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This easy recipe uses the steam from rice to soften collard greens as they cook together in one pot. The rice makes a hearty base for Cajun-spiced catfish and persimmon (a seasonal fruit with sweet, subtly spiced flavor) marinated with pickled jalapeño.

Ethan Mick

with Marinated Persimmon & Collard Green Rice

Baked Cajun Catfish

Catfish Fillets

Jasmine Rice

Scallions

Collard Greens

Persimmon

Butter

Sliced Pickled Jalapeño Pepper

Red Wine Vinegar

Sugar

Cajun Spice Blend (Smoked Paprika, Ground Yellow Mustard, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Whole Dried Oregano, Whole Dried Thyme, & Cayenne Pepper)

Roasted Almonds

Ingredients

oven

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven, then preheat to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the root ends of the **scallions**; [thinly slice on an angle, separating the white bottoms and green tops](#). [Remove and discard the stems of the **collard greens**;](#) thinly slice the leaves. Place in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Core and medium dice the **persimmon**. Roughly chop the **almonds**. Roughly chop the **pepper**. Thoroughly wash your hands immediately after handling.

Prepare the ingredients:

In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the **sliced white bottoms of the scallions**; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the **rice**, **a** **big pinch of salt**, and **1 ½ cups of water**. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, place the **sliced collard greens** on top of the rice. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook 19 to 21 minutes, or until the collard greens have wilted, the water has been absorbed, and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and stir to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make the collard green rice:

While the rice and collard greens cook, in a bowl, combine the **diced persimmon**, **sugar**, **vinegar**, and **as much of the chopped pepper as you’d like**, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Marinate the persimmon:

While the persimmon marinates, line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Cut the **butter** into four equal-sized pieces. Place **half the butter** on the sheet pan. Place the **spice blend** on a plate. Pat the **fish fillets** dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Thoroughly coat the seasoned fillets in the spice blend (tapping off any excess). Place each coated fillet on top of a piece of butter. Top the fillets with the **remaining butter**. Bake 11 to 13 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. Remove from the oven.

Prepare & bake the fish:

Serve the **baked fish fillets** with the **collard green rice**. Top the fish with any melted butter from the sheet pan, the **marinated persimmon** (including any marinating liquid), and the **chopped almonds**. Garnish with the **sliced green tops of the scallions**. Enjoy!