The Chef: Mashama Bailey
Her restaurant: The Grey, in Savannah, Ga.
What She’s Known For: Carrying the legacy of the great Southern cook Edna Lewis into the 21st century, with a focus on regional ingredients. Elevating comfort food in a way that it remains rooted in tradition.
UPON MOVING to Savannah, Ga., to open the Grey, chef Mashama Bailey had to hit the ground running. “The first year, I missed all the seasons,” she said. Eventually, though, her cooking fell in step with local rhythms, and this dish was born.
“We get peppers from spring through September, and catfish is super available and sustainable down here,” Ms. Bailey said. She decided the way to make the most of both was in a North African-style tagine. The recipe calls for cooking catfish fillets on a bed of stewed peppers. Chermoula, a paste of herbs, cumin and paprika, does double duty as marinade for the fish and condiment to serve with it.
The catfish steams gently as its drippings mingle with the vegetables to make a flavorful stew that regulars at the Grey have come to look forward to at this time of year. “People have started asking about this dish again,” said Ms. Bailey. “We’ll be putting it back on the menu soon.”
Catfish Tagine With Chermoula
Total Time: 40 minutes Serves: 4
- 1 red bell pepper, halved lengthwise, cored and seeded
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil and more for broiling peppers
- 4 catfish fillets
- Kosher salt
- 1 serrano pepper, stemmed and seeded
- 1 carrot, grated
- 2 green bell peppers, julienned
- 2 yellow or orange peppers, julienned
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1½ tablespoons sweet paprika
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup cilantro
- Juice of 1 lemon
1. Set broiler to high. Rub red bell pepper with oil and set under broiler, cut-side down. Broil until charred in spots, 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, season fish with salt and refrigerate.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scrape any loose, charred skin from red pepper and place in a food processor. Add serrano and pulse to a smooth paste. Swirl ¼ cup oil into a large, lidded pan and set over medium heat. Stir in pepper paste, grated carrot, julienned peppers, and onions. Season with salt. Sauté until peppers soften fully, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make chermoula: In clean bowl of food processor, combine garlic, cumin, paprika, parsley and cilantro. Pulse to finely chop. Transfer to a bowl, stir in remaining olive oil, and season with salt and lemon juice.
4. Spread half the chermoula over fish. Place fish on sautéed peppers in pan and cover with lid. Transfer to oven and cook until fish is opaque and flaky, about 10 minutes. Serve tagine with reserved sauce on the side.