RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) – Catfish étouffée is not a dish that landlocked states are typically treated to, but it is just one of many Cajun dishes available at K’Lynn’s Southern and Cajun Fusion in Rio Rancho. With the kickoff of Black History Month just days away, Chad Brummett visited a small eatery with big flavors as part of the KRQE original series, “ New Mexico Frontiers .”
Dishes like browned catfish, breaded okra, jerk chicken, and shrimp po’boys are served daily at K’Lynn’s in Rio Rancho. The mastermind behind the eatery is Karen Johnson-Bey, a woman who is no stranger to the food industry.
“I just learned to cook when I was nine years old. I just loved to cook. I watched the old-fashioned cooking shows, like Julia Child and all of them; next thing you know, I was in the kitchen making stuff,” says Johnson-Bey.
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The chef’s journey is not typical for the food business – Johnson-Bey never had formal training as a chef. “I learned everything as I went along,” Johnson-Bey says. “How to do portions, how to do the pricing, how to do the plates, how to buy the plates. I mean, there’s so much to learn.”