ANNA MONICA / L’Observateur / August 15, 2000

Someday he would like to collect recipes from other people and make a cookbook. But when Early Duhe of Reserve married Marie of Hammond, theywere both “new rookies in the cooking department.” Marie cooked the waythey did in Hammond, which lacked the seasoning and rouxs we have locally, according to her husband. Then, they both learned to cook from his mom.In his earlier days at the camp, where they hunted and fished, someone was needed to cook. Early volunteered and began to pick it up, trying at first tomake chili beans, smothered rabbit and “whatever they had.” “Chili beans is what kept us going at the camp plenty times,” he admits. Nowa LaPlace resident, Early says, “Anytime I talk, I talk Dale Madere because he is the one who showed me a lot about cooking.”Beginning to get better at it, Early became Dale’s “leg boy,” helping to cook at the Andouille Festival and the Lions Club. Both being in the insurance businesswith the same work schedule, the men formed a close friendship while cooking together. Now, Early and neighbor Allen Carambat make their ownandouille and deer sausage together from October through February and have their own little smokehouse where they also smoke chickens and turkeys. They won the private section of the andouille contest the only yearit was held. They experimented with it until they got it to their taste.When he has time and cooks on his own, Early, like so many of our local cooks, would rather make chicken, andouille and oyster gumbo. He doesn’tcook anything fancy, just down-home Cajun-type stuff, and uses lots and lots of rouxs.

“If you have to look at somebody else’s recipes, I don’t like to do that. It isnever seasoned enough,” he sys. A firm believer in flavor, his food has tohave the “right” taste.

“I have been known to have a heavy hand with pepper,” he says, adding he actually grinds his own, producing cayenne pepper. He is also a firm believerin everything being chopped right with nothing uneven. Every pan gets washedout as he goes, though, because disliking cleanup, he simply cleans as he goes.

Marie and Early have been married for 34 years. Their children are WendyDuhe, Sherry Hotard and Ashley Taylor. Marie is not left out in beingappreciated for her cooking skills with specialties being a really good cornbread dressing and chicken and dumplings. Faud is a specialty of Early’s,served every holiday.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving has Early’s attention because each year they travel to Stuttgart, Ark., for a cooking event, the World ChampionshipDuck Gumbo contest, held in conjunction with the Duck Calling Contest. Thebest he has ever done there is coming out fifth, even though it is his pot, with about seven gallons, that is first to be cleaned out. At first there werefive on a team which included John Robinson, Glen “Skip” Allen, Neil Eichler from Stuttgart and the late Walter Martin.

Early laughs about teaching ladies from Arkansas how to make gumbo. Thefollowing year the ladies came to Lafayette, bought andouille and, using Early’s recipe, won the gumbo contest.

Early is the only one who still goes to Arkansas.

While yet a working man, when he retires next year Early wants to do more cooking and traveling. He has a camp at Cocodrie, and grandchildren Isiah,Raeann, Hilary and Andre’, plus LSU games, keep him busy. A little garden anddoing things for his elderly parents, Early Sr. and Lucille of Reserve, occupymuch of his time. The senior Duhes used to cook but not too much anymore. “The way we eat is the way we were taught,” Early says. He has cooked forweddings, rarely turning anyone down, and charges only for the ingredients.

Following are several of his favorite recipes:

MAMA’S DRESSING – “FAUD” (From Mrs. Lucille Duhe and her mother, the late Maria Cambre of Reserve)

3 lb. Boston butt – cubed into 1/2″ pieces3 lbs. gizzards – take hard skin off and chop up1 lbs. chicken livers, chopped1 lg. onion1 pk. fresh parsley3 doz. oysters10 medium sweet potatoes – boiled and skinned Salt and red pepper to taste 1 pack shallots (optional)

Boil potatoes, peel and set aside. Cook Boston butt with onion and seasoning(salt and pepper) on low heat. Cook gizzard with oil and a little seasoningseparately. When pork is about 1/2 done, add gizzards and liver. Cook forabout 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add parsley and oysters for about 15 minutes. Add potatoes until desired consistency (like mashed potatoes) is met. Keeptasting and adjust seasoning. Serve with roast turkey or chicken.

COURTBOUILLON

5 lbs. redfish (or catfish) filets – cut into 2-inch pieces3/4 cup oil; 3/4 cup flour – make roux (reddish color) 3 medium onions, chopped fine 1 lg. bell pepper, chopped fine2 tbls. Chopped garlic4 ribs celery, chopped fine 2 packs shallots, chopped fine 4 bay leaves 1 pack parsley, chopped fine 2 cans Rotel tomatoes 1 large can tomato sauce 2 cans stewed tomatoes (chopped up) 1 lemon – sliced thin 2 large cans stems & pieces mushrooms 1 large can Cream of Mushroom soup 1 to 2 cans of beer 1 medium. jar pitted olivesSalt, black pepper, red pepper to taste

Make roux with oil and flour until reddish brown. Add onions, garlic, bellpepper and celery. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes on medium until vegetablesget soft. Add Cream of Mushroom soup, Rotel tomatoes, stewed tomatoesand tomato sauce. Cook 20-25 minutes on medium heat, stirring often. Check for salt and pepper and add some if necessary. Add lemons,mushrooms, olives and beer. Cook another 20-25 minutes. Alcohol in beerwill evaporate leaving only flavor. Season fish pieces with salt and pepperand add to gravy. Don’t stir too much after fish is added as it will break up. Add parsley and shallots and cook 10 to 15 mins. Serve over rice.

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