Catfish Stew

First prepared January, 2008, Catfish nuggets are sold at a lower price than fillets.

2 rashers bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs of celery, sliced crosswise
1/2 c sweet red pepper, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 t fennel seed
1 t dry tarragon, rubbed
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large dice
4 c chicken stock
1/4 c minced parsley
2 lbs catfish nuggets, cut into bite-size pieces
1 c milk or light cream
tapioca or corn starch suspended in a little cold water
2 t salt
1 t freshly ground pepper
sliced green onions to garnish

In a large heavy pot, over medium heat saute the bacon until crisp. Add onions, celery, and carrots, and stir. Cook with occasional stirring until they begin to color. Add the peppers and herbs. When soft, add potatoes and broth. Return to a low boil and simmer 20 minutes, adding the parsley after 10 minutes. Add the fish and return to simmer for 5 minutes. Do not boil. Add the milk, raise the heat to low boil and add the starch suspension gradually with stirring until the stew is somewhat thickened. Adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls and garnish with green onions. With hot crusty bread and butter, serves 6 to 8.

Farmer’s Market Succotash

Prepared and recorded July 15, 2010. Dish enabled by lovely tender okra, juicy summer tomatoes, baby limas (butter beans), and sweet corn available from local farms. All perfect and cheap at the NC State Farmer’s Market in Raleigh. A long haul from Durham, but worth it.

2 oz country ham, finely diced
2 T dry minced onion
3 T low-fat soft margarine
2 t Frank’s Louisiana hot pepper sauce
2 c fresh butter beans
2 c baby okra, cut into small pieces
2 c ripe tomato pieces
1 c freshly cut corn
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak, pick over, and drain the beans. Bring 2 cups of water, the margarine, dried onion, ham, a 1/2 t of salt, and the pepper sauce to a boil. Add the butter beans, return to a boil, stir, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and okra. Mix and cook covered another 20 minutes. Add the corn, mix, and cook another 15 minutes. Correct seasoning and serves a crowd as a side dish in a country meal.

Roast Meat Stewed with Onions and Garlic in Salsa Verde

First prepared May 23, 2005. Last modified April 8, 2007.

2 medium or 1 large yellow onion, coarsely diced
2 T garlic, finely minced
2 c roast or grilled meat, cubed (e.g., roast pork, beef, chicken, turkey, lamb)
16 oz jar salsa verde (Herdez™ is good)
1 t Mexican oregano
1 t ground cumin
1 t salt
2 T vegetable oil

Brown onion in oil. Add garlic, cook lightly, and add meat. Brown the meat-onion mixture well. Add the seasonings and salsa. Lower heat, cover, and simmer until meat is very tender, about 90 minutes. Stir occasionally, and replace any water lost by evaporation. Serves 4 to 6, as part of a multi-course meal. Warm tortillas are a must on the side. Mexican-style rice, refried beans, salad — that's eating!  
Variations:  Add a 10 ounce can of diced tomatoes with mild green chilies (Rotel™ is good). Or, substitute prepared salsa casera for salsa verde.

Beef Steak, Roasted Vegetables, and Toasted Buckwheat Stew

Conceived and prepared February 14, 2011. Based on leftovers from Sunday night's Valentine Day supper.

2 T butter
2 T EVOO
1 c tender-shredded rare grilled boneless beef steak (see Note)
1 c roasted mixed vegetables, coarsely chopped
1 medium white onion, thin blossom cut
2 ribs celery, 1/2 inch cross cut
1 T garlic, minced
2 T tomato paste
2 c prepared kasha (Wolff's® toasted buckwheat)
1 14 oz can beef stock, heated
2 c beef base (hot water plus 2 T McCormick® concentrate) or use another can of stock
2 T tapioca starch in 2 T water

In a 4 qt saucepan, heat the oil and butter until bubbling stops. Add celery, and cook a few minutes. Add onions, and cook until beginning to color. Add the garlic, and clear a spot to add the tomato paste. When bloomed, mix into onions, and stir in the kasha. When heated through, add the vegetables, and then the hot stock and beef base. Bring to a simmer, add the starch suspension, and the shredded beef. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.
Note: 
Prepared from charcoal-grilled boneless eye of the rib. Cut match-stick shreds with a sharp chef's knife across the muscle fibers to produce tender beef.

[Another] Seafood Stew

First prepared April 15, 2008. 'Another' means one more seafood stew recipe, and also, for DrDaddy, one more try at a seafood stew.

2 T canola oil (or 4 T if salt pork is omitted)
2 oz lean salt pork, diced
2 ribs celery + leafy tops, sliced crosswise
1 leek, white part and tender green part, quartered and sliced crosswise
1/4 cup sliced shallots
2 carrots, peeled, quartered and sliced crosswise
1/2 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 c, frozen sweet corn, thawed
1 c sweet red pepper, diced (or ancho chiles, soaked in warm water, drained well, and chopped)
2 medium russet potatoes (about two cups), peeled, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/4 c flour
1 qt fish stock + chicken broth, as needed to cover
1 lb firm white fish filets (e.g., whiting, catfish, cod, or tilapia) brined and cut into bite size pieces
1/2 lb frozen raw medium shrimp, brined, shelled (reserve for stock) and cut into bite size pieces
1 c milk
1 c light cream
1/4 c minced parsley
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 T lemon juice
sliced green onions or chives, as garnish

Brine the fish and shrimp for 30 minutes in a quart of cold water + 1/4 c sugar and 1/4 c kosher salt. Drain in a colander and cover with ice  until ready to proceed. This treatment rinses, firms up and flavors the seafood. Prepare a stock by simmering shrimp shells, fish trimmings, vegetable trimmings, peppercorns, a bayleaf and sufficient water to yield a quart or so.  In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high and add chopped salt pork. Fry until crisp. Add the peppers, and fry until they begin to color. Add the corn, and continue frying until it heats through. Add celery, leeks, shallots, onions, and carrots. Cook about 6 minutes until tender and lightly browned. Stir in flour, and cook until the roux turns a light tan. Add potatoes, and cook until they are partly tender (test with a paring knife). Add the shrimp stock and additional chicken stock as needed and bring to a slow boil to thicken. When potatoes are tender, stir in the fish and shrimp. Add additional broth if needed to cover. Lower heat and simmer a few minutes. Stir in parsley, cream, milk, and lemon juice. Heat through gently. Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Garnish each serving with green onions or chives. Serves 6 to 8 generously. Great with freshly-baked corn bread or dark pumpernickel.

Dorothy's Stewed Meatballs

Reconstructed by DrDaddy from Phyllis Pliskow's hand-written notes recalling Dorothy Magid's recipe. Recorded 18 November 2005.

Carrots, Onions, Celery, Peppercorns, and Allspice Simmer

Broth:

4 onions coarsely cut through the poles (Note: preserves structure)
4 large carrots coarsely cut
1 cup cut celery
about 1/4 c ketchup (see Note)
3 allspice berries + 6 peppercorns (put in cheese cloth or tea ball)
1 T salt

Place ingredients in an 6-quart pot, cover with water, bring to boil,
and then simmer covered until onions are soft.

Meatballs:

1 lb ground sirloin
1 large onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, mashed
about 1/2 cup matzoh meal, or dry bread crumbs, as needed to form balls 
salt, pepper, garlic powder

3 white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 c cabbage, coarsely chopped

Form small meatballs with wet hands. When broth is ready,
raise heat to a boil and add the meatballs, cabbage, and potatoes.
Simmer slowly, partly covered until potatoes and cabbage are tender.
Remove spices before serving. Serves 6 or more.

 Dorothy with cigarette in Phyl's garden

Note:

That is, about what can be rinsed out of an "empty" bottle, or to taste. What triggered our mom to make this dish, which we all loved, was when the Heinz ketchup bottle reached the state where no amount of robust thumping of the overturned bottle would coax any more out.