Sesame Crusted Catfish with Geechee Peanut Sauce and Sauteed Okra

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole sesame seeds
• 2 cups cornmeal
• Salt and pepper
• 4 catfish fillets, skinless
• Peanut oil, for sauteeing
• 1 cup sliced okra
• Geechee Peanut Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Grind 1/2 cup sesame seeds in spice grinder into a rough powder. Leave the other 1/2 cup whole. Combine the sesame powder, sesame seeds, cornmeal, and salt and pepper and place in a shallow bowl.

Dredge catfish fillets in sesame-cornmeal mix and saute in hot peanut oil until golden brown. Remove catfish, keep warm. Empty skillet of oil and crusty cornmeal. Add new oil to hot pan and saute the fresh sliced okra until it becomes slightly brown, about 8 minutes.

Place the geechee sauce on the plate and put catfish fillets on top of that. Add another ladle of geechee sauce and put Sauteed okra on top.

Geechee Peanut Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon bacon fat
• 1/4 cup small-diced green pepper
• 1/4 cup small-diced red pepper
• 1/2 cup small-diced celery
• 1 cup small-diced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons red wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon brown roux, recipe follows
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups tomato puree

Sweat the peppers, celery, and onion in bacon fat until the onions are translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add red wine and reduce by 1/3. Add tomato and stock. Whisk in roux and peanut butter. Check seasoning. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings

Brown Roux:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour

Melt the butter in a saute pan. When the butter is melted, add the flour and stir to combine. Cook slowly over low heat, stirring constantly, until the roux gets dark brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Don't rush it or the roux could burn and become bitter tasting.