Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen (29 page)

Here I am surrounded by my boys. This must be about 1997. I see all the boys are working on that beard thing—just not quite there yet. I’m sure I was cooking, like I always do.

Many people have asked me how I get along with four daughters-in-law. First of all, they are all great women and I love them, but it does take compromising. With respect to how we handle Christmas, I learned a long time ago that it’s wise to respect others’ family traditions. Many times over the years, the Robertsons would join
one of the in-law families for a particular holiday, like Easter at Korie’s mom’s house. I guess in a way, it’s easier that I have all sons because I’m not juggling sons-in-law as well! Christmas, for us, means celebrating whenever we can all get together. Some years it’s on Christmas Day at the evening meal; some years it’s a day or two before Christmas. For me, it’s not the particular day that matters; it’s that we are all together.

I’m not sure what year this was, but it’s Willie before long hair, so late 1990s. This shows you my “decoration obsession.” Could I just put one more thing out? I don’t think so!

When we do get together for our Christmas celebration, we eat first—but we are never on time. We seem to always wait on someone who’s running late or some food to cook properly. We try not to get in a hurry and just enjoy the moment. We chose Cajun food many years ago when the boys wanted something besides the traditional meal. I’ve always loved shrimp from the time I was little, so the Cajun theme was perfect for me. As all of the kids have grown in their cooking skills, they have also added to the meal.

As I mentioned, our house is small. Phil and I have lived in the same house for close to forty years. Granny and Pa (Phil’s parents) helped us buy the property and house we are in now. It originally had two houses. They moved into what was called the “camp house,” and we moved into the other house. Somewhere in the early 1990s, we did some remodeling. That’s when I got a modern kitchen, complete with a dishwasher. I raised my four boys with one bathroom and no dishwasher. I always thank the Lord that I had boys with that one bathroom!

It’s very crowded when everyone is at our house, now that we have fourteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. So after we devour that good cooking, we all move over to our living room. And literally I mean move over. Our living room and dining area are in the same room. I’ve seen some modern houses with a floor plan that has the kitchen, dining room, and den all in the same space, but we’ve had that for years! Anyway, once the tree is added to that, we’re packed in like sardines. The men and women take the couches, the teens sit on the armrests of the couches, and the little kids line the floors. Of course Phil has his chair. Then the gift exchange begins. The cousins exchange gifts with one another, and the brothers and wives do as well. I love to give silly or gag gifts to my kids, the boys, and daughters-in-law. We spend the night telling stories and laughing. A domino game is likely to break out as well. And then it’s every man for himself, as the Robertson men battle to see who is the “domino king of the year.”

I really went “Christmas Crazy” that year. For some reason, I decided a fence was needed in my house to keep the dogs out of the presents. I threw on some tinsel and that was that!

Since our TV show began, we’ve gotten so many comments about our dinner scenes. Of course, we don’t do that every night. Each of my children has his own family that he shares a meal with on most nights, but we do get together often, and I wouldn’t trade those times for anything. I certainly wouldn’t jeopardize the opportunity by being stubborn about a time or date. Family time is too important for that! Remember to be willing to compromise. It will go a long way toward a healthy and happy relationship with all your family members.

Quick & Easy Shrimp Salad

Makes 4 servings • Large salad bowl

1 pound boiled shrimp, peeled and deveined

1
¹
/
₂
large celery stalks, finely chopped

3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and finely chopped

¹
/
₂
cup mayonnaise

Salt and black pepper

Mix all the ingredients in the bowl. Stir well to distribute the mayonnaise and seasoning. Chill in the refrigerator.

A Note from Miss Kay

These days you can get cooked shrimp in most grocery stores, so this recipe is quick and easy to do. If you will notice, most Louisiana dishes are pretty heavy with butter and cream. It’s nice to have something light like this shrimp salad.

Fried Shrimp

Deep cast-iron skillet (size will vary according to the number of shrimp you’re cooking)

Shrimp, fresh or thawed frozen, peeled and deveined

Salt, black pepper, and garlic salt

Egg wash (1 large egg for each
¹
/
₂
pound shrimp)

All-purpose flour (
¹
/
₂
cup for each
¹
/
₂
pound shrimp)

Peanut oil, for frying

1. Sprinkle the shrimp with a little salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste.

2. Roll the shrimp in egg wash, then in flour.

3. Fill the skillet about halfway with oil. Heat to about 350°F over medium heat.

4. Fry the shrimp (not too many at one time) for 1 minute or until they float to the top. Drain quickly on paper towels, and add any other seasoning you like after each batch is fried.

A Note from Miss Kay

This recipe really depends on how many shrimp you have and how many folks you’re feeding. Just use more eggs and more flour and a bigger pan, and you’re good to go!

Crawfish Pie

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie • Large skillet • 9-inch pie pan

1 stick (
¹
/
₄
pound) butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 bell pepper, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour