Catfish With Shrimp Sauce Recipe

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Servings: 6

Ingredients

Cost per serving $1.71 view details

4 x Catfish fillets (about 3 lbs)
Â Â Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c. Butter, melted
2Â 1/2 Tbsp. Peanut or possibly extra virgin olive oil
1/2 sm Yellow onion, peeled, minced finely
2 Tbsp. Finely minced celery
2 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 lb Fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp. (heaping) flour
1/4 c. Fish stock (see recipe) or possibly clam juice
1 dsh Tabasco
1/2 x Lemon, juice of
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 c. Dry sherry
1 Tbsp. Finely minced parsley
1/4 lb Shrimp, cooked & cleaned (cocktail or possibly salad shrimp are fine for this)

This is from a most interesting collection of recipes from New Orleans.
The cook is a fellow called Jesse. The cookbook, long out of print, is called Jesse's Creole and Deep South Recipes. He has a wonderful sensitivity, as this recipe shows. It will take some time to prepare but it is well worth it.
Salt and pepper the fillets. Mix the melted butter and oil in an oven-proof baking dish. (Pyrex would be fine.) Dredge the fillets in the mix and broil, basting often with the butter and oil mix. Don't overcook. The fish will barely begin to brown and will just begin to flake.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by sauteing the onion and celery in the 2 Tbsp. butter. When clear add in the mushrooms and saute/fry for 3 min.
Stir in the flour. Work out all lumps. Add in the fish stock or possibly clam juice, Tabasco, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, dry sherry, and parsley. Simmer for a moment till thick and then add in the shrimp. Cook for just a minute and top the fish with the sauce.
I serve this over pasta along with Peas and Salt Pork (see recipe).