“At a recent planning meeting for my first restaurant, Gov’t Taco, a group of friendly folks started coming up with names for our signature tacos. The taco shop, which will reside in Baton Rouge’s White Star Market, got its name from being located on Government Street, being in Louisiana’s capital city, and is a reminder that I’m finally putting my two Louisiana State University political science degrees to use with something we can all agree on: tacos.
We decided to use governmental puns in our taco names, playing off of historic phrases or parts of American government rather politicians or political parties. Our tacos will be more modern American than traditional Mexican, Tex-Mex, or Cali-Mex, so we knew it was important that the names convey that. We wanted to make them lighthearted and witty, but still descriptive.
Since we wanted a solid Louisiana seafood taco on our menu (and love California-style fish tacos), we came up with a fried catfish taco with maque choux. We call it: The Catfish are Coming!” – Jay Ducote
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons chopped pickled okra
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Peanut oil, for frying
- 1 cup Jay D’s Louisiana Molasses Mustard
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup hot sauce
- 3 cups Slap Ya Mama Cajun Fish Fry
- 1 pound catfish fillets, sliced into 2x1-inch strips (about 32 strips)
- 2 teaspoons Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, or to taste (optional)
- 10 (4½- to 5-inch) corn tortillas
- Corn Maque Choux (recipe follows)
- Garnish: lime wedges, fresh cilantro, green onion, purple cabbage
- In the work bowl of a food processor, combine mayonnaise, okra, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, garlic, and cayenne; pulse until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
- In a large Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 4 inches, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°.
- In a shallow dish, combine molasses mustard, milk, and hot sauce. In another shallow dish, place fish fry. Dip fish in mustard mixture, letting excess drip off. Dredge in fish fry, shaking off excess.
- Working in batches, gently place catfish in hot oil. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Let drain on paper towels. Season with Cajun seasoning, if desired.
- In a large skillet, heat tortillas over medium heat until browned. Add a spoonful of Corn Maque Choux to each tortilla. Add catfish strips. Top with mayonnaise mixture. Garnish with lime wedges, cilantro, green onion, and purple cabbage, if desired.
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ pound tasso, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup dry white wine (such as Jay D’s Blanc du Bois)
- 1 tablespoon Jay D’s Spicy and Sweet Barbecue Rub
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add tasso, and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove tasso with a slotted spoon into a heat-proof bowl.
- In the same Dutch oven with remaining grease, add onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic, and cook until the onion is translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add corn and bay leaf, and stir again. Stir in wine, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon.
- Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer. Add barbecue rub, salt, and black pepper. Let mixture simmer until wine is reduced by half. Add cream, and continue cooking until slightly thickened; then add the butter and stir to combine. Mix in green onion before serving.
