Food Culture of the South
recipe 
yields
Serves 6 to 8
¼ cup butter
3-4 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 pounds firm catfish filets
Cajun seasoning
2 onions
chopped
2 celery stalks
chopped
1 quart clam broth
8 tomatoes
charred and chopped*
1 pound field peas
cooked (Collier uses pink eye and cream peas)
4-5 garlic cloves
crushed
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot pepper sauce to taste
1 pound fresh crabmeat (or 2 cans),1 pint shucked oysters
1 tablespoon gumbo filé powder
Cooked white rice for serving
*To char tomatoes, cut each in half and sprinkle cut side with salt. Broil in oven until charred. Let cool before roughly chopping.
Ingredients
steps
- In a saucepan over medium heat, make a roux by melting butter and adding flour; cook, stirring often, until it’s the color of chocolate.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season one side of catfish pieces with cajun seasoning. Place catfish seasoned-side down into oil. Cook until browned, then set aside on a platter or baking sheet.
- Lower heat to medium and add onion and celery to dutch oven, cooking until onions are translucent. Add roux, clam broth, charred tomatoes, field peas, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 hours.
- Ten minutes before serving, add catfish, crabmeat, oysters, and filé powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer (without bringing to a boil) until crabmeat and oysters are opaque and cooked through. Serve over rice.
Date Published: 02.23.21
share
- From Greg Collier, Leah & Louise, Charlotte, North Carolina
