North of Bourbon chef Lawrence Weeks didn’t grow up with smothered catfish. Instead, he found it later in Louisiana. He loves the coming together of a creamy, crawfish-laced tomato sauce layered with the meaty catfish. At the restaurant, the menu slants towards creole-Cajun dishes, like crawfish boudin balls and delta wet salad, so this Bayou classic feels right at home.
recipe 
yields
Serves 4
2 tablespoons neutral oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
½ cup diced celery
½ cup diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ cup Cajun spice
½ cup tomato paste
1 quart seafood stock
½ cup dark roux
1 cup cherry tomatoes
4 ounces crawfish tail meat
2 tablespoons salt
3 dashes of Tabasco
4 (6-ounce) fresh catfish fillets
4 tablespoons Cajun spice
3 tablespoons neutral oil
3-4 cups cooked Carolina Gold rice for serving
For the crawfish sauce:
For the catfish:
steps
- Make the crawfish sauce: In a saucepot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, celery, pepper, and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add Cajun spice and stir for 1 minute until vegetables are completely coated. Add tomato paste and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until paste is slightly toasted. Add seafood stock and heat until simmering. Whisk in dark roux and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and crawfish tails and season with salt and Tabasco.
- Make the catfish: Season each piece of fish with 1 tablespoon Cajun spice. In a large sauté pan set over high heat, add oil and heat until shimmering. Add catfish and reduce heat to medium-high; sauté until a crust forms on the fish, about 2 minutes per side. Add crawfish sauce to pan and simmer over low heat for 2 minutes until catfish is tender and almost falls apart. Serve catfish and sauce over cooked rice.
shop ingredients
Rice
Charleston Gold Aromatic Rice 3-Pack
The Charleston Gold Aromatic Rice 3-Pack is for the frequent user of Charleston Gold and the avid gift-giver. Don’t take the risk of running out of a rice that is formulated to soak up flavor and add a taste that is all its own. Lavington Farms Charleston Gold Aromatic Rice is the aromatic descendant of the much-heralded Carolina Gold strand that has flourished in the Lowcountry's kitchens for years. The rice is known by its rich golden hull and distinct, unmatched nutty flavor. The grain is cultivated and harvested right here in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Produced by Lavington Farms, the Charleston Gold Aromatic Rice is representative of the perfect marriage of a quintessential southern staple and a delectable basmati rice with deep international roots. This gold aromatic rice was developed and modified in its namesake’s state of South Carolina in the late 20th-century by Drs. Buford Shepard of Clemson University and Gurdev Kush of the International Rice Research Institute. The two sought to create a short stature gold hulled rice that kept the traditional plush mouth feel of Carolina Gold and maintained the distinct fragrance of an East Indian cool weather rice. Dr. Anna McClung continued to refine the plant into what it is now: Charleston Gold. Today, the popular rice is used in home kitchens nationwide, in professional and restaurant kitchens throughout the Lowcountry, and frequently pops up on countless menus in Charleston’s booming food scene. Packaging: 17-ounce paper bag.
$32.00
Hot Sauce
Charred Habanero Hot Sauce
Southern Soul BBQ's Charred Habanero Hot Sauce has all the heat you could ever desire. Top off your favorites with a dash of this for a new kick on an old favorite.
$9.00
