07/27/2025
Fried Catfish Over Dirty Rice with Cajun Crawfish Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
For the Fried Catfish:
• 4 catfish fillets
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup cornmeal
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• Vegetable oil (for frying)
For the Dirty Rice:
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• ½ lb ground sausage
• ½ cup chicken livers, finely chopped (optional, for classic flavor)
• ½ cup onion, diced
• ½ cup celery, diced
• ½ cup green bell pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• ½ tsp thyme
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Cajun Crawfish Cream Sauce:
• 2 tbsp butter
• ½ cup onion, finely diced
• ¼ cup green bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ lb crawfish tails (or chopped shrimp)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup diced tomatoes (drained if canned)
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions:
1. Make the Dirty Rice:
• In a large skillet, brown the sausage (and chicken livers, if using) over medium heat.
• Add onion, celery, and bell pepper; cook until veggies are softened.
• Stir in garlic, then add rice and cook for a couple of minutes, letting the rice get coated in all those flavors.
• Pour in the chicken broth, Cajun seasoning, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 18–20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
• Fluff with a fork and stir in green onions.
2. Fry the Catfish:
• Pour buttermilk over the catfish fillets and let them soak for 15 minutes.
• In a shallow bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, Cajun seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
• Pres