Private Chef Menu / Experience Da Bayou Life

“Cher, we set up under dem big ol’ pecan trees, right by the bayou, where the breeze smell like moss and smoke. Got dat fire goin’ stacked with oak and a lil’ bit o’ pecan wood for flavor. We cookin’ outside, like the old folks done taught us.

Got a big black pot hangin’, stirrin’ dat jambalaya with a paddle big as a boat oar. Sausage poppin’, chicken sizzlin’, onions and bell peppers dancin’ in dat grease. Somebody throw in a handful o’ green onions, and you know it’s gon’ be good.

“First you clean dat duck good, pluck it, singe it, and cut it up like you mean it. You season it heavy—salt, black pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, maybe a lil’ Tony’s if you feelin’ generous. Then you get dat black pot hot over a wood fire, not too fast, just enough to make dat oil shimmer.

You brown dat duck down till it’s got color like a good roux—dark and rich. Throw in your onions, bell peppers, celery, and a handful o’ green onions.  

• 2 lbs ground beef (or a mix of beef and pork)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup finely chopped parsley
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp cayenne
• Splash of Worcestershire

• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1 cup diced celery
• ½ cup green onions (for finishing)

• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp oil or butter
• 2 cups beef or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne
• Salt to taste

• Mix all meatball ingredients in a large bowl until just combined.
• Form into 5 large meatballs—about the size of a small orange.
• Brown them in a deep cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until crusty and golden. Remove and set aside.

• In the same skillet, add oil or butter and sprinkle in flour.
• Stir constantly to make a medium roux—nutty and light brown.
• Add tomato paste, paprika, cayenne, and slowly whisk in stock.
• Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

• Add onions, bell peppers, and celery to the rouille.
• Cook until soft and fragrant, about 8–10 minutes.
• Nestle the browned meatballs back into the skillet.
• Cover and simmer on low for 30–40 minutes, spooning sauce over the meatballs occasionally.

• Sprinkle with green onions.
• Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or hot cornbread.

Add a description about this item

Add a description about this item

Add a description about this item

🎣 Catfish Couvillon with Fried on Da Side (Serves 8) "Cher, this ain’t just supper—it’s a bayou blessing in a bowl, with a crispy wink on the side."

Here’s how we do it down in Big Mamou;

  “This here’s a pile o’ pinch-tail promise—boil it, etouffée it, or fry it up, Cajun-style never runs outta ways.” 

Servings: 6 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: ~50 minutes

• 3–4 dozen fresh Gulf blue crabs
• 1 (4.5 lb) sack of seafood boil seasoning (like Rouses or Zatarain’s)
• 1 (8 oz) bottle of liquid crab boil
• 3 lbs small red potatoes
• 3 lbs yellow onions, halved
• 6 lemons, halved
• 8 ears corn (cut into thirds)
• 1½ lbs smoked sausage, cut into chunks
• 1–2 large bags of ice
• Water   fill your boiling pot halfway)

1. Add the Veggies & Sausage  Toss in potatoes, corn, onions, lemons, and sausage. Boil for 8 minutes.
2. Add the Crabs  Carefully add the crabs to the pot. Cover and return to a rolling boil.
3.  Ice Soak   Add ice to the pot to stop cooking and help the crabs soak up the seasoning. 
4. Serve  Drain and pour  onto a table  a seafood tray. Belly side up keeps the juices in.  

    “Le baptême d’un ouaouaron.” 

Down in the crook of the bayou, where the moss hangs heavy and the frogs holler like they got secrets to spill, young T-Jules strutted back from the shallows with a grin wide as a gumbo pot. In his hand? The biggest bullfrog this side of the Atchafalaya—legs thick as a preacher’s forearms and eyes still blinkin’ like they knew what was comin’.

“Cher,” he said, breathless, “this one’s got couvillon in his future.”

  “Le baptême d’un ouaouaron.” 

The fire was mostly coals now—glowin’ low, steady, and wise. T-Jules hung the Dutch oven from a tripod rigged with rebar and rope, the kind passed down from uncle to uncle. Inside, the couvillon was thick and red, stirred slow with a roux dark as a storm cloud and a splash of sassafras for memory.

The frog backs floated proud, front legs still attached like they were reachin’ for one last lily pad.  

     “Le baptême d’un ouaouaron.” 

The frog legs sizzle golden in the cast iron, grease poppin’ like a fiddle tune. The fire’s fed with driftwood and stories, and that ol’ dog in the grass knows supper’s close. Behind the skillet, the bayou watches—still, green, and full of memory. This ain’t just cookin’. It’s a ritual.

Cajun Proverb: “Quand les cuisses chantent dans la poêle, le bayou écoute.”   (“When the legs sing in the skillet, the bayou listens.”)

    “Le baptême d’un ouaouaron.” 

• 🍚 Rice & Frog Back Couvillon   Stewed slow in a roux dark as a storm cloud, with sassafras and tomato whisperin’ secrets from the bend. Frog backs float proud, front legs still reachin’ like they remember the lily pad.
• 🍗 Fried Frog Legs   Crisped golden in cast iron, grease poppin’ like a fiddle tune. The bayou listens when the legs sing.
• 🥬 Green Beans   Snapped fresh, sautéed with garlic and a wink of tasso. Bright, tender, and full of porch gossip.
•  

“IF IT SWIM, I GOT IT!”   Fresh from the Gulf, packed with pride in Lake Charles, LA

📞 Phone: (337) 438-6844 🌐 Website: www.bigmamouenterprises.com

Shrimp, crab, gar, drum, gator, and the rest of the bayou choir—if it’s got fins, tails, or whispers stories underwater, it’s on the menu

🍉 “Cher, dem Sugar Town watermelons? C’est le goût du soleil dans une bouchée.”

Down in Sugar Town, where the dirt’s sweet and the days run long, them melons grow fat and proud—striped like a Sunday shirt and heavy like a promise. You crack one open and lawd, the juice runs like it’s tryin’ to escape, red as a cardinal’s wing and cold like a creek in July. 

🫙 “Fais ta conserve, cher—comme Maman faisait dans le vieux temps.”

Down here at Big Mamou, we don’t just jar food—we bottle memory. Whether it’s fig preserves sweet as a porch kiss, pepper jelly with a bite like a gossipin’ aunt, or pickled okra that snaps like a good story, we’ll help you seal it up just right.

🦞 “C’est pas juste un plat—c’est une chanson dans la bouche.”

Start with dat holy trinity—onion, bell pepper, celery—all chopped fine and sizzlin’ in a roux dark as bayou midnight. You stir it slow, like you coaxin’ a story outta an old uncle. Then come the garlic, the spice, the splash of stock, and maybe a wink of white wine if you feelin’ fancy.

🍛 “Red beans, sausage, rice, and dat cornbread—cher, c’est le repas qui hugs your soul.”

Down here at Big Mamou, we don’t just serve a plate—we serve a memory. Them red beans been simmerin’ all day, slow and steady like a bayou breeze. Seasoned with sassafras, smoked meat, and a whole lotta love, they come out creamy and rich, like they been kissed by Maman’s wooden spoon.

🌿 “Okra, So Many Ways—Cajun Truths from the Skillet to the Sassafras”

Cher, down here in Big Mamou, okra ain’t just a vegetable—it’s a way of life. We cook it, pickle it, fry it, smother it, and stir it into stories like it’s part of the family. That green pod’s got more personalities than a bayou gossip.

• 🫙 Pickled Okra — Snappy, spicy, and perfect for poppin’ in your mouth or dressin’ up a Bloody Mary. We jar it with sassafras and a little cayenne lagniappe

• 🍳 Fried Okra — Cornmeal-crusted and golden, like little bayou jewels. Crunchy outside, tender inside—best eaten hot with a cold drink.
• 🍛 Okra in Gumbo — Thickens the pot like a good secret. Adds depth, texture, and that earthy flavor that makes gumbo taste like home.
• 🥗 Okra Salad — Sliced thin and tossed with cane vinegar, onion, and fresh herbs. Cool and tangy, like a breeze off the bayou.  

The sausage? Oh, it’s got that snap when you bite, spicy and smoky like a good story told 'round the fire. Laid right next to a fluffy pile of Louisiana rice—each grain ready to soak up that gravy like it’s beggin’ for a second chance.

And on da side? Golden cornbread, crumbly and warm, with just enough sweetness to make you close your eyes and hum. You mop up the beans with it, or eat it slow with a pat of butter that melts like a bayou sunset. 

🧺 Cajun Picnic / Pop-Up Party "Cher, when the shade’s thick and the table’s full, you know it’s time to pass a good time."

Event Name: Bayou Blanket & Bites Style: Cajun Pop-Up Picnic Price: $18.00 per person Location: Under the oaks, by the bend, or wherever the frogs still sing

🐖 Cochon de Lait Pop-Up Party "Cher, when the fire’s lit and the hog’s on the spit, you know it’s time to pass a good time."

Event Name: Cochon de Lait: Fire, Feast & Folklore Style: Cajun Pop-Up Gathering Price: $22.00 per person Location: Big Mamou bend or wherever the moss hangs heavy

  “Every cut got a story. Every bite got a blessing.” Come hungry. Leave family. 

 served with your choice.

• Milk or cream
• Cane syrup or fig preserves
• Fried bacon, sausage or cracklings
• Scrambled eggs or fried eggs
• Fruit jams or preserves
• 
  

• 2 tbsp butter
• 8 oz andouille sausage, sliced
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
• ½ cup diced tomatoes
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Black pepper, to taste

2 lbs gar meat (scraped, ground, or pulsed—not pasty)

• ¼ cup green onions, chopped
• ¾ cup celery, chopped
• 3 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 jalapeño or serrano, minced
• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• Fine cornmeal or flour (for dusting)
• Oil for frying
• For the Smothered Gravy:
• 4 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint stock   
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
• Salt, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce to taste

1. Form the Balls:
   Mix gar meat with veggies, seasoning, breadcrumbs, and eggs. Adjust texture with more breadcrumbs or egg if needed.
   • Shape into balls and dust with cornmeal or flour.

1. Fry ‘Em Up Heat oil to 350°F.
   • Fry balls in batches until golden brown (4–6 minutes).
   • Drain on a rack or paper towels.

1. Make the Gravy   a pot, melt butter and stir in flour to make a roux.
   • Cook until it’s peanut butter or milk chocolate colored.
   • Add onion, bell pepper, garlic—sauté until soft.
   • Smother & Serve

A quick, elegant dish with bright, briny notes.

• Prep: Sear fillets in olive oil until golden, then finish with a sauce of butter, garlic, lemon juice, capers, and broth.
• Serve with: Roasted potatoes or a fresh herb salad. Full recipe here

A Cajun classic with a smoky crust.

• Prep: Coat fillets in blackening spice, sear in grapeseed oil, and serve with molasses-glazed s

A Cajun classic with a smoky crust.

• Prep: Coat fillets in blackening spice, sear in grapeseed oil, and serve with molasses-glazed sweet potatoes and buttered green beans.
• Flavor profile: Spicy, earthy, and deeply satisfying. See recipe

5. Cast Iron Black Drum

Simple and soulful.

• Prep: Season fillets, sear in butter and oil, finish with lemon juice.
• Tip: Use a heavy skillet and don’t skimp on the butter.

• Step 1: Caramelize sugar   In a cast iron skillet or pot, Cajuns would heat sugar until it darkens—almost to a burnt caramel.
• Step 2: Add water   Once the sugar is caramelized, water is added slowly to dissolve it into a syrupy base.
• Step 3: Brew coffee through it   Strong coffee (often chicory-based) is dripped or poured through the caramel-water mixture, infusing it with deep, smoky sweetness.
• Optional additions:
  
  • A cinnamon stick or clove
  • A splash of evaporated 

A Cajun twist on the Cuban classic, with swamp aromatics and spicy citrus punch.

• 1 whole suckling pig (8–12 lbs), cut into 3–4" pieces
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp filé powder (sassafras)
• ¼ cup cane vinegar
• ¼ cup satsuma juice (or orange juice + splash of lemon)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bunch green onions
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp mustard see

• Mash garlic, salt, cayenne, and filé into a paste.
• Stir in cane vinegar, satsuma juice, thyme leaves.
• Rub marinade into pork pieces. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

• In a large pot, combine green onions, bell pepper, celery, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and mustard seeds with 6 quarts of water.
• Add pork and marinade. Bring to a boil, then simmer 2–3 hours until tender.
• Remove pork and let cool. Strain and reserve broth (makes a killer gumbo base!). Fry

Yields: ~48 croquignoles Prep Time: 25 minutes + chilling Cook Time: 1–1½ minutes per batch Best Served: Fresh, with hot chocolate or café au lait

• ⅓ cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp grated lemon peel
• 4 eggs
• 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup light cream
• Oil for frying
• ½ cup icing sugar (for dusting)

1. Cream butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon peel in a large bowl.
2. Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.
4. Stir dry ingredients into the batter in 3 parts, alternating with cream in 2 parts.
5. Cover and chill dough for 2–3 hours until firm.
6. Divide dough into 4 parts. Work with one at a time, keeping others chilled.
7. On a floured surface, roll out dough to ¼ inch thick.
8. Cut strips ¾ inch wide and 6 inches long.
9.  

• Twist each strip 3 times and pinch ends together with a drop of water.
• Heat oil to 360°F.
• Fry croquignoles 1–1½ minutes per side until golden.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Repeat with remaining dough, keeping unused portions chilled.
• Dust generously with icing sugar and serve warm.

       Reveillon  

“The Night the Bayou Stayed Awake”

Down in the bend, where the moss hangs low and the frogs know when to hush, the Thibodeauxs was settin’ up for Reveillon. Christmas Eve, cher—ain’t no regular supper. You wait ‘til midnight, then you eat like the saints done blessed your table.

Maman Rosalie, she had her croquignoles fryin’ in the black pot, steam risin’ like prayers. The young’uns was runnin’ ‘round, tryin’ to catch shadows on the porch, and the old folks was sippin’ brûlot cof

    Reveillon  

stories that curled like smoke.

“Y’all hush,” Maman said. “The frogs done gone quiet.”

That’s when you know somethin’s stirrin’.

Right ‘fore midnight, Coco Dri—the big ol’ gator Celeste raised like kin—came up from the bayou, slow and easy, layin’ hisself down by the porch like he was waitin’ for his plate. Didn’t nobody flinch. He was family.

Maman Rosalie looked at him, then at the stars, and said,  When the beast com to keep watch, the year gon'be good. They , Laughed the Bayou"Lis

“Réveillon, c’est quand la nuit veille avec nous—on mange, on rit, on prie, pis on se rappelle.” (Réveillon is when the night keeps watch with us—we eat, we laugh, we pray, and we remember.)

It’s the Christmas Eve feast, but it ain’t served ‘til the clock strikes twelve.   You wait, you watch, you stir the pot slow like you coaxin’ a blessing. 

Maman Rosalie looked at him, then at the stars, and said,  When the beast com to keep watch, the year gon'be good. They , Laughed the Bayou" Listen.

étoiles au-dessus, pis les lumières des cyprès dansent dans l’eau comme des lucioles en fête.

Les arbres sont drapés de mousse espagnole, pis les lumières de Noël pendent comme des bijoux anciens. Le vent est doux, l’eau est calme, pis le bayou regarde avec tendresse. C’est pas un traîneau, non—c’est une pirogue bénie, pis Papa Noël, il vient pas du Nord, il vient du cœur du Sud, là où les histoires vivent encore. 

Là-bas dans le coude du bayou, quand le ciel rougit pis les grenouilles font silence, y’a Papa Noël qui glisse sur l’eau comme un rêve d’enfant. Il est debout dans son grand pirogue, large comme un champ de canne, le sourire large comme le Mississippi. Il tient son bâton de bois, pis il pousse doucement, comme s’il connaît chaque racine sous l’eau.

Dans le fond du bateau? Des cadeaux, des paquets, des sacs rouges débordants—des jouets, des douceurs, des promesses. Les rubans brillent comme les

 “Cuisiner sur le brasie – Fait une bonne sauce, cher!”  \

 (Cook it on the fire—make a good sauce, dear!) 

🐖 Braised Pork, with 3’s in a Sauce Rouille "Cher, dat’s three kinds o’ love in one pot—slow-cooked, swamp-kissed, and rouille-rich."

Cajun Sayin’: “Cochon tombé dans la sauce, trois fois béni.”   (The pig fell in the sauce, three times blessed.)

  Cajun Sayin’: “Canard tombé dans la rouille, c’est le goût du bois et du feu.”   (The duck fell in the rouille—it’s the taste of wood and flame.) 

  “Jambalaya au cochon pis viande fumée—fait sur commande, cher. Assez pour nourrir huit bons mangeurs, pis y’en aura p’tet encore pour le lendemain.” (Pork and smoked meat jambalaya—made to order, dear. Enough to feed eight good eaters, and maybe still some left for tomorrow.) 

• 4½ lbs armadillo meat, cleaned and cut into equal pieces
• 1 cup bacon grease or vegetable oil (divided)
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 2 tbsp chopped garlic (about 5 cloves)
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 28 oz diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1–2 jalapeño peppers, chopped (seeds removed)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• Seasonings:
• 1

Seasonings:

• 1 tbsp Creole seasoning (like Tony’s)
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves 

1. Prep the Meat   Season armadillo pieces with Creole seasoning and refrigerate until ready.
2. Brown the Meat   In a Dutch oven, heat 2–3 tbsp oil or bacon grease over medium-high. Brown meat on both sides (about 4 minutes per side). Remove and set aside.
3. Make the Roux   Lower heat to medium. Add remaining oil and flour. Stir constantly for 5–8 minutes until you get a dark roux—like chocolate. Don’t let it 

• Don’t let it burn!
• Build the Base   Add onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Sauté until soft. Stir in tomato paste, wine, stock, tomatoes, jalapeños, red pepper flakes, sugar, Worcestershire, parsley, and seasonings.
• Simmer the Magic   Return meat to the pot. Cover and simmer gently for 2–3 hours until tender and flavorful.
• Serve   Ladle over hot rice. Garnish with green onions and a splash of hot sauce if you’re feelin’ bold.

• Steamed Louisiana white rice – classic and essential for soaking up that piquante gravy.
• Dirty rice – with chicken livers, green onions, and spice for a deeper Cajun echo.
• Corn maque choux – sweet corn sautéed with bell pepper, onion, and a splash of cream.

• Smothered okra – cooked down with tomatoes and garlic until silky.
• Collard greens with tasso – smoky, tender, and just a little bitter to balance the heat.
• Cucumber & tomato salad – dressed with cane vinegar  

• Potato salad (Creole-style) – mustard-based, served cold alongside the hot sauce piquante.
• Sweet potato mash – with a hint of cinnamon and cayenne.
• Fried green tomatoes – crisp, tangy, and perfect for dipping in leftover gravy.

• Skillet cornbread – golden, crumbly, and ready to mop up the sauce.
• Cracklin’ biscuits – flaky biscuits studded with pork cracklings.
• Cajun brûlot coffee – for after, with a slice of fig preserve cake or cane syrup tart. 

🎣 “Apprendre à pêcher, là où le silence parle”   Down on the bayou, cher, where the moss hangs like old secrets and the water don’t rush for nobody, two ti garçons sit barefoot on the bank, cane poles in hand, learnin’ the art of patience. Ain’t no fancy reels or shiny lures—just a hook, a worm, and a whole lotta listenin’.

The older one shows the younger how to feel the tug, how to watch the ripples, how to hush when the frogs go quiet. “Dat’s when you know,” he says, “somethin’s comin’.”  

Down by the bend where the water curls like a sleepy snake, them same two ti garçons stand knee-deep in the shallows. The older one’s holdin’ a cast net—heavy with promise, stitched with stories. He don’t just throw it. He shows it.

“Tu dois danser avec,” he says. “Like you dancin’ with the wind.” He loops the net just so, gathers it in his arms like a lover, then spins—whoosh!—it flies out wide, a silver halo over the bayou. Lands soft, like moss fallin’ from a tree.

  Two Cajun men stand waist-deep in the muddy hush of the bayou, framed by a towering cypress draped in Spanish moss. One wears a straw hat, the other a faded ball cap. Their arms plunge into the water, bare and strong, searching by feel for the whiskered prize below. A catfish, big as a watermelon and twice as slippery, thrashes between them—caught not by hook, but by grit and knowing. 

 This image ain’t just a picture—it’s a promise. Of wild places, real food, and adventure .

   Two Cajun men, waist-deep in the hush of the shallows, wrangle a beast older than memory—a massive alligator snapping turtle, mouth wide, neck stretched like it’s reachin’ for the past. This ain’t just noodlin’. It’s a moment caught between myth and muscle. 

 Hand-signed, numbered, and printed on archival bayou-textured stock.   Includes a certificate of authenticity and a short dispatch from Celeste herself. 

  Limited Edition Print – $125 Only 50 prints available 

  Big Mamou Enterprises, 4037 E Bayou Wood Dr, Lake Charles, LA Date & Time: Saturdays at Sunrise (6:30 AM – 8:30 AM) Price: $35 per person | Includes coffee, storytelling, and a light bayou breakfast Booking: Call (337) 317-4312 or visit Big Mamou’s site

 🌿 What You’ll Learn:

• How to pole a pirogue the old-fashioned way—quiet, graceful, and swamp-wise
• Reading the water, feeling the mud, and moving with the rhythm of the bayou
• Cajun proverbs, frog songs, and tales from the bend where stories gather

1. Don’t Fight the Water   You gotta feel it, cher. The bayou don’t like to be rushed. You plant that pole gentle in the mud, lean your weight just enough, and let the boat glide like it’s got its own mind.

2. Balance Like a Heron   A pirogue’s skinny as a lie and tips like gossip. Keep your feet wide, knees soft, and your eyes on the horizon. You ain’t just standin’—you’re dancin’.

3. Read the Ripples   The water talks if you listen. Watch for the way it curls ‘round the knees of a cypress or hushes near a gator’s breath. That’s where you steer.

4. Know Your Mud   Hard clay grips. Soft muck swallows. You learn where to plant your pole by the feel of the bottom. T-Jules says, “If it sucks your boot off, don’t pole there.”

5. Respect the Silence   A good poler don’t splash, don’t shout, and don’t rush. The bayou’s got ears, and if you move quiet, it’ll show you things you w

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min

• 3–4 lbs catfish filets (keep whole if possible)
• 1 gallon water (for fish stock)
• 6 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup each: chopped onion, bell pepper, celery
• ½ cup green onions
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp salt
• 2½ tsp each: red pepper, black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 3 tsp paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup flour + ½ cup oil (for roux)

1. Make the Stock: Boil catfish filets in 1 gallon water for 10 minutes. Remove fish and set aside.
2. Build the Roux: In a separate pot, stir flour and oil over medium heat until deep brown.
3. Combine & Simmer: Add chopped veggies, tomato sauce, seasonings, and roux to the fish stock. Boil for 1 hour.
4. Finish with Fish: Add bay leaf and catfish. Simmer gently for 30 minutes. Shake the pot to avoid breaking up the fish—don’t stir.
5. Serve over rice, sprinkle with parsley and green onions  

   Side DishDescription

Smothered Okra Cooked down with tomatoes, garlic, and a whisper of sassafras until silky.

Dirty Rice Chicken livers, green onions, and spice—deep, earthy, and full of soul.

Cracklin’ Biscuits Flaky biscuits studded with pork cracklings—perfect for mop-up duty. 

Down by the bend, where the moss hangs low and the cypress leans like it’s listenin’, Celeste’s settin’ up for supper. She’s perched on a short stool, knees wide, elbows restin’ like she’s been doin’ this since before the bayou had a name. Her bandana’s tied tight, red as a crawfish boil, and her eyes got that look—half prayer, half memory.

The fire’s cracklin’ in a ring of river stones, and over it hangs that long copper poissonnière, glintin’ like a relic from the old country.    

a spotted cat—big as a promise, speckled like the stories on her tongue—simmers in sassafras broth. Steam rises slow, curlin’ like smoke from a fiddle tune, and Celeste lifts the lid gentle, like she’s wakin’ a spirit.

She don’t stir. She shakes the pot, just so. That’s how you keep the fish whole, cher. That’s how you honor the catch.

Behind her, the porch creaks. A child giggles. Somewhere, a frog hushes. And in that hush, you know 

  The bayou wakes slow. Maman Rosalie hangs linens on the line while red beans simmer low and steady. Children chase frogs, elders swap porch stories, and the scent of sassafras floats on the breeze. 

  Le bayou s’éveille doucement. Maman Rosalie étend les draps pendant que les haricots rouges mijotent tout bas. Les ti-garçons courent après les grenouilles, les vieux jasent sur le perron, pis l’odeur du sassafras flotte dans l’air. 

  Folks gather at the bend with baskets full of okra, eggs, and gossip. T-Jules sells pickled things in jars that sparkle like bayou jewels. A cast net flies wide,  

 Le monde se rassemble au coude avec des paniers pleins d’okra, d’œufs, pis de commérages. T-Jules vend des affaires marinées dans des pots qui brillent comme des bijoux du bayou. Quelqu’un lance le filet, pis un autr 

  Breakfast is couche-couche with cane syrup, served hot with a side of porch laughter. Midday brings pirogue polin’ lessons and quiet noodlin’ for supper. The water’s still, but the stories ripple. 

 Le déjeuner, c’est du couche-couche avec du sirop de canne, chaud et sucré, servi avec des rires sur le perron. L’après-midi, on apprend à pousser la pirogue pis à pêcher doucement pour le souper. L’eau est calme, mais les histoires font des vagues. 

  The pit’s lit early. Cochon de lait turns slow while the elders prep roux and rouille. Children carve voodoo dolls from driftwood. Celeste pens a dispatch about the Atchafalaya Dragon, who’s been restless lately. 

 Le feu est allumé tôt. Le cochon de lait tourne lentement pendant que les vieux préparent le roux pis la rouille. Les enfants sculptent des poupées vaudou dans le bois flotté. Celeste écrit une chronique sur le Dragon d’Atchafalaya, qui semble un peu agité ces jours-ci. 

  Fiddles and accordions echo through the trees. Moonshine jars clink. The bayou hums with rhythm, and even the gators seem to sway. Melanie’s back from her travels, unpacking stories and strange artifacts 

 Les violons pis les accordéons résonnent dans les arbres. Les pots de clairin tintent. Le bayou vibre avec le rythme, pis même les gators semblent danser. Mélanie est revenue, avec des histoires pis des objets étranges. 

  The young ones learn to cast nets and read ripples. Elders teach the old ways—how to cook with soul, how to listen when the frogs go quiet. A turtle slips through the reeds, and someone swears it spoke. 

 Les jeunes apprennent à lancer le filet pis à lire les rides de l’eau. Les vieux enseignent les vieilles façons—comment cuisiner avec l’âme, comment écouter quand les grenouilles se taisent. Une tortue glisse dans les roseaux, pis quelqu’un jure qu’elle a parlé. 

  The bayou hushes. Brûlot coffee brews dark and sweet. Dispatches are read aloud. Celeste lights a candle for the ancestors. The bend glows with reverence, and the moss hangs heavy with memory. 

 Le bayou se tait. Le café brûlot est fort et sucré. Les chroniques sont lues à haute voix. Celeste allume une chandelle pour les ancêtres. Le coude brille avec révérence, pis la mousse pend lourde avec les souvenirs.