Seafood Creole, New Orleans Style

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/9/21
Creole fish stew, close up
Philip Wilkins / Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

New Orleans is like no other city in the world, and its identity is defined by its music—jazz, blues, and zydeco—along with its food: that addictive, spice-laden cuisine known as Cajun and Creole. If you've walked the French Quarter, these sounds and flavors are what you no doubt remember.

But even if you live hundreds of miles away from New Orleans or have never been there, you can bring the iconic taste of this city home with this recipe for seafood Creole, where catfish and shrimp are quickly simmered in a spicy sauce of onion, garlic, celery, tomatoes, and seasonings, and then the whole deliciousness is served over rice.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons oil, or bacon drippings

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 4 green onions, with tops, finely chopped

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped

  • 2 (16-ounce) cans tomatoes

  • 1 bay leaf, crumbled

  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

  • 1 teaspoon thyme, or to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Tabasco sauce, to taste

  • 1/2 to 3/4 pound catfish fillets, cut crosswise into 1-inch strips

  • 1/2 pound shrimp, shelled and cleaned

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot.

  2. Add the flour to the hot oil and stir over medium heat until deep golden brown. Be careful not to burn the flour.

  3. Add the green onions, garlic, and celery and cook until the green onions and celery are tender, stirring occasionally.

  4. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, thyme, pepper, and Tabasco sauce.

  5. Simmer the mixture uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it's thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes.

  6. Add the fish and shrimp; cover and simmer about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the shrimp and fish are flaky and done but not overcooked.

  7. Serve over hot cooked white rice.

Tips

  • For an authentic New Orleans meal, serve seafood Creole with russet or sweet potato wedges and chili mayonnaise, Creole-seasoned green beans or broccoli, black-eyed peas and/or cornbread.
  • If you're serving this dish for a party or Mardi Gras, make it alongside a buffet of specialties like shrimp étouffée, jambalaya, red beans and rice with andouille sausage, chicken-andouille gumbo; for dessert, beignets and strong coffee or espresso and for drinks, a classic Sazerac or a Hurricane.

Recipe Variations

  • If you would like to eliminate the catfish, you can make a shrimp Creole. And for a busy weeknight, you can pull a make-ahead shrimp Creole from the freezer for a quick and delicious meal.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
229 Calories
12g Fat
9g Carbs
21g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 229
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 16%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 117mg 39%
Sodium 986mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 23mg 113%
Calcium 105mg 8%
Iron 2mg 8%
Potassium 632mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)