes in an uncovered pot. Be sure to have enough water to cover the seafood. Remove from heat, cover the pot and let set in water for about 5 minutes. They are ready to be peeled. Enjoy them!

Tips:

Remember, before boiling fresh crawfish or crabs make certain they are alive. Dead ones may cause illness when consumed.

When boiling a large amount of crawfish or crabs (20 lbs. or more) you may want to add new potatoes, small to medium size onions, hot smoked pork sausage (hot Italian is the best) cut into 2 inch links, and even corn on the cob. Many Cajuns add dry or liquid crab or shrimp boil to and a cup of oil to make the crustaceans more flavorfull and easier to peel.

It is a good idea to purge the crabs or crawfish before you boil them. This is done by pouring the live crabs or crawfish in a large container filled with fresh cool water and salt. This is the easiest way to clean them.



"I was seven years old when my grandfather had this crazy idea of flooding our rice fields after the harvest. Grandfather didn't even finish grade school back in the old days but it did not diminish the fact that he was a innovator.

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. I think Mr. Trahan emulated my grandfather's success and began their own farming operation the following year.

Back then we were resigned to using rudimentary harvesting methods to catch crawfish; namely, pyramid type nets and blood bait placed in the center. Even then, each year we managed to harvest tons of the delicious crustaceans. Later 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.

We kept the crawfish farm going for a couple decades. Most of the money we earned from the farm was unreported cash. The windfall from the operations allowed me to purchase my first brand new car by the time I was 15 years old. Actually, my grandfather purchased the car for me before I obtained my driver's license.

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 you knew it we equipped him with a pair of waders, a dozen nets, a number two wash tub, and a long cane pole. He fished a couple hours and walked away with about 100 pounds of crawfish.

Folks 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 do the trick. If you didn't walk away with about 100 pounds in an hour or so it meant you were just playing around. We sold our crawfish for 10 cents a pound if you caught your own, or 20 cents a pound if we caught them for you.

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 another hobby. Some weekends I would pocket around $300. Not bad for a pimple faced teenager back then.

Crawfish 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 string with chicken necks to catch crabs. We always had a freezer full of seafood. Those were the good ole days."

 

Gumbo

Gaspard's Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo
Gumbo is a real Cajun dish. It is served in a soup bowl over cooked rice and garnished with a pinch of file' sprinkled lightly on top.

Any of the following meats may be added to make a delicious gumbo: chicken, duck, goose, wild duck, quail, dove, guinea, rabbit and squirrel. Sausage, tasso, and okra may also be added.

Seafood gumbos are made with shrimp, crab, crawfish and oysters, or a combination of these. The basics in making gumbo are the same. However, seafood takes about 15 minutes to cook so you should add it to the gumbo about a quarter of an hour before it is done.

 

Wild Duck Gumbo with Oysters


Follow recipe for chicken gumbo. Add 1 pint oysters (fresh or canned). When the duck gumbo is cooked and tender, add the oysters. Ti takes about 3 minutes for the oysters to cook. Be sure to add the water in which the oysters are contained for added flavor.

Gumbo is one of the most popular Cajun dishes. It can be prepared with many different meat and different combinations of meats and seafood.

 

Shrimp Etouffee (A-2-Fay)


2 lbs. fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined
½ cup margarine
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup onions, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can tomato juice
1 ½ cups water
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt margarine and add flour, onions and celery. Cook until onions are tender then add tomato juice, water, garlic and seasonings. Cook for at least 1 hour. Add shrimp and cook for another 30 minutes. Serve over long grain rice. Serves 4 to 6.

 

Shrimp and Okra Gumbo


2 lbs. fresh okra, cut into small pieces
2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 cup onions, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts water
Salt and pepper to taste

Make medium color roux with oil and all-purpose flour. Add onions, celery, salt, pepper, garlic and cook over low heat for 5 minutes then add water.

In another pot smother okra in ½ cup oil for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Add the roux to okra and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and cook another 3o minutes. Serve over long grain rice. Serves 6 to 8.

 

Shrimp and Eggplant Casserole

1 lb. shrimp, peeled, de-veined and cut up
½ cup onions, chopped
¼ cup bell pepper, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
¼ cup margarine
7 slices bread, toasted
1 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
2 medium eggplants, cubed, parboiled and drained
Bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions, bell pepper and celery in margarine. Add shrimp and cook approximately 5 minutes.

Soak toast in water and add eggs to eggplants, then mix all ingredients together.

Pour in casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs and melted margarine. Bake 30 to 40 minutes at 350°F.

 

Shrimp Jambalaya

2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 ½ cups onions, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup bell pepper, chopped
1 cup oil
½ tsp cornstarch
½ cup green onions, chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped
2 cups water
4 cups cooked long grain rice
Salt, red and black pepper to taste

In heavy pot add oil, onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook uncovered over medium heat until onions are tender. Add tomato paste and cook another 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1 ½ cup water, salt, sugar, red and black pepper. Cook uncovered over medium heat until oil floats to the top Use clean paper towels to absorb the oil and discard towels. Add shrimp and cook for approximately 20 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup of cold water. Add this to the mixture and cook another 5 minutes.

Mix ingredients with cooked rice. Add green onions and parsley. Mix well. Serves 8 to 10.

 

Shrimp Boulettes

3 quarts raw peeled shrimp
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 medium onions, chopped
½ cup bell pepper, chopped
1 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 large Irish potato, boiled
Salt and pepper to taste

Grind and mix all of the above ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Take a heaping Tbs. at a time, roll into balls and drop into heated deep fat. Cook for 15 minutes turning them over until golden brown. Serve piping hot with French bread and green salad.

 

Shrimp Pie

1 large onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
3 small ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. peeled raw shrimp
2 heaping Tbs. flour
1 can mushroom soup
1 small can mushrooms
½ cup green onions, chopped
1 9” unbaked double pie crust
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook onions, bell pepper, garlic and celery in margarine for approximately 10 minutes. Cut shrimp into bite size pieces. Add shrimp and cook until pink. Add flour and blend, then add soup, mushrooms, salt, pepper and onion tops. Simmer about 10 minutes then pour into pie crust and cover with top crust.

Bake at 400°F. approximately 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Crawfish pie can also be prepared using the same recipe. Just substitute crawfish for shrimp.

 

Shrimp Au Gratin

2 lbs. shrimp
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
½ lb. margarine
4 Tbs. flour
1 large can milk
2 egg yolks
10 oz. mild cheddar cheese

Peel uncooked shrimp. Sauté onions and celery in margarine. Add milk and blend. Remove from heat then add egg yolks and blend. Now add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes. Then add cheese, salt and pepper. Pour mixture in 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.

 

Shrimp and Crabmeat Sauce

3 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ lb. margarine
1 quart of water
1 large can of sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs. cornstarch (dilute cornstarch in small amount of cold water.)
2 lbs. peeled shrimp
1 lb. crabmeat
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions and garlic in margarine. Add water, salt, pepper, mushrooms, soy sauce and cornstarch. Bring to a slow boil then add shrimp and crabmeat. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.

 

Shrimp Salad

1 lb. fresh shrimp, boiled, peeled and de-veined
2 boiled eggs, chopped
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
1 Tbs. onion, grated or finely chopped
1 Tbs. bell pepper, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl combine shrimp with all ingredients and mix well. Serve on lettuce with crackers. (2 cans of shrimp can be substituted for fresh shrimp.)

 

Fried Shrimp Batter


1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cold water
½ tsp sugar
1 egg
½ tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper

Mix all ingredients then set aside in the refrigerator for a few minutes.

This batter is also good for frying soft shell crabs, eggplants, onion rings, green tomatoes, and other vegetable or seafood of your choice.

 

Courtbouillon (Fish Soup)


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.

 

Stuffed Catfish

Cleaned whole catfish (One catfish per serving.)
Use same recipe as fish patties for stuffing

Season fish very well with salt and pepper. Stuff fish with patties stuffing. Place whole catfish in a greased pan and bake in oven at 350°F. Baste fish with butter while cooking. Do not turn. Fish should be cooked for about 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with green salad.

 

Fish Patties

3 lbs. de-boned fish (Any kind of fish may be used.)
2 eggs
3 cups onions, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. boiled potatoes, mashed
3 cups bread crumbs
Green onion tops, chopped parsley, salt, black or
white pepper and a few dashes of Tobasco
½ cup oil

Cut fish in small pieces the season highly with salt, black or white pepper, and red pepper. Place fish in pot with ½ cup cooking oil. Cook over medium heat until nearly done. (About 15 to 20 minutes at 350°F.) Add onion, celery and garlic. Cook until vegetables are wilted then remove from heat. Add mashed potatoes, bread crumbs, eggs, green onion tops and parsley. Mix well.

Use a large tablespoon to scoop mixture and flatten into round patties. Coat the patties with bread crumbs and fry in deep fat for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 8.

 

Gaspard’s Spicy Fried Catfish Nuggets

12 catfish fillets cut into bite size pieces

2 egg whites
2 Tbs. Tony Chachere’s Original Creole seasoning
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp Tobasco 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 include egg whites, Tony Chachere’s seasoning, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, salt, Tobasco sauce, baking powder and beer. Beat together until well mixed. Dissolve 2 tsp. cornstarch in a small amount of cold water and add to the dredging liquid. Again beat all ingredients until well mixed. You may place a handful of catfish nuggets in the egg solution. Coat the nuggets well.

In a separate bowl with lid place 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 cup yellow corn meal. This will be used to coat the fish fillets after dredging them in the egg white seasoning solution and prior to frying.

Heat peanut oil to 375°F. and fry fish 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 over and over again.

 

Broiled Catfish Fillet

12 catfish fillets

Sauce

½ cup margarine
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp liquid smoke
Salt and pepper to taste

Place fillets in a baking pan and rub a little mustard over it. Next, brush sauce over fillets and broil. Heat source should be about 5 inches from fillets. Broil until golden brown. Do not turn over fillets. It may cause the fish to fall apart. Serve over fried rice.

 

Oyster Pie


3 dozen oysters
¼ lb. butter
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 large onion, chopped
1 small can evaporated milk
2 Tbs. parsley
1 Tbs. green onions, chopped
¼ tsp white pepper
1 small can mushrooms
1 pastry shell and top

Do not drain the oysters. Make roux with butter and flour. Cook until light brown. (Color of paper sack.) Add onions and continue to cook for a few minutes. Add oysters and all the remaining ingredients. Cook until thick.

Line pan with pastry. Pour oyster mixture into shell and cover with pastry. Brush butter on top of pastry and cook until brown.

Friday, June 30, 2006 

Camp Cook Chronicles - How to Gage Whitetail Deer


It was my second year cooking for the Texarkana Hunting Club. The club's deer lease encompasses several hundred acres of wooded ridges and bottom lands and extends partially south of and adjacent to Hwy 287 in Nevada County, Arkansas. (between Hope and Camden)

I looked forward to being the camp cook again. Maybe it was because I added just enough spice and Cajun seasoning to the foods I prepared the year before that prompted a re-invitation to cook for them this year.

Now, it seems, that the hunting club would like for me to cook for them in 2007. This could become a tradition.

The challenge I faced this year was to prepare hearty dishes from the game bagged on the lease...which was mainly deer and wild pigs.

I arrived at the deer camp around noon on Friday. My time that afternoon was spent getting settled in at the bunk house, taking inventory of the galley provisions, and getting reacquainted with friends I had met at the camp the previous year.

All afternoon the hunters trickled in at the camp to set up for the following opening day. One of the hunter's age was 84, but if I had to guess the average overall age of the members , I would guess around forty-eight.

I had to awaken early enough the next morning to prepare breakfast for everyone; early enough so that the hunters could eat a hearty meal and still have enough time to take positions at their respective blinds or tree stands.

This meant getting up at 4 o'clock every morning. In most cases I could have everything prepared within one to one and one half hours. After everyone would leave for the hunt I would clean the galley and go back to the bunk house to get a couple more hours sleep before preparing the afternoon meals.

It was Saturday, November 11, 2006 and it was also Veteran's Day. Everything progressed smoothly the first morning. I had the hunters in and out in less than a couple hours. I went back to the bunk house to listen to the news and get some more shut-eye. I had a special treat in mind to cook up for supper on Veteran's Day.

That afternoon, while in the galley peeling potatoes, I heard a small commotion outside the building. I went outside to check it out and I noticed a couple hunters. They had just arrived. I didn't recognize them from the year before so I naturally assumed they were invited guests.

I took particular notice of the less tall of the two hunters because of the way he interacted with the other hunters, most of whom he had never met before.

He was gregarious to say the least. Although he was of a smaller stature, he strutted around like he was ten feet tall, in full hunting regalia, (just shy of a Gillie suit), and exuded more self-confidence than a rogue porcupine.

He could tell a story and spin a yarn that would make Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn green with envy. His name was Gage Paul Wylie. He liked and wanted to be called Gage Paul by the other hunters in the group. He was proud of his name.

That evening I prepared a hearty meal for the hunters. The main course consisted of chicken fried venison back strap with mash potatoes and gravy. I noticed Gage Paul tearing into his fair share. He acted like he needed to store as much energy as he possibly could in preparation for the following day's hunt.

While the other hunters gathered around to talk about old times and drink beer, I noticed that Gage Paul wasn't particularly interested and made his way back to his travel trailer to get some early rest, I supposed.

It wasn't long after that when I also made my way to the bunk house to get some shut-eye of my own. It was tough enough under normal circumstances for the cook to get some sleep, let alone jaw boning with a group of hunters who had another year's worth of tall tales, light beer and football under their hats.

I awakened at 4 PM the next morning to prepare breakfast. (scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy) Everyone was in and out in about one hour. Doing good! I thought to myself.

I cleaned up the galley and went back to bed and before long I was getting some peaceful rest. There was no one around...just pure silence...the perfect setting for peaceful sleep. It's what camp cooks dream about.

I don't remember what I was dreaming about that particular morning, but it wasn't about tall tales, football or bagging deer.

Suddenly! Out of the peaceful silence and sweet dreams, I heard this voice. It kept repeating itself and getting closer and getting louder.

"I killed two!"

I heard it again. "I killed two!"

I remember jumping up from the lower bunk, where I slept, and nearly knocking myself out when my head hit the top bunk. I couldn't find my glasses. (not good for a near sighted cook) I bent over and closely examined the alarm clock on the bed stand and it said 8:30. It was still dark in the bunk house.

At that point I didn't know if it was in the AM or the PM. I was totally confused.

Don't laugh. You should try thinking strait when it's dark and you can't see in the first place...and with a knot on the head that you feel is slowly growing by the minute.

I found my specs and finally figured out that it was still morning. I figured I got almost exactly one and a half hours of sleep. Imagine that!

I slipped on my overalls and made my way to the door to see what all the excitement was about. As soon as I opened the door...there he was...Gage Paul Wylie.

"I killed two!", he shouted; "just fifteen minutes apart!", he added.

There he was...Gage Paul Wylie...a bit loquacious, in my opinion, and now a whole lot on the braggart side.

He touted his weapon of choice - a 243 rifle, (a kid's gun by hunting standards), like a gallant warrior after his first exhausting battle.

So Gage Paul bagged two whitetail deer in fifteen minutes on the first day. Big deal! ... Right?

For Gage Paul it was a big deal. It was a big deal because the sharp, self-confident, nonchalant, keen eyed whitetail deer hunter is only nine years old.

As a well known radio commentator loves to conclude: "now you know the rest of the story." But, ...not quite.

When I was composing this story I couldn't help but think that perhaps there were other nine year old hunters, like Gage Paul, who bagged two deer in just fifteen minutes; that perhaps there were other nine year old hunters who have a good story to tell.

But, the amazing thing about this story is that on that faithful morning in November of 2006, a day which I will always remember, was the day when Gage Paul Wylie participated in his very first deer hunt.

Nine year old Gage Paul Wylie of Cabot, Arkansas stole the show that day as he out shined, probably for several more years to come, all of the other deer hunters in the hunting club.

He had been accompanied by his grandfather, Roy. As Gage Paul repeated his story to the other hunters who trickled in that afternoon, one of the older hunters asked, "Gage Paul, how many times do think you need to tell that story?"

Gage Paul responded by saying, "As many times as it takes. I just wanted you all to know that you may have won the battle, but my papaw and me...we won the war."

Jacques Gaspard

 

Oyster Casserole

1 pt. oysters, chopped
1 Tbs. butter
2 medium onions, chopped or finely sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
1 lemon
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs, beaten
Cracker crumbs
Salt, white pepper and Tobasco to taste

Cook onions and celery in one Tbs. butter until tender. Add oyster juice and bread crumbs, oysters, lemon juice and seasonings. Cook a couple minutes over a low fire. Remove from heat and stir in eggs. Pour into small casserole dish and top with cracker crumbs or bread crumbs. Bake 20 to 30 minutes at 350°F.

 

Oysters Shantal (Broiled Oysters in Shells)


Sauce
2 Tbs. butter, melted
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp liquid smoke
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper

Wash oysters in cold water. Open oysters and remove top shell leaving mussel intact in lower shell. Place oysters in a baking dish and pour a little sauce over each one. Broil for 7 minutes. Oysters cook very fast. Serve in shell.



"I first tried this recipe during my second year in college. My wife was pregnant for our daughter at the time. We were visiting some close friends who had moved out of the college dorms to a quaint small house which was situated next to a railroad track in the north section of Lafayette, Louisiana. Seafood was readily available at a moments notice.

Alvin Toups, a friend, and I shucked a few dozen oysters and decided to smoke them on a small grill. We added a small amount of butter, liquid smoke and freshly minced garlic to each oyster on the half-shell. It turned out great. Later, I tweaked the recipe a bit.

Shantal, my daughter, was not yet born. In 1986 I acquired a small interest in a restaurant in Texarkana, Arkansas. I made up a batch for everyone to try and it consequently became a big hit with our customers. That is how the name Oysters Shantal came into being."

 

Oyster Stew

3 dozen oysters
1 stick butter
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 quart milk
5 green onion tops, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 sprig parsley, finely chopped
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Make white roux with flour and butter. Add vegetables and sauté. Drain oysters and add liquid to vegetables. Add preheated milk, oyster and simmer until oyster’s edges begin to curl. Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Serve with croutons or crackers.

 

Frog Sauce Piquante

6 whole bull frogs or 8 bull frog legs
(If using whole bull frogs cut into pieces.)
¾ cup oil
8 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 large onion, chopped
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 large can tomato juice
1 small can Rotel tomatoes
Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Make roux, (light color), with all-purpose flour and oil. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato juice, Rotel tomatoes, garlic powder, all seasonings and water and bring to a boil. If too thick add more water. Cook for approximately 1 hour. Add frogs and cook until tender. This dish should be lightly seasoned. Serve over cooked long grain rice.

 

Crawfish Etouffee

1 lb. clean crawfish tails
2 large onions, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ lb. margarine
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté vegetables and seasonings in margarine for approximately 5 minutes. Add crawfish tails and cook for ½ hour. Serve over cooked rice.

 

Smothered Crawfish

3 large onions, chopped
1 large bell pepper, finely chopped
½ cup Rotel tomatoes
½ cup green onions, chopped
¼ cup parsley, minced
½ cup margarine
1 lb. crawfish tails with fat
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions, pepper, tomatoes, green onions and parsley in margarine for 10 minutes.

Add crawfish and crawfish fat, cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes. Add seasoning to taste. (Do not add water. Crawfish contains enough liquid.) Serve over hot long grain rice.

 

Crawfish Chili

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup margarine (Make golden brown roux.)

Add to Roux:

1 cup onions, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup bell pepper, chopped
Cook in roux about 5 minutes then add:

2 quarts water
1 large can tomato sauce
½ to 1 cup chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook for at least 2 hours. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes. Approximately 5 minutes before chili is done add 1 lb. clean crawfish tails. Chili beans can also be added if desired.

 

Crawfish Jambalaya

2 lbs. crawfish tails
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
¼ cup margarine, melted
1 cup onions, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup bell pepper, chopped
Season to taste
1 ½ cups uncooked long grain rice

Mix all above. Pour in a pot and cover. Let cook until rice is tender. (A rice pot cooker is excellent for this.)

 

The First Crayfish Farm


It was the smell of seafood and my grandmother's cooking I liked the most about Friday evening, as if the preparation for that event meant setting aside the stress of running the family farm that week. It seemed that everyone in the family couldn't wait for supper time.

I could feel my senses reaching out to embrace the particular smell of her seafood gumbo. It was like music to the soul. The sweet nutty aroma of the the flour roux permeated our entire house; any excess which vented out through the open windows invited anyone who was lucky enough to walk near our home.

This was especially true the moment my grandma added the onions, celery and peppers to the hot gumbo mixture. The aroma of the sautee was indescribable...like an invisible magnet, it would draw you to the source – to the very pot in which the magic elixir was brewed.

It was the closest thing to heaven that I knew. We lived in a predominantly Catholic community except for a small Methodist Church located off a dirt road about three miles south of us.. (highway black topping had not reached our remote area yet.) Eating seafood on Friday kept the family in tune with the church's meat abstinence laws.

There was something holy about that church doctrine. All that seafood! It was, in my thinking, God's way of rewarding us for not eating meat. One couldn't wish for more.

One of my most memorable moments for me came at age seven, when my Grandfather announced to the family that we were going to establish a crayfish farm.

No one ever heard of such a thing. No one had a crayfish farm in the area, and arguably, in the entire State of Louisiana, as far as it goes.

There were no crayfish farms in which to pattern ours after. My grandfather started from scratch.

We had always been inundated with these ubiquitous claw pinching shell fish. They grew everywhere! Even in people's yards.

Every June my grandfather would begin the process of slowly releasing the water from the irrigated fields in preparation for the July rice harvest. The ground had to be dry and solid for a few weeks, which allowed the large weighty harvesters to operate at maximum efficiency.

Every year, during this process, my grandpa would harvest hundreds of pounds of these delicious fresh water crustaceans – what seemed like millions of small lobsters through the eyes of a young boy.

My grandfather was a functional illiterate. He had not had the opportunity to even finish grade school because his father needed him to work on the farm instead of attending to his education.

This didn't, in any way, mean that grandpa was stupid, nor did it diminish his ability to conduct business. He could calculate numbers and solve problems in his head faster than a lot of folks who use a calculator today.

The announcement to start a crayfish farm came one Friday afternoon when my grandfather returned from the rice fields in his dark green 1953 Chevrolet pick up truck.

It was loaded with two dozen sacks of crayfish. Each sack weighed around fifty pounds. He and his farm hands had harvested them from the run-off on one forty acre rice field.

As it turned out, his desire to run and operate a crayfish farm, in hind sight, could not have come at a more convenient and opportune, although inadvertent, time because Hurricane Audrey, a category four storm, wiped out all the crops in our area, as well as crops in several adjacent parishes, before they could be harvested.

If grandfather's crayfish farm plan worked, it meant that we could defray some of the loses from the rice crop created by the storm. It worked! Oh how did it work. It worked beyond our wildest dreams.

Grandpa didn't have to pump underground water to flood a forty acre farm three feet deep. There was a substantial costs involved in doing this. The flood waters of Hurricane Audrey solved that problem. He merely reinforced the levee system in his field and captured, from nature, the prime ingredient to raise crayfish – and that was water.

The storm hit land on the Texas/Louisiana coast on June 27, 1957. It was estimated that over 500 people perished. We were fortunate enough to be located on the eastern outer periphery of the storm. Most of the sustained damage in our area came from the flood waters.

My grandfather managed to turn a terrible situation into an asset. Water costs in those days, as it is now, was substantial; it would consume nearly 20 percent of the profits. As it turned out, in this particular circumstance, the flood was a blessing from heaven which further enhanced the prospect of establishing and operating a successful crayfish farm.

The entire rice crop was flattened by the storm and impossible to harvest, so grandpa just left it as it was and flooded over it. Every-thing was now under water. Unaware to him at the time was the fact that the rice and the rice stalks not only gave the newly hatched crayfish a safe haven from fish, frogs, snakes and other predators, it also produced food for them.

In the years following the first crayfish harvesting season, we learned that by dotting the forty acre pond with broken bales of rice straw, it had the same effect of protecting and producing feed for future crayfish seedlings.

Our crayfish farm had a levee system which meandered and criss-crossed each other throughout the pond. There were nearly 4 miles of walking space for our customers to fish from.

When I turned eight, grandpa began teaching me all about the correct ways to cultivate the little creatures. The growing season synchronized perfectly with the growing of rice crops. Neither growing season inter-fered with the other; in fact, they complimented each other.

Crayfish reproduce in the spring and grow through the summer and fall toward maturity; some are ready for harvest by November. This gave us at least four good months to operate and produce the crawdads before preparing the soil for the next year's rice crop.

We allowed the public to enter our ponds and do their own fishing. It was fun and economical for them – as well as time saving and profitable for us.

We rented bamboo cane poles, small plastic boats in which to put their catch; we rented nets, sold bait and soft drinks. No one was allowed to bring in equipment, food or refreshments. By doing this we were able to hold down the natural tendency for people to pollute the pond's water. Broken glass and trash was not a problem on our farm as it was on some of the other crawfish farm operations, later on, who attempted to emulate our farm techniques and operations.

I earned a lot of cash during my growing up years at grandpa's crayfish farm. I fished early in the mornings before shool and in the late afternoons after school. I fished when it was raining...when the wind blew fiercely; I fished through ice. And, I fished on some days which were so perfect... with the sun's rays beating down just the right amount of heat to make it so comfortable on a nearly cold day.

My first new car was purchased with the money I earned from crayfishing. I just turned fifteen - right after I got my driver's license.

I remember the year when we stopped public fishing for insurance reasons. From then on we harvested all of the crayfish in-house. We began to use wire cages (made from chickens wire) along with cut fish as bait. We were able to quadruple our yield, as well as our profits.

It was truly a family business. Anyone in the family who needed a little extra spending money was able to enter the pond, catch as much as he or she wanted, and sell it. The starting price back then was twenty cents per pound. Imagine that!

There are times when I would like to go back – even for just a short while - to re-experience the root based feelings of fishing for crayfish with my grandpa on the very first crayfish farm.

In memory of my grandfather: Henri Gaspard 1899 -1975.

Developer of the first commercial crayfish farm.

 

Crawfish Bisque

30 lbs. live crawfish
2 large onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 can whole tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can tomato juice
1 cup flour
1 cup cooking oil
½ cup green onions, chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped
1 gallon cold water
Salt, red pepper, white pepper to taste

Scald crawfish by submerging them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Peel crawfish tails and set aside. Make roux with oil and flour. When roux is golden brown add onions, celery, garlic, whole tomatoes and tomato juice. Cook for 15 minutes then add water 2 cups at a time until roux and water is well mixed. Add seasoning and let cook for approximately 1 hour. Add crawfish tails along with chopped green onions and parsley. Cook for 20 minutes. Serve over long grain rice.

 

Crawfish Bisque Heads

15 lbs. live crawfish
2 cups onions, finely chopped
½ cup celery
4 eggs
½ lb. margarine
½ cup green onions, finely chopped
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Scald crawfish, (See Crawfish Bisque), peel and clean crawfish tails. Clean and save head shells of the crawfish and set aside.

Combine margarine, onions and celery. Stirring constantly, cook in uncovered pot over medium heat until onions are wilted. Remove from heat then add bread crumbs, beaten eggs, seasoning, chopped crawfish tails, green onions and parsley. Mix well. Stuff cleaned crawfish head shells.

 

Crawfish Maque Chou

12 ears tender fresh corn (Or 1 lb. frozen whole corn and 1 can cream corn)
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stick margarine
1 lb. cleaned crawfish tails
Season to taste

Cut corn and scrape cob to remove all the juice. In a Dutch oven add margarine, onions, pepper, garlic and cook until tender. Add corn (Fresh or frozen) and cook for approximately 1 hour, stirring constantly. Add seasoning and cleaned crawfish tails and cook for 15 minutes. Serve over cooked rice. Serves 5 or 6.

Note: To make Crab Macque Chou, substitute the crawfish with 1 lb. crabmeat.

 

Squash with Crawfish

3 lbs. frozen yellow squash
¼ lb. margarine
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 lb. cleaned crawfish tails
¼ cup grated cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

In Dutch oven melt margarine, sauté onions and bell peppers, add squash and seasonings. Cook for approximately ½ hour or until squash is tender. Add crawfish and cheese and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serves 6.

This can also be served over cooked long grain rice as a side dish.

 

Turtle and Brown Gravy

5 lbs. turtle meat
1 large onion, chopped
¼ cup bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup celery, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup steak sauce
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
Flour (for coating turtle meat)
1 cup water
½ cup cooking oil

Using a Dutch oven or cast iron pot add flour coated meat to cooking oil and cook until well browned. Add vegetables and cook until tender. Add water, steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning. Cover and let simmer for about 2 hours or until meat is tender. More water may have to be added as it cooks down. This dish should be well seasoned. There will be very little gravy.

It is so good you may have to close the doors and let the dogs bark.