My tastebuds are bringing me back to New Orleans for a bunch of my favorites: blackened catfish and homemade remoulade filled with sweet blue crab. This dish can be done in 30 minutes, but the remoulade is better after it sits for an hour (overnight would be better). This is a quick dish with all the cheats including using the commercially available blackening seasoning. If you really want to cheat, use bottled remoulade. My real twist is the addition of gochujang instead of the creole mustard; I like the color and sweet spicy notes it brings. Now, for the crab and the catfish, I went to Crosby’s Crabs – that’s not the items to cheat with. I hope you like it.

2 8-ounce catfish fillets
2 teaspoons Paul Prudhomme blackening seasoning
4 tablespoons cooking oil
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning
2 tablespoons gochujang paste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon diced caper
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
8 ounces crab meat

In a bowl mix mayonnaise, creole seasoning, hot sauce, and gochujang paste and mix with a whisk.

Add capers and relish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Add crab meat and whisk. Let rest.

Add 1/2 of cooking oil to both sides of fish.

Coat both sides of fish with blackening seasoning.

Heat pan to medium high.

Add fish to pan (it may smoke so beware). Cook for 5 minutes and turn and cook for 4 minutes.

Remove catfish from the pan and plate; add a generous amount of crab remoulade.

Serve with vegetables of your choice.