Name: Voodoo Catfish with Crawfish Mac and Cheese
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H40M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT0H55M0.000S
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon granulated garlic; 1 tablespoon paprika; 1 tablespoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper; 1 tablespoon onion powder; 1 tablespoon salt; 1 teaspoon oregano; 1 teaspoon white pepper; 1 teaspoon thyme; Vegetable oil, for frying; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 eggs; 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream; 1 cup corn flour; Four 8-ounce catfish fillets; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 small Vidalia onion, julienne; 1 small green bell pepper, julienne; 1 small red bell pepper, julienne; 1 cup crawfish tail meat; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 tablespoon chicken base; 2 cups shredded Cheddar; 4 cups cooked rotini pasta

Directions

Special equipment:

a deep-fry thermometer

For the catfish: Combine the granulated garlic, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, salt, oregano, white pepper and thyme in a bowl or put it in a plastic container with a lid and shake to mix.
Heat 2 inches oil to 325 degrees F in a deep cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven (at least 10 inches wide).
In the first of three 10-inch bowls (or any vessel large enough to hold one catfish fillet), combine 1 cup all-purpose flour and half the seasoning mix. In the second bowl, combine the eggs and milk. In the third bowl, combine the corn flour, remaining cup all-purpose flour and the rest of the seasoning mix.
Coat the catfish fillets in the flour from the first bowl, shaking off any excess, then coat with the egg wash, letting any excess drip off, then generously coat with the flour mixture from the third bowl. Gently place a fillet into the preheated oil and fry for 3 minutes per side. (You can keep the cooked fillets warm in a 200-degree F oven on a baking sheet with a wire rack while you finish the other fillets and the crawfish mac and cheese.)
For the crawfish mac and cheese: Melt the butter in a large skillet on medium heat and coat the entire surface with the butter. Cook the onion and green and red peppers on medium heat, stirring every 2 minutes, until they are very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the crawfish tail meat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 more minutes, then set the mixture aside in a separate bowl. Turn the pan to medium-low heat, then add the heavy cream and chicken base; stir together and wait for it to start gently bubbling, about 2 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted, about 2 minutes. Return the crawfish and pepper mixture to the pan along with the pasta and stir until evenly mixed.

Cook’s Note

You can buy premixed Cajun seasoning if you don’t want to make your own, but for this recipe you will have to add paprika to get the right flavor. Also, if you are interested in a little spicier heat, you can add red pepper flakes. Another way to add some spice is to trade out the green bell pepper for a poblano pepper. Also, we realize that you might not be able to find crawfish tail meat in your area. If this is the case, we recommend using half a cup of lobster stock instead of chicken base and cooked diced lobster or cooked diced large shrimp instead of crawfish. Lastly, we are aware that we have mis-named our rotini and cheese “mac and cheese” but the sauce really sticks better to those spirals. And “rotini and cheese” just sounds silly.