Big Bend Florida Sportsman Guide

Fish Soups

 Sharon's fish chowder

Author Sharon Roy 

Ken has been after me to put this recipe here for a while now. What he doesn't seem to realize is I don't really have a recipe. But I will try to give you the basics, you can add things to suit your own taste.  

4 to 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed  

2 onions, chopped fine  

1 cup diced celery  

I can or 2 cups chicken broth  

2tbsp olive oil, butter or margarine  

Salt and pepper to taste ( we like a lot of pepper in this)  

1 large filet any mild fish (grouper is good in this) You can also use several small filets, just make sure there are no bones!!  

1 cup canned milk, or 1/2 c. canned milk and 1/2 cup homogenized milk. ( I have even used skimmed milk with good results)  

In large pot, add olive oil and bring up to heat. Add onions and celery and brown lightly. Add potatoes, broth, seasonings and enough water to cover and cook on low heat untill potatoes are done. Add fish and cook untill fish starts to flake apart. ( this doesn't take very long) Add the milk, stir and taste for seasonings. Add to taste.  Serve hot with croutons or crusty bread. This is a very satisfying winter meal!

Snakeman's Seafood Chowder 

This is one I found in a cookbook & altered a little. It is excellent, especially in weather like we have had so far this winter.  

Ingredients:  

      1 1/2 lbs. Fresh Shrimp

      1 tsp Olive Oil

      1 Tbsp Butter

      1 Cup Chopped Onion

      1 Cup Chopped Celery,

      1 Cup Diced Sweet Red Pepper

      3 Cloves Garlic, minced

      1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour

      2 (10 1/2 oz) cans ready-to-serve, no salt added chicken broth

      1 8 oz bottle Clam Juice

      1/2 cup wine

      3 Cups peeled, diced red potatoes

      1 Cup diced carrot

      1/2 tsp each white pepper & dried Thyme

      2 Bay leaves

      2 (12 oz.) cans evap. skimmed milk

      2 (8 3/4 oz) cans cream-style corn

      1 tsp hot sauce

      1 pound (or 3 6 oz cans) crab meat, drained & flaked  

Instructions:  

Peel & devein shrimp; set aside. Coat a large pot with cooking spray; add oil & butter, cooking over medium-high heat until butter is melted.

Add onion & next three ingredients; cook until tender. Add flour, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Gradually stir in chicken broth, clam juice, wine, & the next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, & simmer, uncovered, stirring often, for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Stir in milk, corn, & hot sauce; return to a boil.  

Add shrimp & crabmeat; cook, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes, or until shrimp turn pink. Remove & discard bay leaves. Yield: 10 servings  

Instead of adding hotsauce, you may want to add it at the table. 

Fish/vegetable Chowder.

Author: Capt Ken Roy

Sharon has been adding about 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables (depending on the size of the batch of chowder) to her last few batches of chowder. Good stuff on cold days. Manhattan or New England style chowders--both work fine with vegetables added. Adding the vegetables makes it seem more of a meal to me. 

I never can remember which is which. One is red, the other white. (I like the white kind best.) 

Fish Head Soup Trivia

Author miker2 

While cleaning a mesh of fish a week or so ago, got to thinking how my long beparted grandma would have cooked up a big pot of soup using all those heads.  My grandparents were all working class europeans and didn't waste much that was edible.  So, just for nostalgia , i did a google search for fish head soup and found it wasn't just for old  europeans.  Various asian nations, american indians, eskimos, and who knows who else all had recipes. the kind we used to eat was essentially a broth with carrots, onion, potato, and celery. for the youngsters in the crowd,no, you dont eat the heads, you boil them and strain off the fish stock. 

Mickey's Addition to the Trivia 

We always do that. we keep the heads and boil them to make a stock. great on paella, or by itself.  I'll keep you warm on cold nights.we also

use the stock over a half fried green plantain mashed into a ball . Tato can testified to that. It is called "mofongo".  

Zatarin's Jambyala a lot better.

Author Capt Ken 

In a 2 quart boiler, add 1 cup water and 1 can of Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chilies. Bring to a boil. 

Add Zararin's Jambyala Mix. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes then add 1/2 pound cooked HOT Sausage, 1/2 pound smoked ham. Simmer an additional 5 minutes and add left over shrimp from last fishing trip.(pre-cooked-peeled)  

Ready to eat in about 2 minutes after adding shrimp. 

Serve with Cole Slaw and Martha White Jalapeno corn bread. 

Digger's Addition 

When it comes to anything that needs that cajun flavor, I have found that Zatarains cannot be beat! It is some good stuff, I have not had anything they make as of yet that was not terrific!

Chicken Soup

Author Capt Ken 

When I was a kid, I had a long term cold once and one of our neighbors brewed up a pot of "Jewish Penecillin" for me. Rona Zarovsky; I haven't thought of her in years.

Later, when I moved from Mobile to T. Springs, I was down here by myself and rented an apartment for a short time while house hunting. Another bad cold. My next door neighbor heard me coughing and made a pot of Jewish Penecillin.

Both times, it cured my cold or made me feel a lot better. Sharon has a cold so we whomped up some last night.

Boil a small Chicken.
Skin and debone then chop meat into bite size portions.
Cool the broth in the frige over night and remove the fat floating solidified on the surface.
Reheat the broth and add your choice of vegetables. I use a little Cabbage, Chopped Carrots, Celery, peas, beans, Limas, and a little chopped Spinach.

Taste after half an hour. It will probably need salt and LOTS of Black Pepper.

At this point add potatoes or rice and cook until they are soft.

Serve with Rye, French or Pumpernickle Bread with real butter.

The hot soup makes your throat feel better and the pepper clears your sinuses.

When I was a kid, Mom fed me Apple Juice and Grape Juice when I was sick. This was always a treat. Juices were expensive back then. Now days, I drink a quart of tea with my soup.

There may be scientific evidence for this treatment. All I know is, it works for me.

She-Crab Soup

Author Capt Ken 

This is a personal favorite of mine. Unfortunately, She-Crab Soup is mighty rich as you shall soon see. As a "once in a while" delicacy, it is mighty fine.

Here is how to get started. Catch enough crabs to yield a pound of crab meat. In case you don't know much of crabs, that will be between a dozen and a dozen and a half crabs.

Here is how I clean 'em. Actually, I do it two ways. When I can, I clean them live then steam them. It just seems more hygenic to clean them live. Helluva lot faster too.

First, slow the crabs down by dumping them into an ice chest that has about as much water as ice. You need enough room to completely cover all of your crabs at once. It takes ten minutes MOL to get them to the point that they are completely safe to handle.

Next, break off the claws then, grab one point of the shell with one hand and the legs on that side of the crab with the other then all you have to do is pull and the shell comes off the crab. It doesn't take much pull at all. Remove the apron (little flap underneath) and discard. Pull away the gills and entrails then rinse. Clean them outside and use a hose to wash the innards away. (low pressure)

Next, steam the crab bodies and claws for 5-7 minutes. Break the body in half and remove meat from the pockets in the shell. Next, crack the claws and remove the meat.

Alternatively, you can dump the live crabs into boiling water with a packet of "Zatarines Crab Boil" and boil them for 20 minutes then clean as above. Of course, you will have to cool the crabs for about 20 minutes before you can pick the meat out.

Now, you should get lucky and find roe in a few of the crabs. You can't miss it. The roe will be red-orange. Add the roe in when you add the crab meat to the soup. The crab roe gives She-Crab Soup its pale orange color.

 This recipe makes approximately 6 cups. Cooking time is 80 minutes.

Ingredients:
1Qt. whipping cream
1/8tsp salt
1/8tsp black pepper
2 fish bullion cubes ( I use fish stock that I make but Knoor Fish Buillon is fine)
2 cups water (if you use the buillion cubes)
1/4 cup unsalted butter (don't use margarine)
1/3 cup flour
2 TSP lemon juice--(bottled is fine)
1/4tsp ground nutmeg
1pound fresh crab meat (it is already cooked if you use it like described above)
Garnish W/chopped parsley
1/3 cup GOOD SHERRY not the cooking kind.
Prep:
Combine 1st 3 ingredients in a heavy sauce pan; bring to boil over med heat (it will stick and burn if you aren't carful) Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour then set aside.

Stir fish buillion and 2 cups of boiling water until completely dissolved.

Melt butter in large heavy sauce pan over low heat. Add flour, stirring constantlyuntil smooth. Gradually add fish broth. Cook over medium heat until thickened.
Stir in cream mixture until thoroughly heated.
Add lemon juice, nutmeg, and crab meat.

Ladle into individual serving bowls, garnish with parsley and add a spoonful of good Sherry to each bowl.

This is the good stuff.