Crawfish Etouffee, Fried Catfish, Rice, Grilled Asparagus And Cornbread

Serves: 5

Halle Leffler

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

56

Spice

43

Sweetness

52

Sourness

37

mins

Prep time (avg)

4.3

Difficulty

Ingredients:

5 cloves

Garlic (minced)

3 stalks

Celery (diced)

2 cups

Seafood Stock

3 tbsps

Tomato Paste

1 tsp

Cayenne

1 tsp

Paprika

1 cup

White Rice

1 tbsp

Sugar

2 tsps

Baking Powder

1 tsp

Baking Soda

1 cup

Buttermilk

1 cup

Creamed Corn

2 large

Egg

2 tbsps

Canola Oil

1 tsp

Chili Powder

2 bunches

Asparagus

Directions:

1

For the crawfish etouffee: First, you make a roux

2

In a Dutch oven, add the butter over medium-high heat and melt

3

Add the flour and whisk until combined and there are no lumps in the flour

4

Continue to stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and flour mixture browns to the color of a shopping bag, 10 to 15 minutes

5

Make sure to stir continuously and do not allow the mixture to burn

6

If you notice little black specks, discard the roux and start over

7

Once the roux is sufficiently dark, add the garlic, celery, onion and bell pepper and stir

8

Cook for 5 minutes, then add the seafood stock and bring to a simmer

9

Add the parsley, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves and some cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper

10

Stir and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes

11

Add the crawfish tails and simmer for another 10 minutes

12

Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary

13

Remove the bay leaves before serving

14

For the rice: Over medium-high heat, bring 2 cups of water to a boil with the salt

15

Add the rice and return to a boil with a lid

16

Reduce to a simmer, keep covered and simmer until the rice is fully cooked, about 20 minutes

17

Reserve for serving

18

For the cornbread: Put a 10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F

19

In a mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda

20

In another mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, creamed corn and eggs and whisk until the eggs are broken apart

21

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until everything is incorporated

22

Carefully remove the cast-iron skillet from the oven

23

Coat the inside with the canola oil, then pour the cornbread batter into the skillet

24

Place the skillet back in the oven and bake until the top is golden brown and the inside is cooked all the way through, about 20 minutes

25

Flip the cornbread upside-down onto a cutting board

26

Reserve for serving

27

For the fried catfish: In a shallow pan or baking dish, combine the cornmeal, cayenne, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper and stir to evenly spread the spices throughout the cornmeal

28

Hit each side of each catfish fillet with a few drops of a Louisiana-style hot sauce and spread it around

29

Dredge the fillets in the cornmeal mixture, generously coating both sides with it

30

In a deep fryer with oil set to 375 degrees F (or a cast iron skillet with oil heated to 375 degrees F), fry the catfish in batches until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes

31

Drain on a pan lined with paper towels

32

For the grilled asparagus: Prepare a grill or grill pan for medium heat

33

Cut the white woody ends off of the asparagus and discard

34

Put the asparagus in a shallow dish, drizzle with olive oil and toss with some salt and pepper

35

Grill for 3 to 5 minutes, then flip the asparagus to grill the other side for another 3 to 5 minutes

36

Transfer to a serving plate and toss with the lemon juice