What's for Dinner?

Kenny Heatley, executive chef at Harlem New York's famed Londel's restaurant, shares his wonderful recipe for Blackened Catfish. It's great with saffron rice and lightly wilted fresh spinach sauté and a cucumber, red onion slaw.

BLACKENED MAGIC
Ingredients:
4-7 oz. catfish portions cut in half
1 tablespoon oregano (dried)
1 tablespoon basil (dried)
1 tablespoon thyme (dried)
1 tablespoon gumbo file
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all spice ingredients, dredge fish, sear in hot oil. Finish in the oven for six minutes.

SAFFRON RICE MEDLEY
2 cups rice - Uncle Ben's Rice
½ cup diced onions
¼ stick celery stalk
¼ stick butter or 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pint chicken broth
1 teaspoon Spanish saffron
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of fresh thyme
½ teaspoon black pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 red bell pepper, deseeded an diced
1 green pepper, deseeded an diced
½ jalapeno pepper, deseeded an diced
2 pieces of scallion, finely sliced

Sauté the onions and celery together in butter until they are translucent. Add rice to onions and celery, mix well on low heat. Add chicken broth, saffron, bay leaf, thyme and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until all liquid is absorbed. Reduce heat further and cover. Using another sauté pan, heat clarified butter or olive oil. Flash sauté red and green peppers with jalapeno and scallions and fold into the saffron rice and serve hot.

FRESH SPINACH
2 pieces thinly shaved garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz. well washed spinach

Heat a large sauté pan. Add oil, and heat to smoke point. Quickly add shaved garlic, stir to coat the garlic and sauté for a moment. Add spinach tossed evenly, salt and pepper to taste. Remove to serve immediately.

CUCUMBER AND RED ONION SLAW
1 cucumber (peeled, deseeded and sliced)
1 medium red onion (thinly sliced)
1 large tomato (deseeded and diced)
1 teaspoon chopped coriander
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lime (extract juice) - hold juice on side
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine cucumber, onion, tomato, coriander, olive oil, and lime juice. Can be served chilled or room temperature.

Copyright © 2009, Londel's Restaurant