Houston: We Have Tilapia Lafayette

This week in Houston I was lucky enough to eat at Pappa's Seafood House. The menu was so appealing, I had trouble choosing. Three days later, on our way back to the airport, we stopped for a second time, for lunch, and it was jammed packed - a clear indication this was The Place to eat seafood in Houston. Unfortunately, they don't have a cookbook, so I'll have to reverse-engineer some of the dishes I had. For one, their Cajun blackened fish was fantastic - either catfish or tilapia! Here is something close to one of their dishes. They used crab, and I use langoustine tails - either way it's bound to be good.
1 red pepper cut into 2-inch strips
12 oz snap peas
1 Tbsp capers

4 tilapia fillets
2 Tbsp canola oil
8 large shrimp, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup langoustine tails, optional

Dry rub:
1 Tbsp Cajun Bayou spice blend
1 tsp chipotle powder

1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup chicken stock or clam juice
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 cup half and half or cream

In a large non-stick skillet, sauté the red pepper and the snap peas with a bit of canola oil over fairly high heat for about 3-5 minutes. Add the capers and cook another minute. Set veggies aside in a bowl.

Dredge the fish filets in the dry rub gently, and dust remaining powder off. Sauté the tilapia fillets in canola oil over fairly high heat in the non-stick skillet. Cook on one side for about 2 minutes, then flip gently. Cook on the other side for another two minutes. Set fish aside on a plate, covered to keep warm. Toss the shrimp and langoustine tails into the hot pan and cook another 3-5 minutes, until just cooked through. Remove to the veggie bowl, cover and keep warm.

Finally, add the butter and canola oil to the pan and cook until the butter melts and froths. Add the flour and cook for about 2-3 minutes, whisking well. Add the stock, sherry and cream, and whisk until the sauce thickens well. Add a bit more stock if sauce is still too thick; it should just coat a spoon well. Toss in the veggies and shrimp and heat through.

Divide the veggies on 4 plates evenly. Top with the fish fillets. Arrange a shrimp or two in top of the fillets decoratively. Serve with limes, and with rice or other grain, if desired. Serves four.