Blackened Catfish and Jambalaya Stuffed Peppers

Ease of preparation rating: Medium.

Yield:  6 servings.

Blackened Catfish

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon (15ml) onion powder.

1 tablespoon (15ml) garlic powder

1 tablespoon (15ml) dried oregano

1 tablespoon (15ml) dried basil

½ tablespoon (8ml) fried thyme

1 tablespoon (15ml) black pepper

2 teaspoons (10ml) cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons (45ml) paprika

1 tablespoon (15ml) salt

3 catfish fillets (5 ounces each or 150 grams each)

½ cup (120ml) melted butter

Method:

Mix all ingredients except the fish and butter together in a bowl. This is called a Creole rub.

Coat both sides of fish with melted butter.

Season each piece of fish with 2 teaspoons (10ml) of Creole rub.

Heat large cast iron pan over high heat, and cook fish for 2-3 minutes on each side.

As it is cooking, drizzle 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the fish.

Once cooked, the fish should flake easily.

Blackened Catfish and Jambalaya Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

6 whole green or red bell peppers

3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil

1 white onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon (15ml) Creole rub

2 chorizo sausages (can be replaced with other pork sausages)

1 cup (240ml) chicken or vegetable broth

3 cups (720ml) pre-cooked long grain rice

8 ounces (or 240 grams) tomato sauce

3 blackened catfish fillets, flaked

Method:

Preheat oven to 325^oF (165^oC).

Pre-cook long-grain rice according to package instructions, and cool.

Remove top part of peppers, and blanch in a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes.

Remove peppers from water and place in ice water to cool.

Drain peppers and place upside down on a paper towel to dry.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onion and diced red pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add garlic and Creole rub and cook for 1 minute.

Add sausages, which you have removed from the casing and broken into small pieces. Cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in the pre-cooked rice and cook for 1 minute.

Add broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil.

Reduce until all the liquid is gone and you are left with a lightly saucy rice mixture.

Add the flaked blackened catfish and mix.

Stuff the blanched peppers with the catfish jambalaya, and place on baking tray with parchment paper.

Cook stuffed peppers in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.

The outside of the pepper should have started to darken, and the center should be hot.

Serve immediately.