Catfish Cookery Part 3

"La Meilleure de la Louisiana"is a compilation of recipes collected by Chef Jude W.Theriot and published in 1989.The forward says Chef Theriot "learned the art of cooking in his native Louisiana at the hands of his Acadian-French grandmother,Euphemie V. Borel".

Both Chef and Grandmere seem like people one could trust to know where to get a good catfish recipe.In this case, from the Oaklawn Manor, on the Bayou Teche.

Note the grandness of the ingredients-sherry,butter crab meat,shrimp.This is fancy plantation house cooking-far from the plain cast iron skillet with its lard and cornmeal.Though this recipe does pose one question.

What are pimento crosses?

All I can imagine would be thin strips of red or green bell peppers, placed on top of the fish.One horizontal.One vertical,and so on.

And the next time my pocketbook affords it,I will make this.I will pretend I am dining in New Orleans or in a historic Bayou Country bed and breakfast,though all I am really doing is cruising around my kitchen in a cookbook.



*Credit for the photo of Oaklawn Manor goes to TheVirtualtourist.com.