Thad and Abbie came over tonight to be a part of Lisa’s first experience with catfish. This recipe comes from Great Bowls of Fire, which we’ve (sadly) been neglecting for a while, but now that we’re into the cooler weather I’m sure that spicy stews and hotpots are going to make a more regular appearance. Abbie and Thad brought over some cornbread to serve with the stew.

Abbie says:

Yuuum! Hey, why didn’t you take a picture of my cornbread?

Thad says:

It was good; I wasn’t paying much attention and then I looked at my bowl and realized I had eaten all my fish.

Chris says:

I haven’t had much catfish since moving from Dallas… I used to love me some fried catfish and hushpuppies… Lisa, what did you think about your first taste of catfish??

Lisa says:

It’s good… catfish tastes…. fishy. I mean, fishier than some other fish. I think I’d have it again.

Catfish Creole Stew
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2 tbsp canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14 oz) stewed tomatoes
1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp bottled red hot sauce
1 1/2 lbs boneless catfish fillets, coarsely chopped
4 cups cooked long-grain white rice

In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of the oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 6 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the stewed tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, and hot sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Stir in the catfish and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the catfish is cooked in the center and opaque, about 7 minutes. Fold the fish into the sauce and return to a simmer.
Spoon the rice into shallow bowls and ladle the stew over the rice. Serve with corn bread.

4 Servings

We returned to our old friend Great Bowls of Fire for this spicy shrimp and rice dish. This is another one of the “huge portion” recipes that we love. Made it hotter by adding hot sauce just before serving.

Firecracker Shrimp Jambalaya
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1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice
1 tbsp canola oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh cayenne chili, seeded and minced
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 tsp bottled red hot sauce

Cook rice with 2 1/2 cups water until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and chili pepper and cook for five minutes over medium heat. Stir in the shrimp and cook an additional 4 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup water, and the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook 15-20 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the rice. Let sit for 5 minutes, then serve.

4 Servings

We adapted this recipe from the “Bourbon Street Jambalaya” in Great Bowls of Fire — the version in that book uses clams (Lisa’s not a huge fan) instead of crab. Also, I had forgotten how much I enjoy fresh-outta-the-oven cornbread muffins!