Blackened Cajun Catfish with Dirty Rice & Collard Greens

Begin by preparing the collard greens. Remove the tough stems and tear the leaves into large pieces. Wash thoroughly in cold water and set aside.

In a large pot, cook 4 slices of bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon, leaving the fat in the pot, and set aside to crumble later.

Add the collard greens to the pot with bacon fat, stirring to coat. Pour in 1 cup of chicken stock and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.

Bring the collards to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 30-35 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.

While the collards cook, prepare the dirty rice. Finely chop 1 medium yellow onion, 1 medium green bell pepper, 2 celery stalks, and 3 cloves of garlic to create the 'holy trinity' of Cajun cooking.

Finely chop 1/4 pound of chicken livers until they're almost a paste-like consistency.

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 pound of ground pork and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the chopped vegetables to the pork and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped chicken livers and cook for another 3 minutes.

Stir in 1 1/2 cups of rice, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid. Remove the bay leaf.

While the rice cooks, prepare the catfish. In a shallow dish, combine 3 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Pat the 4 catfish fillets dry with paper towels and coat them generously on both sides with the spice mixture, pressing it into the fish.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.

Place the catfish in the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until blackened and cooked through. The fish should flake easily with a fork when done.

Remove the fish and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet, allowing it to melt. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon and add 1 tablespoon of hot sauce to create a quick pan sauce.

Chop the 3 green onions and crumble the reserved bacon.

To serve, place a portion of dirty rice on each plate, top with a catfish fillet, and spoon the pan sauce over the fish. Serve the collard greens on the side, garnished with crumbled bacon and chopped green onions.