Cajun Fish Recipes

Tasty and spicy but not too spicy is how you could sum up Cajun cuisine. There is a characteristic blend of ingredients and cooking methods that follow tradition and that includes Cajun fish recipes. Seafood plays an important part in that tradition and is often combined with favorite vegetables, rice and seasonings. Cooking is often based on fish stock or shellfish stock. Fresh herbs, paprika and ground cayenne pepper give dishes a distinctive flavor. Onion, bell pepper and celery are key to many dishes.

Shellfish is often used and the most popular is crawfish, shrimp, blue crab and oysters. Freshwater fish is likely to be bass, white perch, and yellow perch. Catfish is increasingly popular as the commercial farming of the fish grows. Trout, flounder and snapper are favorites from salt water.

Cajun Shrimp with Cajun Butter is a terrific introduction to Cajun fish recipes. Peeled and deveined shrimps are used and combined with Cajun seasoning, cumin, garlic, rosemary and thyme. The butter contains hot pepper sauce, basil and the aniseed flavor of tarragon. Dips go well at parties and Cajun Shrimp Dip will soon disappear. It's a mix of bacon, onion, garlic, tomato, Monterey Jack Cheese, Tabasco, cayenne pepper and, of course, shrimp.

Canaps also go well at parties and Cajun Shrimp Canaps is another winner. This Cajun fish recipe can be used to spread on bread or crackers. The shrimp is prepared with soft creamed cheese, Worcester Sauce, hot pepper sauce and chili sauce. A crab meat alternative works just as well.

For a tasty, quick supper, Cajun Fish Balls are the answer. The balls are rolled in breadcrumbs and lightly fried. Ingredients include boiled and filleted fish, boiled potatoes, onion tops and parsley. Catfish can be prepared in many ways, including baked in the oven. Baked Catfish can be combined with traditional Creole seasoning, the juice of a lemon, garlic, parsley flakes and pepper.

Another bake in the oven dish is Blend of the Bayou, a Cajun fish recipe that uses ingredients that bring out the flavor of each one. Shrimp and crab meat are combined with cream cheese, onion, bell pepper, celery, Tabasco, red pepper, rice, cheese, canned mushrooms and cracker crumbs. The creamy consistency is helped with the addition of a can of mushroom soup.

For special occasions, Cajun cooks like to bring out the oysters. An oyster dish is the perfect seafood course for a dinner party and they are very easy to prepare. Cajun Oysters can be accompanied by spinach, fresh parsley, green onion tops, rock salt and lemon juice. The oysters are served on half shells.

Fish and white wine is a great cooking combination. Choose the fish fillet of your choice, and add Cajun seasoning, marjoram, garlic, lemon pepper, and the wine into the pan. When all ingredients are added, bake in the oven.