# Cajun Catfish, Cheesy Cayenne Grits, & Shrimp Cocktail Salad (Pics)



## tx smoker (Jul 7, 2021)

The menu around here can be difficult at times. Tracy is allergic to chicken, can't stand anything that swims, can take some pork or turkey once in a while, and is not a big fan of lamb. That pretty much leaves beef most of the time. When she goes out with friends I tend to indulge in stuff that I cannot cook when she's here for dinner. She went out not long ago and I decided on seafood. Never had shrimp and grits (had both but never together) so that was my first thought. Got the shrimp out but really wanted shrimp cocktail, which is one of my absolute favorite things in the world. Loved the idea of incorporating the cheesy cayenne grits though so got a catfish filet out also so here's what I finally decided on.

Steam the shrimp a couple hours in advance so it can cool in the fridge before dinner. Peeled, veins removed, and into the steamer.







8 large shrimp done and ready to chill






Cook the grits, add the cayenne and cheddar






Cajun seasoning on the catfish






Into a screaming hot CI skillet on the grill with a little butter






From here I cut up a basic salad and made some cocktail sauce. That was simple. Just ketchup and extra spicy horseradish mixed up. Was as good or better than any cocktail sauce I've ever had. Put the shrimp cocktail salad together and plated dinner. 






I am a seafood junkie and had been missing out. This was absolutely fantastic!! I think that was a two-part rationale though. One was that the dinner was pretty darned good. The other was that I was craving something like this and it hit the spot big time!! Tracy is headed out tomorrow evening to pick up her monthly wine selections from one of the memberships she has so guess what I'm cooking for dinner again   Got the shrimp and catfish vac sealed in the freezer and it's ready to go. P.S. we are looking at rain all week so I'm doing a bit of catching up here. Thanks for taking a look and we'll see y'all on the next one.

Robert


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## smokerjim (Jul 7, 2021)

Looks fantastic Robert!


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## kilo charlie (Jul 7, 2021)

Amazing!


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## Sowsage (Jul 7, 2021)

Love the idea of the cheesy grits with the catfish! Nice work Robert! This will be on my dinner table real soon!


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## sawhorseray (Jul 7, 2021)

Whoa, what a cook, I never in my life thought I'd be seeing you post a fish dinner! I suffer from the exact opposite problem Robert, Jan eats fish and chicken, never had a cut of beef, pork, or lamb in her life, tho she loves burgers. What a beautiful plate, big Like amigo! RAY


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## yankee2bbq (Jul 7, 2021)

YEAP! Awesome job!


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## Brokenhandle (Jul 7, 2021)

Sounds and looks amazing! Sometimes it good to be able to indulge in things when the wife is away!

Ryan


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## Colin1230 (Jul 7, 2021)

Robert, I think we are in the same boat. Our wives seem to have the same tastes and very difficult to cook for. I love sea food and that dinner you whipped up looks fantastic. That would satisfy any craving. Thanks for sharing, I really enjoy your cooks.


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## smokeymose (Jul 7, 2021)

Looks great, Robert!
I don't care for fish myself (unless it's deep fried with fries and tarter sauce at a pub). The Mrs. likes Salmon and Tuna.
We don't do seafood much but we both can tear up a plate of shrimp cocktail! 
Ketchup and Horseradish is as good as anything you can buy....
Dan


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## SmokinVOLfan (Jul 7, 2021)

Looks outstanding Robert! Love the catfish and grits together. Good to see some posts again!


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## normanaj (Jul 7, 2021)

Nicely done!


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## gmc2003 (Jul 7, 2021)

Man does that look great Robert. I'll be having grits for the first time in about two weeks when we visit my daughter. Again, Fantastic meal!!!

Point for sure
Chris


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## SmokinEdge (Jul 7, 2021)

Looks great Robert. Wish you would have called. Sure hate to see a guy eat all that alone. Lol


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## Bearcarver (Jul 7, 2021)

Looks Awesome, Robert!!
Love the Shrimp, and Catfish has always been my Favorite Eating Fish!!!
Nice Job!
Like.

Bear


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## GaryHibbert (Jul 7, 2021)

Oh yeah!!  nothing on that plate I wouldn't love to eat.
I'm the same as you--I get to cook seafood whenever Miss Linda is out of town.
Gary


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## Winterrider (Jul 7, 2021)

Have never actually had catfish but that looks darn good. I'm afraid I wouldn't get any of the shrimp because wife is crazy over it. Anytime we go out it is shrimp, fried ,broiled , steamed you name it.


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## jcam222 (Jul 7, 2021)

Well we know that CPB is happy with Tracis food preferences!! Lol. That catfish and shrimp look killer good. I’d especially love that catfish.


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## indaswamp (Jul 7, 2021)

Awesome Job Robert! You know I'm a seafood junkie and That looks like a great simple take on a classic dish. I'd eat a plate for sure!


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## Steve H (Jul 8, 2021)

Looking great Robert! Love how the catfish came out. Next time you make the cocktail sauce add some salsa to it. Really lays on some texture.


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## SmokinAl (Jul 8, 2021)

Awesome looking meal Robert! 
Very nicely done!
Al


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## kilo charlie (Jul 8, 2021)

Congratulations on the Feature!


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## tx smoker (Jul 8, 2021)

smokerjim said:


> Looks fantastic Robert!



Thank you Jim!! Appreciate it sir.



kilo charlie said:


> Amazing!



The kind words are appreciated. thank you. Was simple but very good.



Sowsage said:


> Love the idea of the cheesy grits with the catfish! Nice work Robert! This will be on my dinner table real soon!



The thought had not crossed my mind either Travis till I started thinking through this. Seemed like a viable approach so I went with it.

Robert


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## tx smoker (Jul 8, 2021)

sawhorseray said:


> Whoa, what a cook, I never in my life thought I'd be seeing you post a fish dinner!



Me neither my friend!! Rarely do I get to eat seafood so when I do it's pretty rudimentary. This one came out pretty nice though.



yankee2bbq said:


> YEAP! Awesome job!



Thanks so much!!



Brokenhandle said:


> Sounds and looks amazing! Sometimes it good to be able to indulge in things when the wife is away!
> 
> Ryan



As much as I enjoy time with Tracy, I do kinda wish she'd go out a  little more regularly so I can do stuff like this   

Robert


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## tx smoker (Jul 8, 2021)

Colin1230 said:


> I love sea food and that dinner you whipped up looks fantastic. That would satisfy any craving. Thanks for sharing, I really enjoy your cooks.



Thanks so much Colin. the kind words are appreciated and I've enjoyed having some time to catch up here.



smokeymose said:


> We don't do seafood much but we both can tear up a plate of shrimp cocktail!



I'm with ya!! Could eat shrimp cocktail every day and not get tired of it.



SmokinVOLfan said:


> Looks outstanding Robert! Love the catfish and grits together



Thank you John. It was an off-the-wall idea but it came out realy well.

Robert


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## flatbroke (Jul 8, 2021)

Very nice


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## tx smoker (Jul 8, 2021)

normanaj said:


> Nicely done!



Thank you!! Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while 



gmc2003 said:


> Man does that look great Robert. I'll be having grits for the first time in about two weeks when we visit my daughter. Again, Fantastic meal!!!



Growing up in the south grits were a staple. They were known as Georgia Ice Cream. Have not had them for a while so this was a real treat.



SmokinEdge said:


> Looks great Robert. Wish you would have called. Sure hate to see a guy eat all that alone. Lol



I'd have welcomed you but it seems as though I lost your phone number 

Robert


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## tx smoker (Jul 8, 2021)

Bearcarver said:


> Looks Awesome, Robert!!
> Love the Shrimp, and Catfish has always been my Favorite Eating Fish!!!



Thanks Bear!! I've eaten catfish for as long as I can remember. Growing up it was always fried though. I like grilled much better but wouldn't turn down a plate of fried.



GaryHibbert said:


> I'm the same as you--I get to cook seafood whenever Miss Linda is out of town.



Maybe we need to get out wives together and send them off someplace for a couple weeks 



Winterrider said:


> Have never actually had catfish but that looks darn good.



It's been a fan favorite since I was a little kid. There are only a couple of fish that I really like and this is one of them.

Robert


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## tx smoker (Jul 8, 2021)

jcam222 said:


> That catfish and shrimp look killer good. I’d especially love that catfish.



Appreciate it Jeff. I just wish I could master the plating and presentation like you have. I'm happy with good food though 



indaswamp said:


> Awesome Job Robert! You know I'm a seafood junkie and That looks like a great simple take on a classic dish. I'd eat a plate for sure!



You're absolutely correct Keith!! As little as I get to cook seafood I don't have a lot of practice so keep it simple. This was actually an ambitious meal for my skills where seafood is concerned.



Steve H said:


> Looking great Robert! Love how the catfish came out.



Thank you Steve. It came out really well. Soft, tender, and very flavorful.

Robert


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## tx smoker (Jul 8, 2021)

SmokinAl said:


> Awesome looking meal Robert!
> Very nicely done!



Coming from you with such a propensity for great seafood, I take that as a high compliment. Thank you Al!!



kilo charlie said:


> Congratulations on the Feature!



I am honored and honestly, never saw it coming. The meal is pretty basic but it was different so I posted it.



flatbroke said:


> Very nice



Thank you very much. I truly appreciate it sir.

Robert


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## civilsmoker (Jul 8, 2021)

Robert that’s called the mouse at play!  Very nice!


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## chef jimmyj (Jul 9, 2021)

Great decision. That Catfish and Grits look delicious. Bev and I love Shrimp Cocktail! 2 Pounds of 16/20's, two bowls of Cocktail Sauce, I add a Dash each of Worcestershire and Granulated Garlic to the Ketchup and Ex-Hot Horseradish, a couple sleeves of Townhouse Crackers and we got a tasty supper....JJ


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## forktender (Jul 9, 2021)

Damn, that looks killer.

We eat a ton of seafood in this house, my go to cocktail sauce recipe is.

 Chili sauce or ketchup if I don't have the chili sauce on hand.
Horseradish.
Lemon zest and juice from 1 lemon.
White pepper.
Dash of Worcester sauce.
1/2 grated sweet onion.
Dash of TX Pete or LA pepper sauce like Tabasco.
6-8 smashed capers for an approximate 2 cup batch of cocktail sauce.

Try it sometime, it's killer.


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## forktender (Jul 9, 2021)

chef jimmyj said:


> Great decision. That Catfish and Grits look delicious. Bev and I love Shrimp Cocktail! 2 Pounds of 16/20's, two bowls of Cocktail Sauce, I add a Dash each of Worcestershire and Granulated Garlic to the Ketchup and Ex-Hot Horseradish, a couple sleeves of Townhouse Crackers and we got a tasty supper....JJ


Townhouse crackers are a must, but oyster crackers will so in a pinch.


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## xray (Jul 9, 2021)

I really like the sound of pairing the catfish with the grits! It sounds like a great spin on one of my favorite dishes.

I kinda feel like breaking out the fishing pole and doing some nighttime fishing for cattys after looking at this. Maybe crush a few Gennys in the process.


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## HalfSmoked (Jul 10, 2021)

Great meal there guy I love those home alone meals to.

Warren


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## chilerelleno (Jul 10, 2021)

Hell Yeah!
Damn Robert that looks good enough to be a chef's signature dish.
Yum, nothing there I'd turn my nose up to.
Scratched that itch with style.


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## JLeonard (Jul 11, 2021)

Man i'd be licking the plate and sucking the juice out of the bowl. I like the catfish and grits combo.....Now you got me thinking about a Kroger run.

Jim


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## TNJAKE (Jul 11, 2021)

Hell yeah Robert. I'm late to the party but you already know you're speaking my food love language with that meal! I ordered shrimp and grits the night you took me and Emily out for cajun food and yours look just as good if not better. Give Gouda a try in your next batch of grits. You won't be disappointed. Nice work all around bud


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## tx smoker (Jul 12, 2021)

civilsmoker said:


> Robert that’s called the mouse at play! Very nice!



Hee hee hee...I guess you're right and thank you for the kind words.



chef jimmyj said:


> Great decision. That Catfish and Grits look delicious.



Thank you Jimmy. The catfish on the grits was a bit off-the-wall but it came out very well.



forktender said:


> Damn, that looks killer.



Thank you sir!! Very much appreciate it. Copied and printed the recipe. I'll give it a shot next time I get to cook some seafood.

Robert


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## tx smoker (Jul 12, 2021)

xray said:


> I really like the sound of pairing the catfish with the grits! It sounds like a great spin on one of my favorite dishes.



Thank you Joe. The catfish and grits exceeded what I thought it was going to be. Turned out excellent.



HalfSmoked said:


> Great meal there guy I love those home alone meals to.



Very much appreciate it Warren. As much as I enjoy time with Tracy it is nice to get an evening once in a while to indulge in the forbidden fruit.



chilerelleno said:


> Hell Yeah!
> Damn Robert that looks good enough to be a chef's signature dish.
> Yum, nothing there I'd turn my nose up to.
> Scratched that itch with style.



Thanks Chile!! I'd certainly say it was a signature dish for me butnot so sure about a real chef...but the accolades are appreciated. It looked pretty nice and tasted even better. I was happy for sure.

Robert


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## tx smoker (Jul 12, 2021)

JLeonard said:


> Man i'd be licking the plate and sucking the juice out of the bowl. I like the catfish and grits combo.....Now you got me thinking about a Kroger run.



Too funny Jim!! The catfish and grits did come out better than I'd hoped so it's a keeper. Hopefully you'll get a chance to try it.



TNJAKE said:


> Hell yeah Robert. I'm late to the party but you already know you're speaking my food love language with that meal! I ordered shrimp and grits the night you took me and Emily out for cajun food and yours look just as good if not better. Give Gouda a try in your next batch of grits. You won't be disappointed. Nice work all around bud



Hadn't thought about the similarities between this and your dinner when we went to the Cajun place  but you're right. this was an over the top dinner with tons of flavors. I do have some smoked Gouda in the fridge so might well give that a shot next time I do grits. Thanks for the suggestion and the kind words.

Robert


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## BB-que (Jul 15, 2021)

tx smoker said:


> The menu around here can be difficult at times. Tracy is allergic to chicken, can't stand anything that swims, can take some pork or turkey once in a while, and is not a big fan of lamb. That pretty much leaves beef most of the time. When she goes out with friends I tend to indulge in stuff that I cannot cook when she's here for dinner. She went out not long ago and I decided on seafood. Never had shrimp and grits (had both but never together) so that was my first thought. Got the shrimp out but really wanted shrimp cocktail, which is one of my absolute favorite things in the world. Loved the idea of incorporating the cheesy cayenne grits though so got a catfish filet out also so here's what I finally decided on.
> 
> Steam the shrimp a couple hours in advance so it can cool in the fridge before dinner. Peeled, veins removed, and into the steamer.
> View attachment 503051
> ...


Looks really tasty


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Dec 31, 2022)

Was looking for new Shrimp Cocktail recipe and this thread came up.  Worth another look!  Going to make this one happen soon!


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