Mississippi - The Magnolia State, State flower: The Magnolia

1. Cucumber Salad
2. Bouillabaise
3. Baked Sweet Red Peppers and Yellow Squash
4. Bacon and Peanut Butter Muffins
5. Black Bottom Pie

Bouillabaise

A recipe written just as presented in 1901.

First, cut off the head of the Red Snapper and boil it (the head) in about 1-½ quarts of water so as to make a fish stock. Put one sliced onion and an herb bouquet (bouquet garni) consisting of thyme, bay leaf, and parsley into the water. Then reduce to one pint, take out the head of the fish and herb bouquet and strain the water and set it aside for use later on.

Take 6 slices of Redfish and six slices of Red Snapper of equal sizes and rub well with salt and pepper. Mince 3 sprigs of parsley, 3 bay leaves and 3 garlic cloves very, very finely and take six allspice and grind finely. Mix thoroughly with the minced herbs and garlic. Then, take each slice of fish and rub well with this mixture until every portion is permeated by herbs, spice and garlic. They must be, as it were, soaked into the flesh, if you achieve success of this dish.

Take 2 Tbsp of fine olive oil and put into a very large pan, so large that each slice of the fish may be put in without one piece overlapping the other. Chop 2 onions very fine and add them to the heating oil. Now, lay the fish slice by slice in the pan and cover, and let them "stouffe", or smother for about 10 minutes, turning once over so that each side may cook partly.

Then, take the fish out of the pan and set the slices in a dish. Pour a half bottle of white wine into the pan and stir well. Add a pint can of tomatoes or six large, fresh tomatoes sliced thinly, and let them boil well. Add half a lemon, cut in very thin slices and pour over a pint of the liquor or stock in which the head of the snapper was boiled. Season the dish well to taste with salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne. Let it boil until very strong and until reduced almost ½; then lay the fish slice by slice, keeping separate, in the pan and let them boil 5 minutes.

In the meantime prepare one good pinch of saffron, chopped very fine. Set it in a small deep dish and add a little of the sauce in which the fish is boiling to dissolve well. When melted, and when the fish has been just 5 minutes in the pan, spread the saffron over the top of the fish. Take out of the pan, lay each slice on toast which has been fried in butter; pour the sauce over and serve hot immediately. You will have a dish that Lucullus would have invented.
CREOLE COOK BOOK, 1901.

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