Description
A restaurant-quality Southern dinner featuring crispy fried catfish, flavorful dirty rice, and a rich crawfish cream sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 catfish fillets
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup long-grain rice
- ½ lb ground beef (or chicken sausage)
- ½ cup chicken livers, finely chopped (optional)
- ½ cup diced onion
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 green onions, sliced
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- ¼ cup finely diced green bell pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ lb crawfish tails (or chopped shrimp)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Start with the Dirty Rice. Brown the ground beef (and chicken livers, if using) in a large skillet. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and sauté until soft. Stir in the garlic, then the rice. Pour in the broth, Cajun seasoning, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer for 18–20 minutes until the rice is tender. Fluff with a fork and stir in the green onions.
- Now, fry the Catfish. Soak the fillets in buttermilk for about 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, and seasonings. Press each fillet into the cornmeal mix, coating both sides. Heat your oil to 350°F (175°C) and fry the catfish for 3–4 minutes per side until golden and crispy.
- While the fish fries, make the Crawfish Cream Sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan and sauté the onion and bell pepper until soft. Add the garlic, then stir in the crawfish tails, tomatoes, and Cajun seasoning. Cook for 2-3 minutes before pouring in the heavy cream. Let it simmer until the sauce thickens, then season with salt and pepper and stir in the fresh parsley.
- Time to assemble! Scoop a generous portion of dirty rice onto each plate. Top it with a crispy catfish fillet, and then spoon that incredible crawfish cream sauce all over the top. Serve hot and enjoy.
Notes
- Chicken livers are optional for the dirty rice.
- Shrimp can be used as a substitute for crawfish tails.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying and Simmering
- Cuisine: Southern