Fried Fish & Greens

Mr. Lawyer was making some moves in the kitchen tonight so I just sat back and enjoyed the view. He was recently in New Orleans for business and brought back some "Slap Ya Mama" Cajun Fish Fry mix. While in Reading Terminal we picked up some catfish and a lovely bunch of collard greens. They had mountains of collard greens! Our Southern inspired dinner was delicious. The cornmeal in the seasoning mix added a nice slightly crunchy texture to the catfish. The greens came out surprisingly well! It was also the first time we fried something in our new cast iron pan....I was prepared for disaster.

 No fire yet, just crispy catfish tenders.

 A stockpot full of greens before they cooked down.

Mr. Lawyer even had a say about the Fiesta colors! He chose Scarlett and Lapis because he didn't want his food the same color as the plate. I'll make a Fiesta fan out of him yet....

Spicy Collard Greens

(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices bacon (we used 1-2 tablespoons of bacon fat instead)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pound fresh collard greens, cut into 2-inch pieces

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and return to the pan. Add onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until just fragrant. Add collard greens, and fry until they start to wilt.
2. Pour in chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until greens are tender.