Crispy Fried Redfish with Tomato Shrimp Gravy

I first had tomato gravy at a good friend’s home down in Apalachicola, Florida. It just so happens that they are in the shrimp business, so it was only natural that they added shrimp to gravy. My wife and I immediately started making the dish ourselves and have been in love with it since. While we will often eat it by itself, my favorite way to serve it is over a bed of grits made with spicy beer cheese.

Serve the tomato gravy over a bed of creamy cheese grits and top it with your favorite fried fish. All images by Michael Pendley

We were rummaging the freezer a few days ago for dinner ideas and ran across a redfish one of us had caught on a recent trip. Then we found some wild caught, American shrimp (from our friends) and knew right away what we would make.

Use whatever flaky white fish you have handy, fresh or salt water.

You don’t have to have redfish for this one. Any flaky white fish from catfish to bass to panfish to whiting or sheepshead will work. If you are buying shrimp, as mentioned above, always look for wild caught, preferably from American waters. You might pay a few cents more than for farm raised, imported shrimp, but the quality difference and peace of mind that the shrimp came from clean water is worth it.

Peel and devein wild caught, American shrimp.

I like to start the soup first, then fry the shrimp and add them to the simmering pot. While the soup cooks, go ahead and make the grits and, finally, fry the fish. For grits, I prefer stone ground. White or yellow, your choice. Cook the grits according to package directions. I normally substitute half milk and half chicken stock for the liquid portion. Finally, once the grits have finished cooking, stir in 6 ounces of your favorite spicy beer cheese. The combination of creamy grits and the spice from the beer cheese is the perfect base for the gravy.

To start, in a large, heavy pot, add ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup bacon grease or lard over medium heat. Add ½ cup all purpose flour. Blend the flour into the fat, stirring constantly to form a roux. Keep cooking until your roux is about the color of peanut butter, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato juice and the fire roasted tomatoes. Add the Cajun seasoning, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and chicken bouillon base. Bring the mixture to a simmer and reduce the heat to low.

Start the soup by making a roux.

While the soup simmers, peel and devein a pound of medium shrimp. I’m a big fan of the Toadfish Shrimp Cleaner tool to make the task quick and easy. Once you have the shrimp cleaned, toss them in your favorite seasoned shrimp coating.

Coat the shrimp in your favorite fry mix.

I usually go with the Louisiana Seasoned Shrimp Batter. Over the years, I’ve used several brands, as well as making my own, and I always go back to the Louisiana brand.

My favorite shrimp fry is Louisiana brand.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pan. Shoot for 350 on your oil temperature. Cooler will allow the oil to soak in and leave you with soggy, greasy fish and shrimp. Much hotter and you will burn the outside before the shrimp and fish cook all the way through.

Drop the dredged shrimp into the oil a few at a time. Fry for three to five minutes or until golden brown and just cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp from the oil, letting excess oil drain back into the pot. Move the cooked shrimp to the gravy and continue cooking until all the shrimp are in the gravy pot.

Fry the shrimp then move them directly to the gravy pot.

Continue simmering the soup while you work on the fish.

Keep the gravy at a simmer while you fry the fish.

Next, season the fish in your favorite cornmeal based fish meal. I used Andy’s Cajun on this one. Once the fish is covered on all sides, gently lower it into the oil. Fry for 4-6 minutes or until the fillets are golden brown and float to the surface. Move to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to drain.

Dredge the fish and fry it in the same oil you used for the shrimp.

To plate, I like to spoon a bed of grits onto a plate or into a shallow bowl, then top with plenty of shrimp and tomato gravy. Place the fried fish on top just before serving. You can cover the fish with the gravy, but I prefer the fish on top to keep it crispy.