Chef John Currence won the 2008 Great American Seafood Cookoff with this recipe.
Mississippi Redfish
1 Lb. Redfish, cut into two inch cubes
Courtboullion
½ cup raw bacon, chopped
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
¾ cup red bell pepper, diced
½ cup green bell pepper, diced
3 cups okra, chopped
6 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 lemon, zest and juiced
¾ cup white wine
1 cup fish stock
1 cup Shock Top beer
½ pound crabmeat
½ pound fresh shrimp, chopped
1 cup peanuts
3 cups + 3 tablespoons flour
1 ½ tablespoons Creole seasoning
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and black pepper, to taste
Seafood Dirty Rice (recipe below)
To make the courtboullion: render the bacon. Add butter and 3 tablespoons flour and make a light brown roux. Stir in and saute the onions and garlic until tender. Add and saute the bell peppers. Stir in the okra and season with salt and black pepper. Add tomatoes and Creole seasoning and bring to a simmer. Stir in wine, lemon, and fish stock, and then bring to a boil.
Chop peanuts in food processor and blend with flour. Dust shrimp with peanut flour. In a separate saute pan, saute redfish and shrimp in butter, in batches until lightly browned. Add seafood to the courtboullion and cover. Add the crab after the seafood has been sauteed and added to the courtboullion. Simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Creole seasoning to taste. Serve over Seafood Dirty Rice.
Seafood Dirty Rice
½ cup bacon, chopped
½ cup chicken livers
½ cup shrimp, chopped
3 ½ cups fish stock
1 cup Shock Top beer
¼ cup onions, minced
1 tablespoon garlic
3 cups rice
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup parsley, chopped
salt and black pepper, to taste
Cook off bacon. Add chicken livers and cook through. Remove, chop, and return to pan. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Add onions and garlic and saute. Stir in rice, butter, and fish stock. Then pour the beer into the fish stock. Bring to a simmer. Cover and finish in 400º oven for 20 minutes. Season with parsley, salt, and pepper.