Southern Style Crappie and Grits with Cajun Butter
Crappie fillets get dusted in cornmeal, fried, and served on creamy white grits in this Southern inspired dish. The whole thing gets drizzled with a delicious Cajun garlic butter sauce which somehow elevates it even more.
Make this dish for a special and interesting breakfast at the cottage, or as a nice warming dinner coming in from ice fishing.
You can skip roasting and simmering the bones if you use store bought fish stock, or plain water for the grits, but I always like to try to use up the whole animal, and also to coax every last bit of flavour out of them!
- Prep Time30 min
- Cook Time1 hr 30 min
- Total Time2 hr
- Yield4 Servings
Ingredients
- 2-8 crappie (or other panfish like perch, bluegill, sunfish), depending on the size
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup (120g) flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup (140g) yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon (1g) black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (2g) smoked paprika
- 1 cup (250g) white stoneground grits
- 2+4 tablespoons (28g+56g) butter
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) cream
- 1 tablespoon (4g) fresh parsley, minced
- 1 tablespoon (8g) garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon (10g) Cajun seasoning
- Vegetable oil or lard for frying
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C, gas mark 6).
Fillet the fish, removing the skin. Remove the gills and guts from the carcasses and dispose of them, keeping the actual carcasses.
Put the carcasses in an oven proof skillet and put them in the oven for 20 minutes, or until browned.
Meanwhile season the fish fillets with a little pinch of salt, then set out three plates on your work station.
Put the flour on one, the beaten eggs on the next, and the cornmeal, pepper, and paprika on the last.
Set up a rack over paper towels to drain the fried fish.
Once the fish bones are browned, transfer them to a pot and cover them with 4 cups (1litre) of water.
Bring to a very low simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes.
Strain the resulting fish stock through a fine mesh strainer in order to catch all of the little bones. Discard the bones and solids.
Add a pinch of salt to the stock.
Add 3 cups (750ml) of the fish stock (or water) to a medium pot and bring to a low boil.
Slowly pour in the grits, whisking the whole time. Reduce the heat to low and keep cooking, stirring very often (especially towards the end) until creamy, about 20 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons (28g) of the butter and the cream and stir them in off the heat. Check for seasoning, and add salt if necessary.
Melt the other 4 tablespoons (56g) of butter in a pot or the microwave.
Mix in the parsley, garlic, and Cajun spice. Set aside.
Heat several inches of frying oil in a deep skillet or pot to 375°F (190°C).
Dip fish fillets, one at a time, in first the flour, then in the egg, then in the cornmeal, being sure that they get completely coated each time.
Carefully add the fillets to the oil (if frying more than 4, do them in batches) and cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until flaky on the inside and golden on the outside.
Set on racks over paper towel to drain.
Spoon the grits onto plates or bowls and perch the fried fillets on top. Drizzle the grits and fish with the Cajun butter. Enjoy!
