Take Me To The River

And We're Rollin'!

  (Scroll down to "The Playlist" and hit play before reading... works better that way!)

Never saw the good side of a city 'till I hitched a ride on the riverboat queen. As they say down south... "If you hadn't done it you ain't seen it". 

Come on y'all... let's take a trip down the mighty Mississippi; sit outside on the upper deck, feel the breeze and listen to that paddle wheel slapping the water. We'll enjoy a little catfish, sip on a big glass of mint lemonade and listen to some tunes about the river.  

Big wheels keep on turning'...

The pots are on!

The Plate...

Blackened Catfish

Ahh catfish... one of my all time favorite southern dishes. I like it whole, fillet, fried, grilled and blackened. Any way you want to do it is fine by me. 

Now, this is not the old school bottom feeder fish that we're talking about. Today you can get farm raised catfish that has dined on feed that is 35% protein. They are raised in fertilized nursery ponds that contain abundant natural foods as well as their feed. The result is some mighty good tasting fish.

Today I think we will stick with hot'n spicy blackened catfish like they do down New Orleans way. Be careful... we want to blacken the fish, not burn it. 

What you need...

4 catfish fillets (6 oz each)
2 tsp each- cayenne, dried thyme, chili powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, sea salt, and black pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp butter
4 lemon wedges

What you do...

Mix all of the dry ingredients together for the blackened spice rub.

Rub the spice mix all over the fish and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.

Heat your grill to high and place a cast iron skillet on the grill until it is "white hot".

Add oil to the pan and when it slightly starts to smoke you're ready.

Add the catfish and cook about 2 minutes per side.

Transfer the cooked fillets to the oven to continue to finish for an additional 4-5 minutes.

Serve with a little butter and a wedge of lemon.

The Playlist...

Take Me To The River

Dip me in the water... washing me down. So many cool lines and so many cool songs have been written about "the river". Maybe it's the hypnotic flow, the coolness of the water or just the shear majesty of the mighty Mississippi. 

It seems that there is either a since of mystery and adventure on the river, or a calming peace as you watch it roll by. 

 As JJ Grey says- "Only this river can bear me away!"

("The Playlist" runs on Spotify. Don't have Spotify?... Click here it's free )

The Bar...

Mississippi Mint Lemonade

What you need...

1 1/2 cups vodka

4 cups water
1 cup sugar

8 lemons

1/2 cup fresh mint

Ice

What you do...

Zest 1 lemon and place in saucepan and top with  1 cup water and sugar.

Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves.

Remove and let it cool ( remove lemon zest).

Muddle the mint in a pitcher.

Stir in lemon juice and vodka, then pour in the sugar/water syrup.

Stir in water.

Fill glasses with ice, pour in lemonade and garnish with lemon slice and mint. 

If You Come Down To The River...

Bet You're Gonna Find Some People Who Live!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!