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Gulf Coast Warm Weather Seafood Dishes

© Annette Lucido-Bignami

4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons thinly sliced onion 1/2 c. green pepper, sliced 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms 24 green olives, quartered 1 cup strained fish stock - make from kingfish back-bone, fins, head etc. or use canned stock or clam juice. 1 can tomatoes and liquid dash of cayenne 1 tablespoon thyme 1 bay leaf 4 cloves, crushed 1/2 cup sherry

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and add onions and peppers. Cook five minutes with a stir now and then. Add mushrooms and olives and cook five minutes more. Add stock, canned tomatoes and remaining seasonings. Cook for about 20 minutes, strain if you feel like it - at least, remove the bay leaf!* Save or serve.

*If you do not have a bay tree make sure your bay leaf is green. Old leaves get sort of brown and lose their flavor so you'll need to use two or even three.

LOUISIANA OYSTER GUMBO FILE

Good fresh oysters and some of that specially good Cajun cured ham makes the difference here so long as you remember NEVER to cook the gumbo after you add the filé! We reconstructed this recipe after a visit years back and make a special effort to get real filé.

2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1 medium mild onion, chopped 1/2 to 3/4 cup ham chopped into match sticks. 3 cups oyster liquor with water and/or white wine added to make up the volume 1 bay leave - if your's are not bright olive green, use two salt and pepper to taste - we use a mix of black, green, red and white pepper in a grinder. 2 dozen fresh oysters 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced 1 teaspoon filé.

Brown the flour in the butter over moderately high heat. Add onions and brown. Add ham and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Add the water and oyster liquor, pepper and the bay leaf.

Boil 10 minute, remove from fire, stir in the filé and serve with rice.

TEXAS BARBECUED LEMON SHRIMP

We make our skewers long ahead of time and cook 6 inches from a modest amount of coals for three to five minutes after guests arrive. We don't usually use ingredients like pre-made salad dressing, but this tastes just as good as homemade.

3 pounds raw, unpeeled large shrimp 1/2 cup lemon or lime juice 1/4 cup Italian salad dressing 1/4 cup light soy sauce (or regular) 1/4 cup water or white wine.