Thanksgiving Meal and Fish Supply

 In 2018, we decided to stray considerably from the traditional Thanksgiving meal and made Tex-Mex instead and we all loved it so this year we decided to give Cajun a try.  In late summer, while okra was still available from the neighbor’s garden, we made up a gallon of gumbo and stuck it in the freezer for the holiday.

Back then, our plan was to invite some friends over and serve a leisurely extended meal (a couple of hours) with the following menu.

Appetizer – Cajun Shrimp Dip

Salad – Green salad with Cajun dressing

Soup – Gumbo

Entrée – Blackened catfish

Dessert – Pumpkin pie

Well Covid-19 got in the way of having any guests and Cindy went to California for a month so we were left with just three diners and no desire to have a big meal.  After some discussion, we decided to just doctor the gumbo by adding some chicken and shrimp and call it a meal.

For our gallon of gumbo, I added five large chicken breasts and a pound of shrimp.  Since I didn’t want to cook the gumbo much more, I roasted the chicken, seasoned with Montreal Chicken Seasoning, then chopped it and added it along with the pan juices to the warmed gumbo mid-morning so the flavors could marry.

I thought it needed to be thicker so I made a reasonably dark roux and stirred it into the gumbo.

When time to eat, I brought the gumbo to a simmer and stirred in a pound of large shrimp, each cut into three pieces (not as pretty but easier to eat) and cooked about five minutes before serving.

Bev wanted hers adorned with some unchopped shrimp (first pic) but I just added some hot sauce to mine.

The Verdict:

We all thought it was very good considering how it was made but it could have used a little more Creole Seasoning and some heat for me.  After supper, we adjourned to our neighbors lakeside firepit for a warming fire and pumpkin pie.  This was surely the least stressful Thanksgiving meal I've ever helped prepare.

Fish For The Long Covid Winter

With some various varieties from the local markets, about 10 packs of lake crappie from our friends, our Sitka Salmon deliveries, and a recent shipment from Joe Patti’s in Pensacola, FL, I believe we are ready to eat fish often and have plenty for several months – I had to put the Joe Patti shipment in the RV freezer.

Speaking of fish, I sure hated not being able to get together this year for a low country boil, like this one in 2017 

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

11/26/20 meal date