Wednesday's Chow - Opelousas Catfish Gravy

Well, this is the last Wednesday in Lent, but that means this Friday is Good Friday, a traditional day of fasting....which I probably won't do.  But I will not eat meat. 

So, keeping with my meatless dishes for Lent, here's one from Cooking in Cajun Country by Karl Breaux with Cheré Dastugue Coen, a cookbook I picked up while on my Cajun Country Field Trip earlier this month.


Opelousas Catfish Gravy
Cooking in Cajun Country by Karl Breaux with Cheré Dastugue Coen

Ingredients:

¼ cup cooking oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 mild banana peppers, seeded and chopped
1 (10-oz) can chopped tomatoes with chilies
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup fish stock (or chicken stock)
1 cup water
3 tsp Cajun/Creole seasoning
3 pounds catfish fillets
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
4 cups cooked rice

Directions:

Add oil to medium-size Dutch oven. Add onions, bell peppers, celery, and banana peppers, and sauté until tender. Add tomato sauce, stock, water, and Cajun seasoning. Cook for 1 ½ hour over medium heat. Sauce will reduce by half. Add catfish fillets and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and add green onions and parsley. Serve over ½ cup cooked rice per serving.

Serves 8.

Cajun Country Field Trip, part 1
Cajun Country Field Trip, part 2
Cajun Country Field Trip, part 3