Crawfish and Shrimp Etouffee with Bronzed Catfish

Happy New Year, everyone!  Sorry for the long absence, but I've been preoccupied with family issues.  But, I'm back!
So, winter is officially here in south Louisiana,and with that, all of our wonderful, more heartier fare is on everyone's dinner table.  My husband is a picky eater, but he's always happy to eat most Cajun or Creole dishes, so I take advantage of this time of the year, making gumbos and etouffees.  Just like any Louisiana dish, every cook has their own version of etouffee. Some recipes start with a roux, and others, like my version, do not.  You can use crawfish, shrimp, a combination of both, or even chicken.  In today's post, I used both crawfish and shrimp.  
Because I was in the mood for catfish, I decided to go all out and serve the étouffée over my bronzed catfish.  The husband, however, ate his over rice.  While he likes catfish, he only eats it fried.  This is a perfect dish for a cold, wintery night - enjoy!

Crawfish and Shrimp Etouffee

1 stick unsalted butter

1 large onion, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons no-salt added Cajun or Creole seasoning

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

2 pounds peeled seafood (shrimp, crawfish or combination of both)

2 ½ cups shrimp stock or water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Salt and cayenne to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon green onions, plus more for garnish

Hot cooked rice

Melt the butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat.

Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, and seasoning.

Cook for about 15 minutes, or until soft.

Add 2 cups of the stock or water, bring to a boil.

Cook uncovered and over high heat, until liquid is reduced by half.

Add crawfish tails and return to a boil, cooking for 10 minutes.

Add shrimp and return to boil.

Stir cornstarch into remaining ½ cup of water and add to étouffée, cooking for another 10 minutes, or until thickened and shrimp is cooked.

Add salt and cayenne to taste, stir in 2 tablespoons parsley and 1 tablespoon green onions, and serve over rice and/or bronzed catfish.

Garnish with additional parsley and green onions, if desired.

Bronzed Catfish

4 catfish fillets

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Bronzed Seasoning

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon dried mustard

1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt, to taste

Combine all seasoning and mix well.

Evenly sprinkle seasoning mix over catfish fillets; allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Over medium-high heat, melt butter and extra virgin oil together in a large frying pan.

Place catfish, seasoned side down into pan.

Cook for about 3 minutes, flip and cook until fish flakes easily.

Season to taste with salt and serve.

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