Cajun Catfish N’ Biscuits

This week I have been a bad cook- we’ve eaten a lot of pasta & jarred sauce and other less than exciting meals. Some times I just don’t want to cook, ya’ know?

I had however started off the week well though with a little number inspired by the Cajun bayou. I was very, very stuffed up though, so although I thought it was going to be spicy, hubby reported that although the flavor was good, it could have been “kicked up another notch.” I cook by smell most of the time, so a stuffy nose does not make a good companion in the kitchen.

Funny story around this… so I’m making the sauce that is supposed to have a nice heat to it. I’m smelling it and just getting steam in my face. Hmph. So, in an effort to make sure dinner tastes good, I taste it. Unfortunately, I tasted it with the whisk I was working with that was super hot from being in the sauce! Subsequently, I ended up with two thin white burn marks on the front of my tongue where the whisk sizzled on it. What a dummy!

Good thing dinner was really tasty!


Cajun Catfish
Inspired by AllRecipes.com

• 3 Medium Catfish Fillets (About 1.25 Lb.)
  
• 1 Egg
  
• 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
  
• 1/4 C. Flour
  
• 1/4 C. Cornmeal
  
• Spices: Black Pepper, Dried Thyme, Chili Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Salt)
  Vegetable Oil

1. Mix together the egg and lemon juice in one bowl, and the flour, corn meal, and spices in another.
   
2. Heat a large skillet over medium to high heat, coating the bottom with oil.
   
3. Rinse and pat dry the catfish fillets. Dip the fillets into the egg mixture and then the cornmeal mixture.
   
4. Place each fillet in the hot pan. Cook each side until it is a deep brown and the fish is cooked through.
   
5. Remove fillets when cooked and place on a paper towel to drain. Serve with the accompanying cream sauce.

Sauce (Note- next time I’d try to make it thinner. Either less flour or more liquids!)

• 1 Green Pepper, chopped
  
• 1 Shallot, minced
  
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  
• 1 C. Sliced Mushrooms
  
• 3. Tbsp. Butter
  
• 2 Tbsp. Flour
  
• 1 C. Cream
  
• 1/2 C. White Wine
  
• Spices to taste- go heavy! Dried Basil, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Salt, Dried Parsley, Red Pepper Flakes, Dried Thyme, 1 Bay Leaf (crumbled), Garlic Powder, Chili Powder OR Cajun Spice Mix

1. In a medium saucepan, drizzle in a bit of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Saute peppers, shallot, garlic and mushrooms. Remove from pan and set aside.
   
2. Melt butter in pan. Add in flour and whisk until smooth. Continue stirring often until roux turns a medium brown.
   
3. Stir in cream and bring to a low boil. This will thicken the sauce. Continue to stir to prevent burning, and reduce heat to medium-low.
   
4. Stir in white wine until smooth. Add in spices to taste, keeping it a little spicy. Stir in the reserved sauteed vegetables.
   
5. Serve over fish and use for dipping biscuits.

Home Style Biscuits
From AllRecipes.com

• 2 C. Flour
  
• 4 Tbsp. Baking Powder
  
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
  
• 1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
  
• 1 tsp. Sugar
  
• 1/2 C. Cold Butter, cut into small pieces
  
• 3/4 C. Milk

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
   
2. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
   
3. Using a pastry knife, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it is crumbly.
   
4. Arrange the mixture with a well in the middle. Pour milk into the center and mix together until it is all wet.
   
5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface so it is about 1” thick. Use a biscuit cutter to cut the individual biscuits. Reroll out dough once or twice more to use excess for additional biscuits.
   
6. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in heated oven for 10 minutes or until golden.