"Hoe Daddy" Crappie

For those who might not know, crappie is a fish, and it's pronounced crOppie. My dad, Everett "Hoe Daddy" Bledsaw is the crappie fisher in our family. He's also usually the one who deep fries it as well. So, it's his recipe I'm posting.

Fresh crappie fillets, patted dry

1 cup Shawnee's Best White Cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

That's it. He uses no other spices, and he doesn't marinate the fish in anything - yet, it comes out delicious! 

He just mixes the rub in a gallon sized plastic bag and coats the fish fillets - then deep fries them until they're golden brown. 

This picture was taken at Spadra Marina several years ago, with his best friend, Larry Gentry. Sadly, Larry passed away a few years ago, but we think of him every time the crappie run at the Marina in the winter. We also know in our hearts, if it's possible to fish in Heaven - Larry is tearing 'em up!  

The Best Catfish

My catfish recipe is fairly simple, but the real "trick" to the distinct taste is that I soak my catfish fillets in Mike's Hard Lemonade for about an hour before I deep fry them. I also prefer to fry them in canola oil. 

Catfish Fillets (I prefer Blue)

1 cup plain yellow corn meal - not the mix 

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons Tony's Chachere's Original Cajun seasoning

1 bottle Mike's Hard Lemonade

Soak the fillets in the hard lemonade in a gallon sixed freezer bag for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Then drain, and pat the filets dry.

Lightly coat with the dry mixture in another gallon sized plastic bag. 

Deep Fry until the fillets float to the top of the oil and turn golden brown.  

The best catfish - is the one you caught yourself! I caught this 4 pound beautiful Blue at Spadra Park in the early spring of 2020. It was one of those fine days when I had no schedule or known agenda - I was just out running around, and on impulse, decided to wet a hook. I didn't even have a stringer! I ended up wrapping this guy in my jacket to take him home.  

Venison Steak, Grilled Veggies, Baked Potato

 

There's nothing better than a perfectly seasoned and fire grilled venison steak! Unless you raise the bar with delicious sides! For this recipe, this recipe, you absolutely have to have a fire grill - not charcoal bricks. You'll also need real butter. 

4 venison steaks, ¾ to 1 inch thick

Marinade:

You can do a garlic base or an onion base – but not both!

½ garlic clove, peeled and crushed

OR

½ onion, finely minced in food processor

3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

½ Tablespoon paprika

½ Tablespoon coarse ground black pepper

1 cup buttermilk

Combine everything in a gallon size zip lock freezer bag, add the steaks, then carefully squeeze out the air and close the bag. Rub all the steaks in the mixture, and refrigerate overnight.

4 large Red Pontiac potatoes, washed and patted dry

Cut potatoes in half, then using a spoon, carefully scoop out a small hole in the middle of one half. Mix 1 teaspoon real butter with ¼ teaspoon fresh chives and using a butter knife, fill the hole in your potato half, place the potato back together again, wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Place on baking rack in your oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

1 large green bell pepper, seeded, and cut into 2 inch chunks

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 2 inch chunks

10 to 12 large button top fresh mushrooms, washed and patted dry

Veggie/Steak Grilling Marinade

1 cup melted real butter

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Alternate peppers and mushrooms onto 4 wood skewers

Start the veggies on the grill first! Grill the veggie skewers, brushing often with the melted butter mixture, until flame kissed and soft.

Remove steaks from refrigerator, rinse with water, pat dry

Grill the steak to your personal preference (I prefer medium rare!) brushing often with the butter mix.

Your baked potatoes should be almost done by the time you start the steaks. So, remove them from the oven and open the top of the foil (to let in smoke flavor). Place on the grill as soon as the veggie steaks are done, and close the lid for at least a couple minutes to let them smoke.

To plate the potato – remove the foil, add more butter and sour cream, then top with the grilled veggies. 

Serves: 4

 

Hearty Venison Stew

The legal and ethical harvesting of animals for consumption is an important part of my self-sufficient lifestyle. I believe if you choose to eat meat, you should be aware of the life that was sacrificed.

For this hearty winter venison stew recipe, I used two pounds of ham  from this 6 point adult male white tail deer harvested by my dad, Everett "Hoe Daddy" Bledsaw and processed by me. He took this fine buck on the property of John Brown in Johnson county, Arkansas during the 2018 hunting season.

 

Hearty Venison Stew

Ingredients:
2 pounds cubed ham of venison
1 large onion, diced
5 carrots, chopped in chunks
4 potatoes, cubed
2 cups of green peas
4 cups vegetable stock
salt, pepper to taste
flour to coat, butter or oil to fry

Roll the venison chunks in the flour, then fry them in a skillet until golden brown (they don't have to be done, this is just to tenderize them). In the same skillet, fry the onions in the venison grease until caramelized. 

In large soup pot, combine all the ingredients. Cover with lid and cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours. Add salt/pepper to taste. You can also cook this delicious stew in a crockpot on low for 3 1/2 hours. 

Serves 6 to 8