Culinary Corner: Catfish with Shrimp and Crab Stuffing Served with Potatoes Gratin and Hollandaise Recipe

 

 

Welcome to the south – where seafood is served with decadent sauce and sides. This recipe is shared from our Culinary Director, Mark Simotas, at Landon Ridge Kingwood in Kingwood, Texas.

Catfish with Shrimp and Crab Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 8 precooked bacon strips
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
• 1-pound lump crabmeat
• 1/2 cup panko crumbs
• 12 Ritz crackers, crushed
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 large egg
• salt and pepper
• 4 medium catfish fillets
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter

 

Instructions:

1. Melt butter in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, red bell pepper and green bell pepper. Cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Let cool.
2. Pick through crab meat and remove any shell, chop up your shrimp. Place crab and shrimp in a medium bowl along with panko crumbs, Ritz crackers, Old Bay seasoning, lemon zest, cayenne pepper, mayonnaise and egg. Stir gently to mix.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Pat dry catfish.
5. On a parchment paper lined pan, cut a pocket in the middle of the catfish fillets.
6. Shape about one heaping tablespoon of crab and shrimp mixture into a ball and place in pocket of each filet, pressing the stuffing into the top to secure. Repeat.
7. Drizzle melted butter over fish.
8. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

 

Potatoes Gratin

Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes
• 1/4 lb. gruyere cheese grated
• 1/4 lb. parmigiana Reggiano cheese grated
• 3 cloves garlic pressed or minced
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tsp salt
• black pepper

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream and milk.
3. Using a mandolin, slice the potatoes very thinly (if you don’t have a mandolin, you can use a knife, but it will be a lot more work and time). As you finish slicing each potato, place it into the cream milk mixture so the slices don’t brown.
4. When the potatoes are all sliced, add the gruyere and parmigiano cheeses to the bowl, along with the garlic, the leaves from the thyme sprigs, salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Toss well.
5. Pour the potatoes and cream into an 8×11 baking dish, then cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
6. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan, then bake for 1 hour.
7. Remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender, bubbling and golden brown on top

 

Hollandaise

Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
• Pinch cayenne
• Pinch salt

 

Instructions:

1. Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless-steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume.
2. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble.
3. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume.
4. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt.
5. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use to top the catfish. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

 

Enjoy!