Recipes

1/2 CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 LARGE YELLOW ONION (Chopped)
3 STALKS CELERY (Chopped)
1 TBSP FRESH GARLIC (Minced)
1/2 CUP DRY WHITE WINE
1/2 TSP WHITE PEPPER
1/2 TSP GROUND CAYENNE PEPPER
1 TSP LEMON PEPPER SEASONING
1 TSP WHOLE THYME LEAVES
1 TSP WHOLE OREGANO LEAVES
1 LB CRAB CLAW MEAT 
1 LB LUMP CRAB MEAT
2 CUPS SEASONED BREAD CRUMBS
1 TBSP LEMON JUICE
3 LARGE EGGS (Beaten)
1/4 BUNCH FRESH PARSLEY (Chopped)
3/4 CUP GRATED ROMANO CHEESE

Method
In a large skillet and over medium heat add olive oil, onions and celery; sauté until onions turn clear (about 5- 7 minutes). Add garlic, wine and all of the seasonings, simmer until the sauce reduces by one third.

Remove from heat, gently fold in the crabmeat and remaining ingredients; stuffing should be used immediately or refrigerated.

Plate Presentation
Spoon stuffing into crab shells or in a buttered baking dish. Garnish with thin lemon slices.

Chef's Notes: 
I like to use claw meat in this recipe, it is sweeter that lump white meat and about one half the price.
This is a crab meat stuffing recipe not a bread crumb recipe, too many stuffings are all bread and little crab. 

Use a large cast iron skillet for this recipe. 

Ingredients
12 LARGE MIRLITONS
1/4 CUP ZATARAIN'S LIQUID CRAB BOIL
6 LARGE EGGS (Beaten)
1 TSP BLACK PEPPER
1 TSP WHITE PEPPER
4 CUPS SEASONED BREAD CRUMBS
3 QUARTS PEANUT OIL
1 CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 LB ONIONS (Diced)
1/2 LB CELERY (Diced)
6 BAY LEAFS
1/2 LB TASSO (Chopped fine)
1 TBSP GRANULATED GARLIC
1 CUP WHITE WINE
1/2 CUP CRAWFISH FAT (Preferred) OR 1 TBSP LOBSTER BASE
3 LBS 21 -25 COUNT SHRIMP (Peeled and raw)
2 LBS CRAWFISH TAILS
1 TBSP LEMON JUICE
LOT SEASONED BREAD CRUMBS
1 QUART SMOKED SHRIMP SAUCE 
1 QUART LAZY CAJUN HOLLANDAISE SAUCE 

Method
Riverboats
Use a large stock pot and over high heat, boil the mirlitons with the liquid crab boil seasonings. After about 20 minutes test the mirlitons with a toothpick, poke the mirliton in the thickest part; the meat should be tender but not mushy. When done, remove the mirlitons from the boil and allow them to cool to the touch. Cut the mirlitons in half lengthwise, remove the seed and discard. Scrape as much meat from the mirliton as possible, while being careful not to poke a hole in the skin. 

In a small shallow mixing bowl add the eggs, black and white peppers. Beat the eggs to form a batter. Dip the mirliton boats in the batter then roll them in the seasoned bread crumbs. 

Use a large Dutch oven and over high heat, add the peanut oil. Use a thermometer and when the oil reaches 375F add several of the boats. This will bring the oil temperature down to about 350F, the perfect frying temperature. Fry the boats until they are a golden brown. Hold uncovered for later assembly in a 125F oven. See Below our Alternate Method for cooking the boats.

Stuffing
Meanwhile, in a large cast iron Dutch oven and over medium heat; sauté the onions and celery in the olive oil until clear. Chop the mirliton meat into 1/4 inch cubes and add to the skillet along with the bay leaf, tasso, white wine and crawfish fat. Sauté the stuffing for 15 - 20 minutes (this will evaporate much of the water that the mirliton absorbed.) Add the shrimp and cook until pink, do not over cook shrimp. Add the crawfish and remaining ingredients (except bread crumbs), simmer for 5 minutes. The stuffing should be somewhat dry, if the mirliton meat absorbed too much liquid then add some bread crumbs to bring the stuffing together. (Maximum 2 cups) Remove from heat and serve.

Alternate Method
IF you wish to reduce the calories, rather than frying the riverboats, roast the breaded boats on a baking sheet in a 350F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  This method is not only lower in calories, but easier to perform!

Also, as an alternate method replace either the shrimp or crawfish with diced tasso. WOW, still great!!  

Plate Presentation
There are several ways to serve this dish.
1. Arrange the boats in several 2" hotel pans, place the stuffing in a separate chafer. Allow the guest to fill their own boats. Also in separate serving bowls have the sauce toppings available for your guests. (Also include Louisiana Hot Sauce, freshly grated romano cheese and shallot tops.)
2. Pre-stuff the boats with the stuffing, serve in a chafer or on large preheated serving trays. Also serve the sauces on the side.

Chef's Notes: 
Mirliton vines grow like crazy in the South Louisiana climate. I have many friends that have them growing on the back yard fence, they (and their back neighbor) pick several hundred mirliton per year.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

1 fresh garlic clove, chopped

1 tbsp butter

EVOO, eyeball it

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes

fresh chopped basil

1 c heavy cream

1/4 c vodka

crushed red pepper

cajun seasoning

cayenne pepper

hot sauce

1 lb peeled shrimp

1 lb peeled crawfish

bowtie pasta

Directions:

Start your pasta. I usually put a little salt in the pot & a spoonful of butter so the pasta doesn't stick together.  In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter & extra virgin olive oil, add onions & garlic to skillet and saute until transparent. Add one 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes and cook over moderate heat for about 25 minutes or until almost no liquid remains in skillet. Stir frequently. Increase heat and add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, 1 cup of heavy cream, 1/4 cup of vodka, cajun seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a light boil, reduce heat add 1 pound of peeled shrimp & 1 ib of peeled crawfish; boil for 2 minutes, sauce will thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper, hot sauce if desired. I put the hot sauce in when it is cooking. I also add some to the pasta as it is boiling.

1. Failure to Properly Preheat Oven When Baking.

Have you ever made cornbread that came out soft and crumbly without a crust? Or biscuits that did not rise and have a gray color? It was probably due to the fact that your oven was not properly preheated. When baking, the crust is set in the first 10 minutes. So, if you want a nice, golden crust on your cornbread, be sure to get the oven up to 400 degrees before you put the cornbread in.

Ovens vary in how long it takes to reach a given temperature. Some ovens will reach 400 degrees in 4-5 minutes. Some will take as long as 15 minutes. A good practice is to get a thermometer (any food thermometer that goes up to 425 degrees will work) and time how long it takes your oven to reach 250, 350, 400 and 425 degrees. Write it down and keep it handy if you can not remember. Then always allow the alloted time to reach the desired temperature before beginning your baking.

2. Undercooked Vegetables

Keep in mind we are talking about Southern cooking. Not Chinese or West Coast casseroles. Many vegetables, Southern Style, are cooked considerably longer than most people tend to cook them. Specifically, green beans are cooked until soft and dark green in color. They are not crunchy and bright green. Okra and green tomatoes, are cooked until some burned edges appear and are very crunchy. As a general rule boiled vegetables are cooked until very tender and fried foods are cooked until crunchy (this goes for cornbread, fried chicken and pork chops, too).

3. Failure to Use Cast Iron

I have never researched all the reasons why, but Southern cooking is best cooked in cast iron cook-ware. The cast iron holds and transfers heat unlike any other type metal. Food just does not cook the same in aluminum or steel. Especially cornbread. Besides, it is the traditional way to cook Southern.

Older cast iron tends to have problems with rust and food sticking, but the newer cook-ware comes already cured (seasoned) so it is not as much a problem. However, it is not difficult to cure your cast iron if you have an older style. You can get complete, free instructions in the web referrals below.

4. Failure to Use Onions and Bacon

Onions and bacon (or bacon grease) are used extensively in Southern cooking. Some cooks, however, stray away form cooking real Southern because they (or family members) do not like onions and/or concerns about the fat content in bacon.

They do this because they fail to understand the reason for using bacon and onions. They are NOT in the recipe so that you taste onions or bacon. They are there only to provide subtle flavor. A unique Southern flavor. If you do not like onions, use only a small amount and remove the onion from the dish before serving (put onion in cheesecloth while cooking and it is easy to remove). If you are concerned about the calorie content of bacon, do not use whole bacon. Just add 1/2 tsp of grease from previously cooked bacon. And, accept the fact that Southern cooking is not inherently low fat. It is meant to be flavorful and robust. So, use that bacon and onion for real Southern dishes.

5. Overworking Dough

Southern breads are meant to be light and fluffy. Even cornbread should not be heavy and solid. Many Southern cooks never learn how to make good biscuits. And homemade Southern Biscuits are the trademark of good Southern cooks.

Three errors cause bad biscuits (and other breads). First, do not overwork the dough. Biscuit dough should only be kneaded three times. No more. Just enough to shape it for cutting out the biscuits.

Second, when cutting the dough, do not push down and twist the biscuit cutter. Push straight down and straight back up. Twisting compacts the edges of the dough and causes uneven cooking.

Third, remember the previous mistake above...preheat your oven. A cold oven can result in flat, hard biscuits.

6. Yellow Cornmeal and Sugar in cornbread

Everyone has their own preference, but, please do not use yellow cornmeal in cornbread. It may be mental, but it just does not taste the same as white cornmeal. Besides it looks funny. And, NEVER, NEVER put sugar in cornbread if you want authentic Southern cornbread. Cornbread is bread to accompany a meal. It is not dessert. It is not cake! It is BREAD. So, if you like sweet cornbread...go ahead and use your sugar...but, do not call it Southern Cornbread!

7. Failure to Use buttermilk

All good Southern cooks use buttermilk in everything except desserts. Regular milk does not add the flavor that buttermilk does. Especially in any dish with cornmeal (cornbread, hush puppies, tamale pie, etc.). If you do not have buttermilk, you can make a reasonable substitute by stirring 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a cup of regular milk. Allow to sit for a minute before use.

These are some of the most common mistakes (or lack of Southern cooking technique) made in Southern cooking. You can ignore all of them and make eatable food, but it will not be traditional Southern. Even some good Southern cooks fail to comply with all the above, but they have probably developed a variation of these same techniques.

So, get in that kitchen, fire up the stove and make your family a real Southern dinner tonight.