Bayou Catfish Bits

2 Pounds catfish*
Tabasco
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
3 Eggs, beaten
1 1/2 Cups corn meal
Cooking oil

Rub fish with Tabasco, salt, and pepper, and set aside for an hour or more. Cut fish into bite-size pieces, dip in eggs, then dredge in corn meal. Fry quickly in deep fat for 2 or 3 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on brown pager; serve on toothpicks at once. May be served

alone or with a cocktail or remoulade sauce.
*Trout may be substituted for catfish.

Creole Sauce

1/4 Cup flour
1/4 Cup bacon grease
2 Cups chopped onions
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Cup chopped green pepper
1 Cup chopped celery and some leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
2 Bay leaves 3 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 Ounces tomato paste
1 16-ounce can tomatoes and liquid
8 Ounces tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 Cup chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, make a dark brown roux of flour and bacon grease. Add onions, green onions, green pepper, garlic, celery and leaves, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper; saute, uncovered, over medium flame until onions are transparent and soft, about 30 minutes.Add tomato paste, saute 3 additional minutes. Add diced tomatoes with liquid and tomato sauce; simmer very slowly, partially covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add Tabasco, parsley, and lemon juice, stir, cover, and remove from heat. Best to let set several hour or overnight. Makes about 4 cups. Remove bay leaf before serving. Freezes well.

Stock:

5 Quarts water
2 Dozen boiled crabs
3 Pounds raw shrimp(heads and shells on)
1 Carrot
1 Onion, quartered
1/2 Cup coarsley chopped celery

Fill a 6-quart stock pot with 5 quarts of water. Pull off back shells of crabs, adding shells to stock pot. Discard inedible sponngy fingers, break crabs in half, and set aside. To stock pot,add carrot, onion, celery, and cover, simmering for 2 hours. Strain stock, and return to pot..

Gumbo:

3 Cups finely chopped onions
1 1/2 Cups finely chopped celery
1 Cup finely chopped green peppers
3 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 pounds okra, cut into 1/4" pieces
1 Cup and i Tablespoon cooking oil
2 Tablespoons flour
1 16-ounce can tomatoes, drained
1/2 Cup diced ham or sausage
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
3 Bay leaves
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Saltv
Pepper
Tabasco
Worcestorshire sauce
2 Cups cooked rice

Saute onions, celery, green pepper, and garlic in 1/4 cup oil until soft.
Fry okra separately in 3/4 cup of oil over medim flame,about 45 minutes or until soft and ropy texture is gone. Stir often.
More oil can be added if okra sticks. In a separate frying pan,
make brown roux with 1-Tablespoon oil and 2 Tablespoons flour.
Add tomato pulp and cook into a paste. Add ham, thyme, basil,
and bay leaves. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add sauteed seasoning and okra to stock and while stirring,
slowly add the roux mixture. Simmer for 1 hour. Add peeled shrimp,
crab halves, parsley, and cook an additional 1/2 hour.
Season with salt , pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestorshire sauce to taste.
Freezes beautifully. Serve in gumbo bowls over rice.