SMOKED SAUSAGE with POTATOES, SAUERKRAUT and ALE

Smoked Sausage with Potatoes, Sauerkraut & Ale

1 (14 ounce) package Smoked Sausage, diagonally cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups potatoes, diced into 1-inch pieces
12 fluid ounces your favorite ale
1 cup sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat for 3 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove sausage and set aside.
Add oil and potatoes to skillet and cook until golden brown.
Add ale, sauerkraut and mustard to skillet, mixing with potatoes until blended. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.

Return the sausage to the skillet, continue cooking for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

SPOON VENISON

Spoon Venison

1 T. olive oil
2 lbs. venison shoulder steaks
1 T. minced garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced, or 2 (7-oz) cans mushrooms, drained1 c. red wine
1 c. chicken stock
1 (16-oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning, or to taste
1 sprig rosemary
6 leaves of fresh basil, minced, or 1/2 tsp. dried basil

Heat olive oil in a cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat; sear venison on each side. Remove meat, and set aside.

Brown garlic, onion, and mushrooms in remaining oil. Stir in wine and next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil; add seared venison, and return to a boil.

Cover, and bake in a 325 degree oven for about 2 hours. Remove from oven, and remove rosemary, if desired. Stir in basil, replace cover, and let stand in Dutch oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

BOULETTES

Boulettes 
Makes 6 large meatballs

1 slice of day-old white or French bread
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 pound ground chuck
1/4 pound ground pork
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons (more or less to taste) hot sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
1 egg, beaten
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and roasted until soft
1/2 cup all-purpose flour seasoned with salt and cayenne
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup water or beef broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Tear the bread into small chunks and put them in a small mixing bowl. Add the milk, just enough to dampen the bread. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the chuck and pork. Add the salt, cayenne, black pepper, hot sauce, onions, and the egg. Work in the dampened bread and mix well. 

Form the mixture into six large balls. Insert the garlic into the center of the balls and pinch closed. Dredge the meatballs in the flour and shake off any excess.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs, turning them several times, and cook for about 15 minutes. Drain off any excess oil. Add the water or broth, cover the skillet with a lid and transfer to the oven to cook for about 30 minutes. Serve warm.
*
Nannan and I usually ate our boulettes with rice, but I sometimes serve them with buttered noodles. Your choice.

GRADOUX

Smothered Round Steak
Makes 8 servings

2-1/2 pounds round steak, thinly sliced
Salt, black pepper and red pepper to taste
Favorite Cajun/Creole seasoning mix
1/4 cup flour, plus more if needed
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
Cooked grits, biscuits or rice for serving
Chopped parsley and tops of green onions (optional)

Season meat with salt, peppers and seasoning mix and dredge lightly with flour. Heat oil in a heavy pot. Add meat and brown; debris should stick to the bottom of the pot.
Remove meat. Add onions and bell pepper. Saute until slightly wilted. Add minimal amounts of water at a time, stirring and removing the gradoux off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula; this is the gravy that will start to form. Add enough water to make the amount of gravy needed.
Sprinkle small amounts of flour in to thicken if desired. Add and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and cook until meat is tender, 45 to 60 minutes. If gravy is too thick, add more water. When finished, gravy should be a medium-brown. Some cooks add parsley and onion tops in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Serve over cooked grits, biscuits or rice.

CHICKEN STEW

People often gather around tables for solace. It is a Louisiana country recipe, a standard Sunday dinner for the family, served with potato salad.

Chicken Stew
Makes about 8 servings

Instead of the onions, shallots and parsley, you may substitute a large container of pre-chopped Creole seasoning vegetables.
4 each chicken breasts, legs and thighs
Salt and pepper
Coarse garlic-parsley seasoning mix
½ cup oil
½ cup flour
1 to 2 chopped onions
1 small bunch shallots (green onions), chopped
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
4 or more toes (cloves) chopped garlic
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Cooked rice for serving

Wash and dry chicken pieces well, and remove some but not all of the skin. Leave it on the bone. Season chicken well with salt, pepper and the garlic-parsley mix.
Heat oil in a large pan until very hot. Add flour and stir with a whisk until the roux is the color of coffee with just a little bit of cream.

Add the chopped vegetables to the roux, stir well and let it cook down. Add the chicken and make sure the chicken is well covered with the seasoned roux mixture. Add water to cover.
Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook 1 ½ to 2 hours, until chicken starts to fall off the bone.

About two-thirds of the way through the cooking process, add the soup to thicken the mixture. Stir well.
Serve over rice.

BAKED CHICKEN with CURRY POWDER

Baked Chicken with Curry Powder
Makes 4 servings 

1 whole chicken, quartered and patted dry 
3 tablespoons olive oil 
1 tablespoon curry powder 
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning mix 
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
Rub the chicken with the olive oil and then rub with the curry powder, Creole seasoning and garlic powder. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and arrange the chicken in the center. 
Bake until golden and tender, about 45 minutes.

VENISON ROULADES

Venison Roulades

6 6 oz. Slices of venison round steak
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp. Curry powder
½ tsp white pepper
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1 1b. Fresh spinach, cooked and drained (or use 1 lb. Frozen, squeezed of excess juices)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp. Lemon juice
1 tsp. Flour
½ cup red wine
1/4 cup beef stock
1 bay leaf. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Flatten each piece of steak. Mix Dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp. Curry powder, 14 tsp white pepper, salt and paprika into a rub. Spread rub over each piece of meat and set aside. Combine spinach, onions, mushrooms, bread crumbs 1/4 tsp curry powder, lemon juice and 1/4 tsp white pepper an toss until all ingredients are mixed. Spread mixture over each slice of steak. Roll to form roulades and secure with heavy toothpick. 

Place in an9 x 12 baking dish. Combine flour wine, stock and bay leaf in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly and pour over roulades. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes, basting once or twice during cooking. Serves 6.

PORK CHOPS and RICE

Pork Chops and Rice

4 pork chops, 1 inch thick
1 toe garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 French shallots, chopped
½ bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cups beef stock
2 Tbsp. Parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup rice, uncooked

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Brown pork chops in dutch oven (with an oven-proof lid) and remove. Saute garlic, onion, French shallots, bell pepper in fat remaining in Dutch oven. Add stock and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Add rice and stir to distribute evenly. 

Place pork chops on top. Cover and bake in 300 oven for 1 ½ hours or until rice is cooked. Check at one hour; add more stock if needed. Serves 4.
Remember: One cup of uncooked long grain rice will yield about 3 cups cooked rice.

SPICY PORK CHOPS

Spicy Pork Chops

4 pork chops, 1 inch
1 tsp paprika
1/4 to ½ tsp. Cayenne, to taste
1/4 tsp. Thyme
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
2 to 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 to 2 Tbsp. Flour
2 cups pork or beef stock
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Bay leaf
Hot rice
Gremolata: Equal parts minced garlic and parsley, about 2 Tablespoons of each will do.

Combine paprika, cayenne, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Sprinkle mix over pork chops and saute in a small amount of oil till done. Remove from heat. In same pan sprinkle in flour and whip until smooth. Add oil and flour as needed to obtain paste and to make a small amount of roux. Add stock, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf. Return pork chops to pan. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Serve over rice. Garnish with a teaspoon of gremolata.

PORK CHOP WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Pork Chop with Raspberry Sauce

8 pork chops about 1-inch thick
1 medium onion, chopped
3 toes garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. Bell pepper, finely chopped
Salt and cayenne to taste
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup burgundy wine
1/4 cup Sauterne
1/4 cup raspberry liqueur
½ cup sugar
3 oz. Cornstarch
Juice of 2 lemons
vegetable oil.

Season chops with salt and cayenne to taste. Brown chops on one side in a little oil. Turn chops and adad onion, garlic and bell pepper. /when chops are finished browning on both sides, add raspberries, wines, liqueur and sugar. Dissolve cornstarch in lemon juice and add to chops. Stir and bring to slow boil. Cover and simmer until chops are tender.
Serves 6.

POOR MAN'S FILLET MIGNON

Poor Man’s Fillet Mignon

4 slices bread, crumbled

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

2 teaspoons dried celery flakes

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 bottle (18 ounces) hickory smoke-flavored barbecue sauce, divided

2 pounds lean ground beef

12 bacon strips

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients and 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Form into 12 patties. Wrap a bacon slice around the sides of each patty and secure with a toothpick.

Place on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until meat is no longer pink; basting frequently with remaining barbecue sauce the last 30 minutes. Yield: 12 servings.

　

SHRIMP STUFFED MIRLITON

SHRIMP-STUFFED MIRLITON

4 (8 ounce) mirliton squash 

1/2 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled

1/2 pound coarsely chopped (cooked) smoked ham

 1 chopped medium-sized onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon Tony Chachere's seasoning

11 Tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2 inch bits

I cup soft fresh breadcrumbs made from French bread

Drop the mirlitons into enough boiling water to immerse them completely. Cook briskly, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, or until they show no resistance when pierced with the point of a knife.  Drain the mirlitons and,

when they are cool, cut them lengthwise into halves.  Remove the seeds, and hollow out each half with a spoon to Mage boat like shells about 1/4 inch thick.  Invert the shells on paper towels to drain.  Purée the pulp.  Transfer the pulp to a heavy ungreased skillet and, stirring constantly, cook over moderate heat until all of the liquid in the pan evaporates.  Add 8 Tbsp. of the butterbits to the purée and when it melts, stir in the shrimp, ham, onion and garlic and continue cooking until shrimp is pink and onion is soft.  add parsley,thyme, cayenne and salt.  Taste for seasoning.  Spoon the shrimp and squash stuffing the reserved mirliton shells, dividing it equally among them and mounding the tops slightly.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and the remaining 3 Tbsp.  butterbits over the mirlitons.  Arrange the shells in a buttered baking dish and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, or until the tops are brown.  Serve at once.  Serves 8

THE UPPERLINE'S ROAST DUCK

UPPERLINE'S ROAST DUCK WITH TWO SAUCES

Two servings

For the duck:

1 whole duckling (4 1/2 to 5 pounds), trimmed of excess fat, wing tips removed

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon salt, kosher preferred

For garlic port sauce:

1 cup garlic cloves, peeled

1 tablespoon cooking oil or duck fat

2 cups port wine

2 cups duck stock or chicken stock or broth

For ginger peach sauce:

2 ripe peaches, peeled, or one 16-ounce package unsweetened frozen peaches

1/4 cup orange juice concentrate

1/4 cup mango chutney, Major Grey preferred

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

2 tablespoon orange liqueur, Grand Marnier preferred

1. Prepare the stock. Place giblets, reserving liver for another use, in a saucepan with the wing tips. Add the onion, carrot and 1 quart water and bring to a simmer. Skim foam that rises to the surface and simmer for 1 hour. There should be at least 2 cups liquid remaining. Strain and set aside.

2. Prepare the duck. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Prick the duck skin all over with a fork. Rub the duck inside and out with the soy sauce, then the mustard. Mix the garlic, thyme, pepper and salt and sprinkle over the cavity and surface of the duck. Place the duck, breast up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until duck is mahogany brown. Drain juices from duck cavity and turn the duck over. (If desired, reserve juices for sauce.) Lower temperature to 350 degrees and roast about 30 more minutes. Leg joint should move easily and juices should run clear. Remove duck from oven. If making an hour or so ahead, allow to cool to room temperature. Otherwise allow to rest for 10 minutes before plating.

3. While duck is cooking, prepare sauce.

For garlic port sauce, heat cooking oil with garlic cloves in a saucepan, turning often, until golden. Add the port and reduce over high heat to 1/2 cup. Add the duck stock and optional reserved juices. Reduce to 1 cup. Salt to taste.

For ginger peach sauce, slice the peaches from the pit and place the slices in a small saucepan. Add the orange juice concentrate, chutney, ginger and orange liqueur and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Salt to taste.

4. To serve the cooked-ahead duck, heat the oven to 500 degrees. Split cooled duck lengthwise and remove breast bones and rib bones and discard. Put the remaining duck halves on a rack, skin side up, and broil 6 or 7 inches from heat source until skin is crisp and duck is heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with sauce on the side.

Suggested vegetables: rice or mashed potatoes, green beans, sauteed zucchini. Wine: Australian shiraz.

HOT SAUCE CHICKEN with ROASTED CORN

Hot-sauce chicken with roasted corn

 1 tablespoon ginger, grated

 1/4 cup (60ml) hot sauce (we used Crystal)

 2 tablespoons honey

 1 teaspoon garlic powder

 1 teaspoon onion powder

 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton)

 4 chicken thighs (bone-in skin-on)

 8 chicken wings

 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil

 4 corn cobs, husks removed

 Sour cream and coriander leaves, to serve

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Combine ginger, hot sauce and honey in a small bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. Brush the chicken with 2 tbs oil, then add to the powder mixture and toss to coat. Place on a baking paper-lined baking tray and roast for 20 minutes or until light golden.

Remove chicken from oven and baste with hot-sauce mixture. Return to oven and roast, basting and turning chicken every 10 minutes, for a further 30-35 minutes until cooked through.

Meanwhile, brush corn with remaining 1 tbs oil and season. Place on a baking tray and place in the oven, on the bottom shelf, for the final 30 minutes of cooking. Remove chicken and set aside, loosely covered with foil, while you slice the corn. Serve the chicken with corn and sour cream, and garnish with coriander.

HAMBURGER STEAK

Hamburger Steak n’ Onion Gravy 
Maw Joad's version from the Grapes of Wrath would have been Hamburger patties, dusted with flour, fried till brown; add water and make a gravy.  This one is a little more substantial.

1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt1/2 teaspoon onion powder1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon cooking sherry
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Form into 8 balls, and flatten into patties.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the patties and onion in the oil until patties are nicely browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the beef patties to a plate, and keep warm.

Sprinkle flour over the onions and drippings in the skillet. Stir in flour with a fork, scraping bits of beef off of the bottom as you stir. Gradually mix in the beef broth and sherry. Season with seasoned salt. Simmer and stir over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until the gravy thickens. Turn heat to low, return patties to the gravy, cover, and simmer for another 15 minutes.

FRENCH ONION SALISBURY STEAKS

French Onion Salisbury Steaks on Cheese Toasts
Cheese toasts? That's toast with cheese melted on it.
4 Serves

1 1/4 lbs ground chuck
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons scallions, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups onions, sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cheese toasts
4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley ( garnish)
4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese, shredded

Combine chuck, parsley, scallion, salt, and pepper. Divide evenly into 4 portions and shape into 3/4 to 1-inch thick oval patties.

Place 2 tablespoons of flour in a shallow dish; dredge each patty in flour. Reserve 1 teaspoon flour. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a sautè pan.
Add onions and sugar to pan; sautè.

Sprinkle onions with reserved flour; cook 1 minute. Stir in broth and wine, and then add the salt and thyme.

Return meat to pan and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve steaks on Cheese Toasts with onion soup ladled over.

Garnish with parsley and Parmesan.

CREOLE ITALIAN MEATBALLS in RED GRAVY

Creole Italian Meatballs in Red Gravy

General observations for good meatballs:
Handle the meat gently; don’t pack it. The object is to keep them tender, yet firm enough not to fall apart. Mix your meat and seasonings with your hands, gently but thoroughly. Use an ice cream scoop to dip out each meatball; put the meatballs on a foil or paper-covered cookie sheet (to minimize clean-up); then roll each into a round ball. No ice cream scoop? No problem, use a Tablespoon; just make those 10 meatballs about the same size. Keep nearby a bowl of water in which to dip your hands, preventing the meat from sticking to them.

Use the pan in which you fried your meatballs to fry your sauce ingredients-those crusty bits left behind from frying the meatballs harbor a good deal of flavor.
　
Serve with 1 pound pasta of choice.

1 pound lean ground beef, preferably chuck
1 medium onion, minced
3 or 4 toes garlic, minced
½ small green pepper (optional), minced
2 eggs
3-inch piece stale French bread, soaked in water, squeezed out well
Salt and pepper and chopped parsley
½ to 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Olive oil for pan-frying, you do not deep-fry these. You may need to add a little from time to time
　
Place all ingredients except bread crumbs in a large bowl and mix gently but thoroughly. Add bread crumbs to tighten the consistency of the meat and add Parmesan cheese if desired.
Make a small patty. Fry in olive oil, and taste for seasoning. Adjust salt, pepper or bread crumbs if necessary.

Shape mixture into 10 balls. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown the meatballs. After browning, move meatballs to the pan in which the gravy is to be cooked. Stir the sauce carefully so as not to cut into the meatballs.

Tomato Gravy
about 1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
3 or 4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 to ½ green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 or 2 Tbsp. sugar
Oregano and sweet basil to taste
1 (16 ounce) can canned plum tomatoes in puree with basil, slightly chopped
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh Italian Parsley

In the same skillet in which the meatballs were fried, heat olive oil and fry onions, garlic and green pepper until soft. Scrape up browned pieces of meat while frying vegetables. Do not let the garlic burn or it will taste bitter.

Add tomato paste, sugar, oregano, basil and parsley. Fry until slightly brown, being sure not to burn the paste. Add plum tomatoes to the skillet. Mix well and let simmer a couple of minutes to evaporate some of the liquid.

Transfer this mixture to a large saucepan. Fill each empty tomato and tomato paste can twice with water; add to sauce. You may add a splash of wine when adding the water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley. Cover saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until thick or the consistency you prefer.

At this point you can put hot meatballs and sauce into a Dutch Oven together and bake, covered for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Highly recommended.

Variation: Brown Italian sausages or chicken pieces (wings in particular) as you would the meatballs, then place them in the pan with sauce to be cooked. Proceed as for meatballs.

To add to your confusion. The plum tomatoes in puree with basil are entirely optional. You can use a can of tomato puree or a can of diced tomatoes and a can of puree. If you want to reduce the water called for in the recipe because you used extra tomatoes feel free, it really doesn’t matter much.

SHRIMP PILAU

Shrimp Pilau

6 slices bacon
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 cup rice, uncooked
3 cups shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. Flour
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
3 Tbsp butter
1 tsp. Salt
½ tsp pepper

Fry bacon until crisp. Drain bacon, reserving 3 Tbsp. Drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside.
Combine water, salt, and drippings. Bring to a boil; stir in rice. Reduce heat; cover and cook 20 minutes.
Sprinkle shrimp with Worcestershire sauce; dredge in flour. Saute shrimp, celery and green pepper in butter for 3 minutes. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir into rice. Add salt, pepper and reserved bacon, stirring well. Serve hot.
Yields 6 to 8 servings.