Passport to Texas

Sea Trout Meuniere; photo by Ken Haenel

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This is Passport to Texas

Anglers who catch and keep their fish can fill their freezers with nearly free food. That’s what chef and angler Cindy Haenel does.

We don’t let them go unless they’re undersized…we just have so much in the freezer, so we do limit ourselves on how much we keep. But, yeah, we just love them. They’re so tasty. So, we don’t want to throw them back. (laughs).

I met Cindy when she was a chef instructor at Central Market. She’s since retired. But not from fishing or home cooking. I stopped by her place at lunchtime awhile back, just as she was preparing Seatrout…

Meunière style, which is basically lemon and butter with some parsley at the end.

Seasoned trout fillets, dusted with flour, went into a hot non-stick skillet coated with melted butter. After three minutes per side, she transferred the cooked fillets to warm plate which she placed in the oven to keep warm, and then made a quick and delicious sauce with lemon juice, lemon zest, white wine, parsley…and more butter.

Okay. So, now I’m going to taste. Mm…a good amount of lemon. Slide it on off of the fire, and then whisk in that last pat of butter just to thicken up the sauce. Okay. Dump in the parsley. So, taste again—just use a different finger each time for tasting. Oh yeah. Okay that’s it. We’re ready to plate and serve.

Hear the full cooking experience on our podcast Under the Texas Sky, and find a copy of Cindy’s recipe for Seatrout meunière at underthetexassky.org.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Trout Meuniere Recipe

A flavorful reimagining of the classic French Sole Meunière that’s simple to prepare and yet decadently rich.

Ingredients
• Spotted Sea Trout fillets (flounder or sand dabs also work well) – 4 fillets
• Salt and pepper
• All-purpose flour (for dusting) *may use gluten free flour
• Cultured unsalted butter – 3 tablespoons *may use more as needed
• Shallot (minced about 1 tablespoon) – 0.5 small
• Dry white wine (such as sauvignon blanc) – 2 tablespoons
• Lemon zest – 1/2 teaspoon
• Lemon juice, freshly squeezed – 1 tablespoon
• Flat-leaf parsley (for garnish)

Steps
1. Turn on oven to lowest setting.
2. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Generously salt and pepper both sides of the fillet and then lightly dust all surfaces of the fish with flour.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to a non-stick skillet and heat over medium heat until the pan is hot, and the butter has melted.
4. Add the fillets and fry on one side until cooked about half way through (the cooked part will appear opaque if you look at the side of the fillet). Carefully flip using two spatulas and fry until cooked through. Transfer the cooked fish to an oven-safe plate and place in warm oven while you make the sauce.
5. To make the Meunière sauce, add the shallots to the butter in the skillet. Fry until the shallots are tender and just starting to brown.
6. Add the white wine and simmer until most of the liquid is gone. Finish the sauce by whisking in the lemon juice and zest along with the last tablespoon of butter.
7. Pour the Meunière sauce over the fish. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Writer Pam LeBlanc happily waiting for teal.

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This is Passport to Texas

Fall hunting season kicks off on September first with dove. Teal is next with a sixteen-day season that runs from September 14th through the 29th.

Last year writer Pam LeBlanc took advantage of an invitation to go teal hunting with former TPW Executive Director, Andy Sansom. She wrote about it for the current issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

In the article, Pam admits that she is not a hunter, and never imagined she’d find herself slogging through a wetland, wearing rubber waders and shooting at teal. But she did and writes vividly about the experience.

A funny bit is about a “sticky-footed” frog that spent the night in her waders which she’d left on the porch of the Bucksnag Hunting Club in Garwood, where the hunting party stayed. She discovered the little fellow when they were in the truck, headed to into the field.

She writes: [The frog] shot out of my pants and onto the windshield, then ricocheted across the interior of the truck like a tiny, spring-loaded pogo stick, jolting me awake. That would wake me up, too.

Find Pam LeBlanc’s article about her teal hunt in the August-September issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

You’ll also find a recipe by Chef Jesse Morris for Smoked Teal in Miso Garlic Butter Sauce.

Our series receives support in part from RAM Trucks: built to serve.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife… I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Pack a picnic and head to a Texas State Park.

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This is Passport to Texas

There’s nothing like a picnic in a Texas state park; and picnics—like picnickers—have personalities.

There’s the Texas classic: a wicker basket on a red and white tablecloth spread on a picnic table. Think: buttermilk fried chicken, potato salad and creamy coleslaw heaped onto grandma’s fiesta ware.

Fiesta? Now we’re talking. Your picnic becomes the life of the party with its savory carnitas, roasted tomatillo salsa, warm tortillas, and accoutrements…as well as an ice chest filled with a variety of agua frescas…all enjoyed from the comfort of a screen shelter.

Yet, some picnics are intimate. This outdoor dining experience may include a crusty French baguette, goat cheese, thin-sliced cured meats and juicy red grapes. When enjoyed from the comfort of your truck’s tailgate, while parked near a grove of ancient oaks, your soundtrack becomes the melodic songs of cicadas.

Other picnics are basic, but still magical. A frill free picnic may involve spreading a vintage felt blanket from the thrift store along a creek bank before diving into a tin of freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookies from mom.

Whether your al fresco fun is for a family reunion, a church gathering… or just an afternoon escape with your best four-legged friend, there’s a picnic-perfect Texas state park near you.

Picnicking at state parks reminds all of us that life’s better outside. Find picnic recipes on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

Our show receives support in part from RAM Trucks: Built to serve.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife… I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Cooking fluffy biscuits in a Dutch Oven.

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This is Passport to Texas

Cleburne State Park, about 30 miles southwest of Fort Worth, has a spring-fed lake and shady trails. It also hosts a local group that’s passionate about their avocation.

We fell in love with the park and the people.

Dennis Clute is chapter advisor for the Chisolm Trail Chaparral Dutch Oven Society

We cook on the third Saturday of each month except for June, July and August; it’s just too hot. We get there about mid-morning on Saturday, we have the pots on the table by 12:30, we all gather in a big circle, we say grace, we invite everyone there to eat with us and have a good time

The Chaps say they can prepare nearly anything that can be cooked in a home oven in a Dutch oven.

I think my favorite was this rich chocolate cake that they made. It was delicious

Annie Hepp is a regional interpretive specialist with Texas Parks and Wildlife.

They really enjoy the opportunity to be with one another. They get to cook for people, they get to share their passion with others and that passion and enjoyment is pretty infectious. Just being around them and seeing what they’re cooking up really inspires you to try it yourself.

Go to the calendar section of the Texas Parks and Wildlife website and click on “cooking” to find Dutch Oven demos in parks.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

pack a picnic and head to a Texas State park for Mother’s Day.

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This is Passport to Texas

This Mother’s Day, take mom on a picnic in a Texas state park. Cookbook author, Angela Shelf Medearis, says the key to a stress-free picnic is planning and simplicity.

So, start your picnic a few days ahead. If I was doing a picnic, I would have something like a really good roast chicken; just cut the pieces up and pack those in there.

I do a Carolina Cole Slaw; you toss it up, throw it in the refrigerator – it gets better day-by-day. So, if you want to do that ahead, you could.

Use a lot of fresh fruits for dessert.

The thing about a picnic that I love is that you can totally unplug and really focus on the people you should be paying the most attention to. You can get out in nature; we have some beautiful parks. Some beautiful places to go in Texas.

And, it gives you a chance to really focus on the most important things: your family, nature, the beauty of life… So, do a little planning ahead, and pick dishes that will be fine hot or cold, and you can’t go wrong for a great picnic.

Find recipes for your picnic on the TPW website.

Our show receives support from RAM Trucks: Built to Serve.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.