Cajun Catfish Chowder?

[Trixxee]

Did anyone ever get to making this soup? It's in the Soups, Stews & Chilies book. I couldn't find any reviews or mentions about it. The picture looks good. Might have to get this on the menu (though for next week since I'm already making one soup tonight).

[labradors]

Don't know what's in it, but it sounds great, just by the name. Would you please post the recipe? I may try it using basa, as long as it only calls for catfish and not shrimp, clams, etc. or okra.

[Trixxee]

Here you go Labs. This is the C@H recipe but I found it on someone else's blog so I didn't have to retype it. You might see a few random comments of hers in there. I would also be subbing tilapia as I always have some in the freezer and I have used it before in a thai curry chowder type of dish and it worked beautifully.

Cajun Catfish Chowder
Ingredients:
4 strips of bacon
2 cups onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
3 Tb all-purpose flour
1 Tb garlic, minced
1/2 tsp each of cayenne pepper, paprika, dried thyme, oregano, and basil
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 (8oz) bottles of Clam juice
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups red potatoes, diced fairly small
1 Tb Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Tabasco
4 catfish fillets (1/2 lb each)
2 Tb cajun seasoning
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
lemon juice, optional to sprinkle over when finished

Directions:
-Preheat oven 475 degrees.

- Saute bacon in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat until crispy; drain on paper towels and set aside. Pour off all but 2 Tb drippings (or add a little olive oil if you used turkey bacon and don't have enough drippings... which defeats the purpose of using turkey bacon, I guess!)

Saute onions and celery in pan drippings until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, garlic, and other seasonings (except the cajun seasoning); cook about 1 minute.

-add the sherry, stirring quite often, until the sherry has mostly evaporated. Add clam juice, broth, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes.

-Sprinkle fish with the cajun seasoning and bake on a baking sheet sprayed with Pam cooking spray. Roast about 15 minutes.

-Add heavy cream to soup and stir to warm completely. Combine scallions, parsley, and reserved bacon (crumple)into a small bowl.

Ladle soup into bowls, top with a fish fillet, garnish with bacon mixture.

[cjs]

Well, I know I'm making this! Thanks for posting.

Going thru Meatball as we speak......

[Gourmet_Mom]

This sounds really good! Let us know how it turns out!