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There are some meals that tell the story of an entire weekend.This was one of them.
Living in Louisiana means some of our favorite memories don’t start in the kitchen—they start on the water. This particular meal began with an early morning fishing trip, followed by an afternoon spent catching blue crabs, and ended with a backyard seafood boil surrounded by family and friends.
If you’ve ever been to a Louisiana seafood boil, you know it isn’t just about the food. It’s about everyone gathered around newspaper-covered tables, peeling shrimp, cracking crabs, laughing a little louder than usual, and staying outside long after the meal is over. By the time the last pot was emptied, we still had plenty of seasoned blue crabs left. Around here, that’s never a problem.
The next day, we sat around the table picking every bit of sweet crab meat from the shells. It’s one of those jobs nobody volunteers for at first, but somehow everyone ends up pulling up a chair anyway. Before long, there’s a bowl full of fresh crab meat and another round of stories being told.As I looked at that bowl sitting in the refrigerator, I knew it deserved something a little more special than another crab dip.
That’s when I remembered the fresh redfish we’d caught.The idea almost came together on its own.Instead of frying the fish or throwing it on the grill, I decided to butterfly each fillet and fill it with a rich crab stuffing. After giving the outside a generous coating of Cajun seasoning, I blackened the fish until it developed that beautiful crust before finishing it in the oven.
The final touch was a creamy crab sauce made with even more of that fresh crab meat because, honestly, if you’re already going all in, you might as well go all in.The result was everything I hoped it would be.The redfish stayed flaky and tender, the stuffing was rich without overpowering the fish, and the sauce tied everything together with just enough richness to make every bite worth slowing down for.It’s the kind of meal you’d expect to find at a small seafood restaurant tucked away along the Louisiana coast.Only this one comes with a story.
Every bite reminds me of that weekend—the fishing trip, the seafood boil, family gathered around the table, and the satisfaction of knowing that nothing went to waste.Those are the recipes I love the most.Not because they’re fancy.Because every ingredient has a memory attached to it.And I think that’s what Louisiana cooking has always been about.
Recipe
Crab Meat Stuffed Blackened Redfish with Rich Crab Meat Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Sautee butter, onion/bell pepper mixture, garlic, and lemon juice around 5 minutes or until clear and soft. Add crab meat and stir together. Add bread chucks to soak up the juice in the bottom of the pan. Add bread crumbs slowly while constantly stirring. You want to add enough so that the stuffing begins sticking together. (There are no exact measurements to this, it’s a very visual consistency) Season with Bullock’s 9 spice or your favorite Cajun seasoning until your heart is content.
- Blacken each side of the filet thoroughly with Blackened Redfish Seasoning. Add stuffing mixture on top of half of the filets. Then top those off with a second fish filet. You are essentially creating a fish stuffed sandwich. Once all filets have been assembled. Top with sliced vine ripe tomatoes and thin sliced purple onions.
- Sautee butter, purple onions, green onion stalks, lemon juice, and minced garlic for around 5 minutes or until clear and soft. Add the crab meat and cook together for around 10 minutes. Add heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil. Once mixture is boiling, reduce temperature and let thicken. Once mixture has thickened, add whipped cream cheese and Parmesan cheese and let sit for 5 minutes. Season with Cajun seasoning, parsley flakes, and crushed red pepper until your heart is content.
- Put this in the broiler at 400- 450 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
Recipe Video
Kitchen Tools I Used
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Bullock’s 9 spice is a bold, low sodium, all purpose seasoning crafted with a unique blend of nine carefully selected spices. Bullock’s 9 Spice is a healthier way to season anything you desire cooking.
This juice squeezer extracts nearly every drop from lemons, limes, and oranges. The stainless steel design is sturdy and allows you to use with less effort.
Perfect for home kitchens, bars, restaurants, and outdoor picnics.
