Sundays are special

Editor’s note: This recipe is courtesy of Tommy and Geneva Breaux.

Geneva’s recipe is one that we originally got from her in 1988. It became a staple dish at our family camp. She said mushrooms, crabmeat or shrimp can be added to the sauce, but if shrimp are used she said to be sure to make the sauce thicker because shrimp add water as they cook.

Sunday Special

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. catfish
• 1 stick butter
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 20 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 bay leaf
• Sprig of thyme
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. salt
• Red and black pepper to taste
• Olive oil
• Creole seasoning
• Cooked rice

Preparation:

Rinse fish and set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add bell pepper, onion and celery. Sauté until tender. Add garlic and parsley and sauté an additional minute. Pour in the tomatoes and cook five minutes. Add chili powder, basil, bay leaf, paprika, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Rub fish with olive oil and season with Creole seasoning to taste. Place the fillets in a greased baking pan. If the fish is thick, cut three slits across the fish so the sauce will cook into the fish. Spoon half of the sauce over the fish. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, and then spoon the remainder of the sauce over the fish. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Serve over cooked rice. Serves 4-6.