Battery Fried Fish With Peanut Sauce and Stuffed Okra

Name: Battery Fried Fish With Peanut Sauce and Stuffed Okra
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: southern
Ingredients: 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil; 1 tablespoon bacon fat; 1 ounce raw shelled peanuts, blanched 10 seconds in boiling water to remove skins; 1/2 cup chopped onion; 1/4 cup chopped celery; 2 tablespoons instant flour (Wondra); 1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped; 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped; 1 1/2 cups fish stock (or half water and half chicken stock); 2 2-inch sprigs fresh thyme; 2 2-inch sprigs fresh tarragon; 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 12 to 24 drops Tabasco (optional); 1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint; 1 tablespoon very finely chopped hot green or jalapeno pepper; 2 tablespoons peanut oil; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar; 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions; 24 fresh okra pods, about 2 1/2 inches long (about 1/2 pound); 24 thin strips fresh hot green or jalapeno pepper; 3 ounces sharp white Cheddar cheese, cut into 24 strips, 1 1/4 by 1/4 by 1/4 inch each; 8 tablespoons flour; 10 tablespoons cold water; 1 tablespoon salt; Flour for dusting; Peanut oil for frying

By Nancy Harmon Jenkins

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Rating: 4(14)
Comments: Read comments

Featured in: FOR LIBERTY'S 100TH, FIREWORKS FROM 12 TOP CHEFS

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

The Peanut Sauce (may Be Prepared Ahead)

1½tablespoons peanut oil
1tablespoon bacon fat
1ounce raw shelled peanuts, blanched 10 seconds in boiling water to remove skins
½cup chopped onion
¼cup chopped celery
2tablespoons instant flour (Wondra)
1medium tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
3medium cloves garlic, chopped
1½cups fish stock (or half water and half chicken stock)
22-inch sprigs fresh thyme
22-inch sprigs fresh tarragon
⅛teaspoon red pepper flakes
½teaspoon sugar
12 to 24drops Tabasco (optional)

The Garnishing Sauce

1medium tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1½tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1tablespoon very finely chopped hot green or jalapeno pepper
2tablespoons peanut oil
½teaspoon salt
1½teaspoons cider vinegar
¼cup finely chopped scallions

The Stuffed Okra

24fresh okra pods, about 2½ inches long (about ½ pound)
24thin strips fresh hot green or jalapeno pepper
3ounces sharp white Cheddar cheese, cut into 24 strips, 1¼ by ¼ by ¼ inch each

The Batter

8tablespoons flour
10tablespoons cold water
1tablespoon salt
Flour for dusting
Peanut oil for frying

The Fish

½cup instant flour
1teaspoon dry mustard
½teaspoon salt
46-ounce trimmed, skinless fillets of catfish, red snapper or striped bass
Peanut oil for frying

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

The Peanut Sauce (may Be Prepared Ahead)
1. Step 1
  Heat peanut oil and bacon fat in a medium saucepan. Add blanched peanuts and cook gently over medium low heat, stirring peanuts frequently until they are a deep golden brown.
2. Step 2
  Add chopped onion and celery, and saute 5 to 8 minutes over low heat.
3. Step 3
  Add flour and continue cooking until flour and vegetables are golden brown.
4. Step 4
  Add tomato, garlic, stock, thyme, tarragon, pepper flakes and sugar. Simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
5. Step 5
  Remove herb sprigs and discard. Puree sauce until smooth. Strain through a sieve, rubbing solids through. Taste for salt and add Tabasco, if desired.
The Garnishing Sauce
1. Step 6
  Not more than 1 hour ahead of time, combine all ingredients refrigerate until ready to serve.
The Stuffed Okra
1. Step 7
  Make a 1½-inch lengthwise slit along one side of each okra pod. Stuff a piece of pepper and a piece cheese into each.
2. Step 8
  Blend together flour, water and salt.
3. Step 9
  Dust pods with flour, then dip into batter.
4. Step 10
  Heat the oil until hot over medium-high heat. Fry okra pods, cut side down, until golden; then continue frying on other side. Drain on absorbent towels.
The Fish
1. Step 11
  Combine dry ingredients, and dredge each fillet, shaking off excess seasoned flour.
2. Step 12
  Heat peanut oil to hot over medium-high heat, and saute fillets quickly, approximately 4 minutes to a side, until golden brown. To serve: Pour peanut sauce onto warm platter. Arrange fish fillets on top of sauce. Spoon garnishing sauce diagonally across the top of each piece of fish. Arrange stuffed okra around the fillets. Serve immediately.

Ratings

4 out of 5

14 user ratings

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Comments

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Kim7 years ago

I feel like there’s so much potential to this recipe, a collection of the right ingredients in the wrong proportions. The peanut sauce: Up the garlic and the peanuts (three or four times) and nix the tarragon. Bring out the actual mustard greens for garnish, in lieu for parsley and relying on mustard powder in the fish batter. More thoughts, but this is the essence. Consider the recipe a base.

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