Missouri Waltz

I cannot remember where I found this recipe but today I tried it. It is the best crawfish étouffée that I have ever eaten.

Crawfish Etouffee by Chef Paul Prudhomme

Ingredients
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried sweet basil leaves
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
¼ cup chopped onions
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped green bell peppers
7 tablespoons vegetable oil
¾ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups, in all, Basic Seafood Stock
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 pounds peeled crawfish tails or medium shrimp
1 cup very finely chopped green onions
4 cups hot Basic Cooked Rice

Thoroughly combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl combine the onions, celery and bell peppers.

In a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron), heat the oil over high heat until it begins to smoke, about 4 minutes. With a long-handled metal whisk, gradually mix in the flour, stirring until smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until roux is dark red-brown, about 3 to 5 minutes (be careful not to let it scorch in the pan or splash on your skin). Remove from heat and immediately stir in the vegetables and 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix with a wooden spoon; continue stirring until cooled, about 5 minutes.

In a 2-quart saucepan bring 2 cups of the stock to a boil over high heat. Gradually add the roux and whisk until thoroughly dissolved. Reduce heat to low and cook until flour taste is gone, about 2 minutes, whisking almost constantly (if any of the mixture scorches, don't continue to scrape that part of the pan bottom). Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat the serving plates in a 250° oven.

In a 4-quart saucepan melt 1 stick of the butter over medium heat. Stir in the crawfish (or shrimp) and the green onions; saute about 1 minute, stirring almost constantly. Add the remaining stick of butter, the stock mixture and the remaining 1 cup stock; cook until butter melts and is mixed into the sauce, about 4 to 6 minutes, constantly shaking the pan in a back-and-forth motion (versus stirring). Add the remaining seasoning mix; stir well and remove from heat (if sauce starts separating, add about 2 tablespoons more of stock or water and shake pan until it combines). Serve immediately.

To serve, mound ½ cup rice on each heated serving plate. Surround the rice with ¾ cup of the etouffee.

LAGNIAPPE
A certain percentage of oil is released when butter is melted; shaking the pan in a back-and-forth motion and the addition of stock keeps the sauce from separating and having an oily texture – stirring doesn't produce the same effect.

I don't know anything about rice. Some people grow it around here but I never have.

Most farmers around here store it and other grains. I know it can and does happen but I have never heard of any grain bin explosion in my area.

From what I can tell he was negligent and almost certainly dead before any rescue efforts even started. However, I was appalled by the incompetence of the "professionals."

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It’s hard to believe how little training first responders in rural areas have on this kind of thing

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There were responders from Cape Girardeau County that are reportedly trained in grain bin rescues. You surely would not know that from what I saw this afternoon. Not just them but all the responders present made the Amos and Andy Taxicab Company look like NASA engineers.

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I ponder, if he was a farmer and main breadwinner. Will the family be ok? Or will the farm cease?

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He was a farmer. He worked hard all his life, did well, lived frugally, and left his wife in good shape. The farm will go on. He once told me that he structured his estate so that his daughter can never sell it.

The show paid for Brandy's fake tits.

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they ran reverses and fake reverses with Burn and Casanova fielding the punts.

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Not the first punt that Burns returned. He was the sole returner back to receive on that touchdown.

I lived in both Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia. I would die laughing if they were returned to DC.

Potatoes fried with onions in grease are delicious. We call it German fries in my part of the world. A little crumbled bacon adds a lot.



Fried liver with milk gravy and German fries at a friend's farm shop. This is the ultimate in redneck culinary arts. Greetings from Sawdust Corner, Mississippi County, Missouri.

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They have actually, intentionally killed US servicemen

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USS LIBERTY

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I'd be willing to bet that 75%, or more, of Veterans are MAGA ... and we make up a huge piece of the MAGA base.

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I would hardly call 75% of the military a huge piece of the MAGA base. A large piece perhaps but not huge and nowhere near the majority. And yes, I would call those who thump their chests and salivate when the U.S. engages in a military action but are unwilling to participate themselves cowards.

My feeling is that if a war is not worth someone willing to die in it, or send their son to die in it, then it is not worth fighting.

If you want to die for Israel then be my guest but I have better things to do.