Bobby's Rolled Catfish

Oh, how I love Mississippi. Where else would your local AT&T repair man grow up where you did, go to your high school's rival, and swap excellent service and a great catfish recipe for the jalapeno peppers growing in the backyard?

Did I mention he fixed the DSL too?

For those of you not from around here, the best catfish in the world is grown in farms on the Mississippi Delta, practically in our backyard. I remember passing them as a little girl in the pickup on the way to go duck hunting with my dad. Mike and I still pass some on the way to ski on Wolf Lake, and I love how the idea of farming catfish in huge square ponds amuses him. It doesn't seem odd to me in the least, but I guess I can see where it would seem rather alien.


I've never tried this recipe, but damn, it sounds good.

Bobby's Stuffed Rolled Catfish

4 catfish fillets
Fresh rosemary
Fresh garlic
One yellow bell pepper
One fresh jalapeno (remember: seeds equal spicy)
Small carton fresh mushrooms
1 8-ounce package lump crabmeat
8 shrimp (optional)
3-4 Tablespoons lime juice
8 ounces cream cheese
8 strips thin bacon
White wine for baking

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Chop together the rosemary, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno, mushrooms, crabmeat, and shrimp.
3. Sprinkle with lime juice and set aside.
4. With the pretty, white meat side up, cover filets with about cream cheese to taste (about 1/8-1/4 inch).
5. Spoon chopped mixture on top of cream cheese.
6. Roll up.
7. Tie together with thin bacon.
8. Put about 1/2 inch white wine in the bottom of a Pyrex or similar non-reactive (glass, not metal) dish.
9. Add catfish and bake for 15-20 minutes.
10. The turn to broil to brown the bacon.
11. Serve on top of angelhair pasta and top with hollandaise.
    
    Photos courtesy of NuWireInvestor and Wikimedia.