275. CATFISH STEW with BACON

3 slices flavorful bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
minced parsley
1 can (48 oz.) tomato or vegetable juice
1/2 cup ketchup
1 to 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 potatoes, 1/4-inch dice
1 lb. catfish (or other white fish), cut into 1-inch chunks
Tabasco Sauce to taste
salt and black pepper to taste

Fry the bacon pieces in the bottom of your stew pot until they are brown and crispy. Drain them on paper towels and pour off all but 1-2 tablespoons of the fat, keeping any brown bits in the bottom of the pot. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, and saute until tender. Sti in parsley (optional) for 1 minute. Add juice, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce and heat to a simmer. Now add potato and fish and cook until done (about 20 minutes). Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Serve in soup bowls with bacon crumpled on top.


courtesy of: Nate Spell, Decatur, Georgia / Bon Appetit: A Community Cooking to Play, a Collection of Recipes by First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Decatur, Georgia, and the Ponce de Leon Heights Community, Decatur, Georgia. Kearney, NE: Morris Press Cookbooks, 2003. p. 37.