Mississippi Redfish Courtboullion with Seafood Dirty Rice

I always have food cravings. Sometimes I crave for salty food or spicy food or sometimes food that I haven't tasted for a long while. So I asked my hubby, "have you ever had a food craving?" He said never. Weird.

But last week, I was surprised when he told me he's craving for a seafood. "Really, I thought you never crave for any food?" I said. "Apparently, I do" he responded. LOL.

So I searched online for a new seafood recipe with rice, of course. And I saw this:

Mississippi Redfish Courtboullion with Seafood Dirty Rice

Courtboullion
½ cup raw bacon, chopped
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3 cups + 3 tablespoons flour
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 ½ tablespoons Creole seasoning
¾ cup white wine
1 lemon, zest and juiced
1 cup fish stock1 cup peanuts
½ pound fresh Gulf shrimp, peeled and chopped
1 lb. Mississippi redfish, cut into two inch cubes
½ pound Gulf crabmeat2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Seafood Dirty Rice (recipe below)

To make the courtboullion: render the bacon. Add 3 tablespoons each of butter and flour, and make a light brown roux. Stir in and sauté the onions and garlic until tender. Add and sauté 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 sauté pan, sauté redfish and shrimp in remaining butter as needed, in batches until lightly browned. Add the shrimp and redfish to the courtboullion, then add the crabmeat and cover. 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
¼ cup onions, minced1 tablespoon garlic
3 cups rice
2 tablespoons butter
3 ½ cups fish stock
1 cup Shock Top beer
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 sauté. 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

As I looked over the ingredients, I wasn't disappointed. I know that I will find fresh seafood here, the key to a great taste. I am just worried about the "shock top beer". If I can't find it, I hope a regular beer will do.

I am excited to try this recipe. It looks delicious. But aside from that I also found out that it is the 2008 American seafood cook off winning recipe! It was created by Chef John Currence from Mississipi.

Later on I also found out that there is still an ongoing votation for the best seafood recipe. This time, it's the people's choice. I think I may have to try this recipe first before I vote. But then again, why wait? The presentation looks good and I am sure the taste will be too. Even the judges said so.

If you'd like to check out the other recipes, visit greatamericanseafoodcookoff.com. You can also vote and enter to win a trip to New Orleans. Isn't that great?:)