"Goop" Rediscovered: Pappadeaux Blackened Oyster and Shrimp Fondue...at Home!

There is a Pappadeaux seafood place just down the street from us. It's a place we go for a "cheat" meal. For when we want to stuff ourselves. We almost always split what I call the "fried everything" platter. More oysters, crawfish, shrimp and catfish than a person should (or even could) eat in one sitting.

It's also the place I order my most guilty food pleasure. A melted creamy concoction they call Blackened Oyster and Shrimp Fondeaux. (Catchy, huh? Those Pappas marketing people.) It's cheesy with chunks of spicy seafood and mushrooms, with spinach thrown in for good measure. Spooned onto garlic bread, it's probably the thing I would request if I ever were given the unfortunate task of ordering my "last meal."

(And so good that I'm taking some out-of-town colleagues to try it tomorrow night. Last time, I introduced them to the queso at Mi Cocina. One of them calls it the "bowl of cheese." So, I thought we'd stick with a theme...)

I decided the other day to see if I could make it at home. Googled away and found this. To my thrilled surprise, it was dead-on. Now I can gorge myself in the privacy of my own home! It's not healthy, but it IS sinfully delicious.

Blackened Oyster and Shrimp Fondue
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 onion, chopped
1 cup shrimp stock (or water) (To make about 1 cup of shrimp stock, boil 1/3 cup of shrimp shells in 1 1/2 cups of water for 30 minutes. Strain out solids.)
1/2 cup white wine
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whipping cream

4 shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 oysters
(I also added about 4 ounces of crawfish tail meat. You can find it in most large seafood departments.)
Blackened fish seasoning to taste (To make it really taste like the original, use liberally. Like 3 or 4 tablespoons.)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped spinach
4 mushrooms, sliced
2 ounces lump crab meat
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
5 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Kosher salt
Lemon juice

Garlic bread for serving

To make the sauce, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan. Whisk in the flour and onion. Cook over medium-low heat until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Slowly stir in stock and wine, whisking to avoid lumps. When the mixture is smooth, stir in the cayenne and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add whipping cream and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Season shrimp and oysters (and crawfish if you're using) with blackened fish seasonings. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saute pan and cook seafood for about two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach, mushrooms, crab and green onion. Saute another 2-4 minutes, until mushrooms and spinach soften. Fold in sauce and bring to a simmer. Taste for seasonings and add salt as needed. To really brighten the flavor, add a teaspoon or so of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Pour into a heatproof dish. (I put mine into two pie plates. One for now and put one in the freezer (without the cheese).) Top with grated cheese and put under a broiler until cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Serve with garlic bread.