Shane’s fast and easy lady of the night
Now, everyone has a favorite recipe that they just know is the best. Well, why not let everybody try it?
Shane’s fast and easy lady of the night… well, blackened catfish and pasta.
Fresh filleted, boneless catfish or even better, Louisiana bass, amount dependent on how hungry the crowd is. I use one medium filet each for Mamma and me.
Ingredients:
Fish
Butter
Zatarain’s Blackened seasoning
Pasta Roni, tomato parmesan angel hair pasta
Good, cheap white zinfadel wine
If she is really fine, get some Pepperige Farm Garlic Bread
Preheat the oven for the garlic bread.
Wash the fish. No soap.
Dry the fish. Set aside.
Start a black iron skillet heating on the stove. If you dont have a black iron skillet, at least use as heavy as possible nonstick skillet. Find a spatula and get it ready.
Melt REAL butter or if you insist on Margarine, microwave it and pour off the water. Pour the melted butter over the fish. Let it set for a few while you get the Pasta Roni Tomato Parmesan going on the stove. (Use the directions on the box)
Wash your hands. Use soap this time.
Take the buttered fish fillets, and season on the up side liberally with the Zatarain’s. Once your skillet is just starting to smoke a little, turn on your fan over your stove, ’cause we are about to set off the smoke alarm.
Put the fish in, seasoned side down. Sprinkle the Zatarian’s on the unseasoned side. Cook the fish about three minutes per side. Keep the heat up to sear the fish. Test with a fork until it is flaking and done through and through. Set cooked fish aside.
Your pasta should be close to done. Put the garlic bread in.
Take the garlic bread out.
Serve the fish with the pasta and the bread, and pour your guest some of the cheap white zin wine.
You are now a famous cajun chef in 15 minutes or less. If you really want to sell this, dont let ‘em see the Zat Seasoning or the Pasta Roni boxes. Or, for that matter, the cheap wine bottle.
In a jam, or while camping, you can use a George Foreman grill to do the fish. Let it preheat well before you put the fish on. It won’t blacken the seasonings as well as a iron skillet, but it still comes out pretty good. I love to go to some campground full of Yankees, say in Florida, and smell up the place with this recipe. Like moths to a flame.
Seriously, well a little more seriously, this is a hyper simple recipe that my wife and kids love, and is also recommended for cooking outside if you have the setup because of the smoke it generates. The spice of the Blackened seasoning is perfectly offset by the parmesan cheese of the pasta. The garlic bread puts it about perfect. I wish I knew how to cook this simply and well when I was 19 and dating. Oh, the ladies I could have impressed.
Shane Evans
EBRSO
