Panfish Crawfish Bread Bowls

 George Fiorille

Catching panfish is a lot of fun. They are one of the best fish to start kids or inexperienced anglers on because they are plentiful and relatively easy to catch. By having lots of action starting off fishing, it gives the angler a greater chance of liking the sport and staying with it.

Panfish are not only easy to catch but they are great to eat if prepared properly. One of the most popular ways to eat panfish is to bread them and deep fry until golden brown. Panfish such as crappie, bluegills, sunfish, pumpkinseeds, and rock bass are highly prized by avid anglers to eat. Many anglers strongly feel they taste much better in colder water such as in spring, late fall, and winter. The fish are firmer and hold together better.

While deep fried fish is good, there are other ways to prepare them. Many anglers get tired of cooking them the same old way. Pan fish can be prepared in a variety of ways such as used in casseroles, poor man’s shrimp, and other recipes.

 A unique way to prepare panfish fillets is to use them in a seafood bread bowl. They are excellent when you combine the cut up fillets with a shellfish such as crawfish, crab meat, langostinos, or another.

Recipe Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp unsalted softened butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp virgin olive oil (split 1 and 1)
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic chopped (can add 1 or more if you desire)
• ½ lb (8 ounces) panfish fillets cut in one inch pieces
• ½ lb (8 ounces) shelled crawfish meat
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup cream cheese softened
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (separate ¼ cup out)
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• 2-4 Sour dough bread bowls
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree
2. Heat peanut or canola oil over medium heat in cast iron or deep fry pan
3. Coat 1-inch panfish chunks with flour, salt, and pepper
4. Lightly brown fish, drain on paper towels and set aside ( May only need 1 min each side)
5. Heat another large, deep fry pan over medium heat
6. Hollow out bread bowls by cutting the tops off according to how much you will fill
7. Take softened butter and spread on inside and outside of bread bowls
8. Lay tops upside down on 10” x 14” baking sheets to make garlic bread for dipping
9. Take the tops and brush inside edge of each one using the half of olive oil
10. Sprinkle the bread tops with the garlic salt
11. Sprinkle the bread tops with ¼ cup mozzarella cheese
12. Heat tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in second fry pan
13. Saute diced onion until softened
14. Add garlic and saute until fragrant
15. Add fish and crawfish into fry pan
16. Add heavy cream, cream cheese, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper
17. Let mixture simmer gently for a few minutes until it thickens
18. Fill bread bowls to the top with seafood mixture and place on baking sheet
19. Cover garlic bread bowl tops with aluminum foil tent
20. Bake bread bowls in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes until warm and bubbly.
21. Serve hot and use garlic bread bowl tops for dunking

Recipe Preparation Tips

Of course if you’re able, you can bake your own bread bowls by a number of recipes available on line. If you prefer to just buy them and have a hard time locating some, check out the local Panera Bread store in your area. At most Panera restaurants, you can purchase the sour dough bowls for around the $2-$3 range each. Also, the recipe calls for 2-4 bowls. If you’re a big eater, dig the bowls out deeper and add more of the panfish/crawfish cooked mixture and you will only need 2 bowls. Dig them shallower and get 4 servings from the recipe above. The mixture works well for either a whole meal or an appetizer.

If your local seafood store does not carry crawfish, try checking out the frozen seafood section in your local Wal-Mart store. A frozen 8-ounce bag of crawfish meat can be purchased for around $8.

Looking for a new, decadent, and wonderful way to cook your panfish fillets? Try making the Panfish/crawfish bread bowls recipe above. This stuffed seafood bowl with its rich creamy filling and crispy, golden bread bowl will be a big hit for either a weekly main course or as an appetizer for your dinner guests. Fish On!