The sun begins to rise over the eastern edge of Calcasieu Lake. It’s bright orange and yellow glow forewarns of a hot summer’s day ahead. A high-pressure ridge dominates the weather and the early morning fish populations are feeding on shrimp in the flats. Steam rises from the water as the humidity hangs so thick in the air that you can cut it with a knife. The fishing camps are bustling with activities as boats are loaded with fishing gear, cold snacks and for those who use it, live bait. Boat captains are firing up their 200 horse powered Yamaha motors and slipping their tunnel hulled skiffs out from the boat docks and into the open water. Sun screen is being liberally applied, sunglasses are wiped clean and there’s a quiet relaxation as the boats cruise effortlessly to their destinations. Welcome to one of the fishing capitals of the Louisiana Gulf Coast. Welcome to Hackberry.
Located on the far southeastern edge of Louisiana just a few miles from the Texas border bounded on the west by Port Arthur TX and to the northeast by Lake Charles LA, the terrain is best described as a large wetland swamp, not quite sea or not quite land. Most of the area is encompassed by the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. Duck hunting is wildly popular in the area but the real attraction are the various inland waterways, brackish lakes and of course the Gulf of Mexico which afford an abundance of various fish and shell fish species making it a fisherman’s paradise.
Although one could list dozens of different fish species, most game fisherman are there to seek out the holy trinity; red drum (aka redfish or reds), flounder and of course (Troutman’s namesake) the speckled sea trout (aka specks). Shrimp, oysters and crawfish (aka mud bugs) are also ever present and in abundance.
I was invited to Hackberry one summer's day and what made that particular trip memorable was the fact that I managed to snag more flounder than I had previously ever caught at one time. I love flounder, it’s a relatively light and slightly sweet tasting fish. Being a flat fish and bottom feeder, they tend to congregate in the shallow wetland areas. You have to “bump” your jig along the bottom to attract their attention. For some reason I got on to them that day while others were chunking for trout and reds. When you hit a spot like that, you tend to hang until its fished out. Of course, like everything else at Hackberry, the flounder were as big as doormats.
After cleaning and icing them down in my Yeti cooler, I drove home and filled my freezer with those gems. I also decided to develop my own version of a dish I had previously had here on the Texas Gulf Coast, that of stuffing whole flounder and smoking them to perfection. It’s for that reason that I share this recipe with you and pay homage to this real and rustic favorite of Louisiana cooking utilizing a combination of the oysters, shrimp and fish that their coastal waters abundantly produce.
Shrimp and Oyster Stuffed Whole Flounder
Course. Lunch or Dinner.
Cuisine. Louisiana Cajun
Makes. 2-3 servings
Takes. 45 minutes prep, 60 minutes cooking time
Ingredients
Stuffing:
1 pint fresh Gulf Oysters
1 pound cleaned and deveined shrimp
2 tbls avocado oil for sauté
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 cup seafood or chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 tbls Tony C’s or other Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp fresh black pepper
1-1/2 cups bread crumbs
Fish:
1 whole flounder, cleaned with scales removed, head on or off. Optional: flounder filets
2 tbls olive oil
2 tbls fresh lemon juice
1 tbls Tony C’s or other Cajun seasoning
1 tsp Dill weed
Directions
Fire up your smoker or grill. Set temperature to about 350*F.
Prepare the oysters and shrimp. Drain the oysters in a colander, rinse then remove most of the moisture. Retain the liquor to add to the stuffing. Chop the oysters and the shrimp into small bite size pieces. Place in the refrigerator while preparing the stuffing.
Next, in a large heated skillet add the avocado oil. Sauté the onion, celery and green onion until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Add to that the garlic and continue for an additional minute. Season with half of the Cajun seasonings.
De-glaze he pan with the white wine. Allow to reduce and burn off the alcohol. To that add the stock, the Worcestershire, the retained oyster liquor and the remaining seasoning. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add the oysters and shrimp, cooking for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp begin to turn pink.
Turn off the heat and begin adding the bread crumbs. Work the stuffing to the consistency desired by adding a little of the bread crumbs at a time. Avoid a wet or a dry stuffing, try to reach the consistency of cooked oatmeal. Allow to cool while preparing the fish.
With a sharp boning knife, make an incision along the backbone of the fish from the gills to about 1” from the tail. Work the knife along the inside of the meat under the skin to loosen from the ribs. You will feel the knife gliding along the rib cage if done properly. Repeat on both sides.
Gently lift up both flaps of meat and press the stuffing into the cavity. If the head is still attached also stuff the area under the gill plates. When done, liberally brush some olive oil and the lemon juice all over the fish and stuffing. Season with the Cajun seasoning and the dill weed.
*Note* This can also be done with flounder filets. Place the stuffing between two filets and cook the resultant sandwich the same way.
Place the stuffed fish in your smoker or grill in an offset manner away from direct heat. I prefer to use a silicone Phat Mat grill mesh or a wire rack so the entire fish can be easily placed then removed. Place a piece of pecan or cherry wood on your coals for some light smoke. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the fish flesh has turned white and is flakey. If the fish begins to dry out brush with a little oil or melted butter. Once done slice into sections and serve with your favorite sides.
Enjoy Louisiana Real and Rustic cooking, you will fall in love with it. In the words of the late Justin Wilson, “J’vous garantis” or “I gar-roon-tee!”
In case you missed any recipes in this series, check out these other Louisiana Real and Rustic dishes;
Seafood Courtboullon
Boudin Stuffed Quail
Located on the far southeastern edge of Louisiana just a few miles from the Texas border bounded on the west by Port Arthur TX and to the northeast by Lake Charles LA, the terrain is best described as a large wetland swamp, not quite sea or not quite land. Most of the area is encompassed by the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. Duck hunting is wildly popular in the area but the real attraction are the various inland waterways, brackish lakes and of course the Gulf of Mexico which afford an abundance of various fish and shell fish species making it a fisherman’s paradise.
Although one could list dozens of different fish species, most game fisherman are there to seek out the holy trinity; red drum (aka redfish or reds), flounder and of course (Troutman’s namesake) the speckled sea trout (aka specks). Shrimp, oysters and crawfish (aka mud bugs) are also ever present and in abundance.
I was invited to Hackberry one summer's day and what made that particular trip memorable was the fact that I managed to snag more flounder than I had previously ever caught at one time. I love flounder, it’s a relatively light and slightly sweet tasting fish. Being a flat fish and bottom feeder, they tend to congregate in the shallow wetland areas. You have to “bump” your jig along the bottom to attract their attention. For some reason I got on to them that day while others were chunking for trout and reds. When you hit a spot like that, you tend to hang until its fished out. Of course, like everything else at Hackberry, the flounder were as big as doormats.
After cleaning and icing them down in my Yeti cooler, I drove home and filled my freezer with those gems. I also decided to develop my own version of a dish I had previously had here on the Texas Gulf Coast, that of stuffing whole flounder and smoking them to perfection. It’s for that reason that I share this recipe with you and pay homage to this real and rustic favorite of Louisiana cooking utilizing a combination of the oysters, shrimp and fish that their coastal waters abundantly produce.
Shrimp and Oyster Stuffed Whole Flounder
Course. Lunch or Dinner.
Cuisine. Louisiana Cajun
Makes. 2-3 servings
Takes. 45 minutes prep, 60 minutes cooking time
Ingredients
Stuffing:
1 pint fresh Gulf Oysters
1 pound cleaned and deveined shrimp
2 tbls avocado oil for sauté
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 cup seafood or chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 tbls Tony C’s or other Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp fresh black pepper
1-1/2 cups bread crumbs
Fish:
1 whole flounder, cleaned with scales removed, head on or off. Optional: flounder filets
2 tbls olive oil
2 tbls fresh lemon juice
1 tbls Tony C’s or other Cajun seasoning
1 tsp Dill weed
Directions
Fire up your smoker or grill. Set temperature to about 350*F.
Prepare the oysters and shrimp. Drain the oysters in a colander, rinse then remove most of the moisture. Retain the liquor to add to the stuffing. Chop the oysters and the shrimp into small bite size pieces. Place in the refrigerator while preparing the stuffing.
Next, in a large heated skillet add the avocado oil. Sauté the onion, celery and green onion until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Add to that the garlic and continue for an additional minute. Season with half of the Cajun seasonings.
De-glaze he pan with the white wine. Allow to reduce and burn off the alcohol. To that add the stock, the Worcestershire, the retained oyster liquor and the remaining seasoning. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add the oysters and shrimp, cooking for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp begin to turn pink.
Turn off the heat and begin adding the bread crumbs. Work the stuffing to the consistency desired by adding a little of the bread crumbs at a time. Avoid a wet or a dry stuffing, try to reach the consistency of cooked oatmeal. Allow to cool while preparing the fish.
With a sharp boning knife, make an incision along the backbone of the fish from the gills to about 1” from the tail. Work the knife along the inside of the meat under the skin to loosen from the ribs. You will feel the knife gliding along the rib cage if done properly. Repeat on both sides.
Gently lift up both flaps of meat and press the stuffing into the cavity. If the head is still attached also stuff the area under the gill plates. When done, liberally brush some olive oil and the lemon juice all over the fish and stuffing. Season with the Cajun seasoning and the dill weed.
*Note* This can also be done with flounder filets. Place the stuffing between two filets and cook the resultant sandwich the same way.
Place the stuffed fish in your smoker or grill in an offset manner away from direct heat. I prefer to use a silicone Phat Mat grill mesh or a wire rack so the entire fish can be easily placed then removed. Place a piece of pecan or cherry wood on your coals for some light smoke. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the fish flesh has turned white and is flakey. If the fish begins to dry out brush with a little oil or melted butter. Once done slice into sections and serve with your favorite sides.
Enjoy Louisiana Real and Rustic cooking, you will fall in love with it. In the words of the late Justin Wilson, “J’vous garantis” or “I gar-roon-tee!”
In case you missed any recipes in this series, check out these other Louisiana Real and Rustic dishes;
Seafood Courtboullon
Boudin Stuffed Quail
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