Southwestern Pan-Fried Catfish
| 1/4 cup | all-purpose flour |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| 2 | Catfish Fillets |
| Pinch of chili powder | |
| 1/4 cup | clarified butter or canola oil |
| 1 teaspoon | finely chopped garlic |
| 1/4 cup | white wine |
| 1/4 cup | chopped green chili peppers |
| 1 tablespoon | finely chopped tomato |
| 1/2 tablespoon | butter or margarine |
| 1/2 tablespoon | chopped green onion |
| 1. | Place flour in a shallow dish or on a piece of wax paper; season with salt and pepper. Lightly coat catfish fillets with seasoned flour. Set aside on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Dust fillets with chili powder. |
| 2. | Place a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in clarified butter or canola oil. Add garlic and saute until lightly browned. Place catfish fillets in pan and cook over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. Turn fillets over and cook 1 minute more. Add wine, chili peppers, tomato and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and cook until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. |
| 3. | Place fillets on serving plates. Add butter and green onion to sauce in skillet. Stir until blended and pour over catfish. |
Classic Fried Catfish
| 3/4 cup | 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal |
| 1/4 cup | all-purpose flour |
| 2 teaspoons | salt |
| 1 teaspoon | cayenne pepper |
| 1/4 teaspoon | garlic powder |
| 4 | Catfish fillets |
| Vegetable oil | |
| For garnish: Sliced tomato and parsley sprigs | |
| 1. | Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Coat farm-raised catfish with mixture, shaking off excess |
| 2. | Fill deep pot or 12-inch skillet half full with vegetable oil. Heat to 350 °F. Add catfish in single layer, and fry until golden brown, about 5 - 6 minutes, depending on size. Remove and drain on paper towels. |
Blackened Catfish
| 6 | Catfish fillets |
| 1/2 teaspoon | garlic powder |
| 1 teaspoon | cayenne pepper |
| 1 teaspoon | black pepper |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| 1 tablespoon | crushed dried thyme leaves |
| 1/2 teaspoon | paprika |
| 1 stick | butter |
| 1/4 cup | dry white wine |
| Juice of one lemon | |
| 1. | Wash the catfish fillets and pat dry. Set aside. Combine all the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. |
| 2. | Melt the butter in a pan. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Dip the fillets into the butter mixture. Sprinkle the fillets liberally with the spice mixture on both sides, and set aside. |
| 3. | When ready to cook, heat a black iron skillet on the stove until very hot. Carefully place the fillets in the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Keep moving with a spatula to prevent sticking. When the fillets are cooked, remove them from the skillet. Remove the skillet from the burner. Pour the butter mixture into the skillet, quickly adding the wine, and stir. Pour the pan juices over the fillets and serve immediately. |
Grilled Catfish Over Mixed Greens
| 2 | Catfish fillets |
| 1/4 pound | white mushrooms, thinly sliced |
| 1/4 cup | olive oil |
| 1 1/2 tablespoons | balsamic vinegar |
| 1 tablespoon | fresh tarragon, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon) |
| 1 | small shallot, finely chopped (optional) |
| 1/2 teaspoon | salt |
| 1/2 teaspoon | freshly ground black pepper |
| 4 cups | mixed salad greens such as arugula, chicory, escarole, mustard and radacchio, washed and torn into bite-size pieces and dried |
| 1. | Place catfish fillet strips and mushrooms in a shallow dish. Mix olive oil, vinegar, tarragon, shallot, salt and pepper in a small bowl using a wire whisk until well blended. |
| 2. | Pour two-thirds of the marinade over the catfish. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate. Reserve remaining marinade to use as salad dressing. |
| 3. | Prepare a grill or preheat the broiler. |
| 4. | Place catfish fillets on an oiled grill rack or broiler pan rack. Grill or broil 4 inches from the heat source for 2 or 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Allow to cool slightly; serve warm. |
| 5. | Toss salad greens, mushrooms and reserved marinade in a large bowl. Top with grilled catfish. |
Catfish Fillet Sandwiches With Red "Firecracker" Sauce
| For the catfish: | |
| 4 | 4- to 5- ounce catfish fillets |
| 1 teaspoon | dried oregano |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| 4 teaspoons | olive oil |
| For the Red Firecracker Sauce: | |
| 2 tablespoons | lime or lemon juice |
| 2 teaspoons | Dijon mustard |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons | chili powder |
| 1 teaspoon | ground cumin |
| 1/4 teaspoon | cayenne pepper |
| 1/8 teaspoon | garlic powder |
| 1/4 cup | olive oil |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| For serving: | |
| 4 | soft sandwich rolls |
| Lettuce leaves, alfalfa sprouts, or coleslaw | |
| 8 slices | ripe avocado |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| 4 thin slices | red onion |
| 4 teaspoons | sour cream or plain yogurt |
| 1. | Preheat the oven to 425°F. |
| 2. | To prepare the catfish, place the frozen catfish fillets in a baking pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Sprinkle with oregano and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fillets with olive oil. Bake about 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Cool. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the sauce. The catfish can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated. |
| 3. | To prepare the red firecracker sauce, place lime or lemon juice and mustard in a non-corrosive medium bowl. Using a wire whisk, mix until smooth. Whisk in chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Gradually whisk in olive oil until it forms a smooth, slightly thickened sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside. The sauce can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. (If the sauce separates, whisk until blended.) |
| 4. | Cut the cooked fillets in half and coat each piece with some of the sauce. Spread a little of the sauce on the bottom of each roll and cover them with lettuce leaves or sprouts or coleslaw. Place two pieces of the dressed fillets on top of the greens on each roll. Place avocado slices on top and season with salt and pepper. Place red onion slices on top of the avocado and add a small dollop of sour cream or yogurt. Top with other half of the roll. Cut sandwiches in half and serve. |
| Notes: Variations:
| |
Cheesy Catfish
| 2 tablespoons | margarine |
| 1/2 cup | grated Parmesan cheese |
| 1/4 cup | yellow cornmeal |
| 1/4 cup | all-purpose flour |
| 1/2 teaspoon | pepper |
| 1 teaspoon | Spanish paprika |
| 2 pounds | Catfish fillets |
| 1. | Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place margarine in a 13x9-inch baking pan and put in the oven to melt while oven is heating. Remove pan from the oven. |
| 2. | Mix Parmesan cheese, cornmeal, flour, pepper and paprika in a plastic bag. Add catfish fillets, one at a time, and shake to coat with the Parmesan mixture. Arrange fillets in a single layer in the prepared pan, turning once to coat with margarine. Sprinkle remaining cheese mixture over fish. |
| 3. | Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or |
Sponsors
Dolly Parton's Catfish and Fixin's
| Vegetable oil | |
| 4 | Catfish fillets |
| 1 pint | buttermilk |
| 1 | large box cornbread mix |
| 1 | medium onion, chopped |
| 1-2 | eggs |
| Potatoes | |
| 1. | Heat vegetable oil in skillet. |
| 2. | Season the fish to taste. Dredge the fish pieces in buttermilk, then cornbread mix. Deep fry fish in vegetable oil until golden brown on the bottom, turn and continue frying until the other side is golden brown. Remove from the skillet and place in warm oven. |
| 3. | Make a batter out of the remaining buttermilk and cornbread mix. Add onion and eggs. Mold the hush puppies and deep fry in vegetable oil. Then put them in the warm oven with fish. |
| 4. | Peel and cut potatoes into french fries. Deep fry in vegetable oil. Remove and salt & pepper to taste. |
| 5. | Serve all of the above with cole slaw. Serves 4. |
Catfish Gumbo
| 1/4 cup | vegetable oil |
| 1 cup | chopped celery |
| 1 cup | chopped green bell pepper |
| 1 cup | chopped onion |
| 2 cloves | garlic, chopped |
| 4 cups | beef stock or canned broth |
| 1 16-ounce can | tomatoes |
| 1 10-ounce package | frozen cut okra |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| 1/2 teaspoon | dried thyme |
| 1/2 teaspoon | cayenne pepper |
| 1/2 teaspoon | dried oregano |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 4 | Catfish fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes |
| Cooked rice for serving | |
| 1. | Heat oil in a Dutch oven or a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, bell pepper, onion and garlic and sauté until softened. Add beef stock, tomatoes, okra, salt, thyme, cayenne pepper, oregano and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. |
| 2. | Add catfish fillet pieces and simmer for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove bay leaf. Serve gumbo over cooked rice. |
Catfish Jambalaya
| 1 pound | andouille sausage, sliced into 1-inch pieces |
| 1 pound | smoked ham, sliced into 1-inch pieces |
| 2 cups | chopped onion |
| 1 1/2 cups | chopped celery |
| 1 cup | chopped green bell peppers |
| 1 clove | garlic, minced |
| 1 28-ounce can | whole tomatoes |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons | dried thyme |
| 1 teaspoon | dried oregano |
| 1 teaspoon | black pepper |
| 1/2 teaspoon | dried basil |
| 7 cups | fish or chicken stock |
| 1 3/4 cups | uncooked rice |
| 3 pounds | U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces |
| salt (to taste) | |
| 1. | Place a Dutch oven or a large, cast-iron pot over medium heat. Add sausage and sauté until lightly browned. Add ham and cook for 10 to15 minutes. Stir in onions, celery, green peppers and garlic and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. Add tomatoes, thyme, oregano, black pepper and basil. Cook, stirring, for another 5 to10 minutes. Add chicken stock and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. |
| 2. | Add rice and cook for 10 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. Add catfish fillet pieces and cook for another 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. The jambalaya should be thick but not soupy. Add salt to taste and adjust the other seasonings if desired. Serve on large, rimmed dinner plates or in soup bowls. |
