Christmas Crappie for a Unique Option
by Vernon Summerlin
Last year I featured the elaborate Feast of Seven Fishes for Christmas Eve that dates back to the Roman era. This year I’m offering you several recipes that don’t focus on a certain date but keep them in mind to titillate your taste buds.
Crappie with Rice Stuffing
- 2 to 2 1/2-pounds whole (cleaned & scaled) crappies
- 1 6-ounce package wild and long grain rice mix
- 1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
- 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 2-ounce jar drained sliced pimiento
- 1/8 teaspoon ground sage
Prepare rice as directed on package, adding bouillon granules to water. Set aside. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease broiler pan or 13×9-inch baking pan. In a small skillet, cook and stir mushrooms and celery in butter over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in pimiento and sage. Stir vegetables into rice. Place fish on broiler pan and stuff with rice mixture, placing any extra stuffing around fish. Cover only the rice with foil. Bake until fish flakes easily at backbone, 20 to 25 minutes.
Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup red wine
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, stirring until tender and browned, about 5 minutes. Add onions, stir frequently until translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, continue stirring until the garlic becomes aromatic. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape the bottom of the pot to capture all the tastes. Stir in wine and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream and thyme. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Gradually stir in mixture until the soup is slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thin add more cornstarch as needed until desired consistency is reached. Makes about 6 servings.
Crappie and ’Shrooms
- 8 to10 crappie fillets (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 10 to12 ounces cream of mushroom soup (or one can of soup)
- 1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Paprika
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease baking dish or spray with oil. Salt and pepper fillets and put in baking dish. Spread cream of mushroom soup over fillets, top with grated cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes (until fish flakes). Serve as main dish or place crappies over noodles or rice.
Peanut-Cereal Bar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 3 cups toasted oat cereal (Cheerios)
- 1 cup salted peanuts
Grease a 9×13-inch pan. Stir sugar and honey in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until well blended. Stir in the cereal and salted peanuts. Press into the prepared pan. Allow to cool until firm, then cut into bars.
