On June 25, 1987, President Ronald Reagan began a presidential Proclamation 5672 with the words: “more and more Americans are discovering a uniquely American food delicacy — farm-raised catfish.” In doing research to learn more about catfish in general, I learned that 95% of the nation’s catfish comes from Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. At Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, we’re going to be enjoying this dish in different ways. A traditional preparation method is to coat it with cornmeal and fried, or blackened in a cast-iron skillet. How do you like your catfish? Let your friends at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know in the comments.
Oven-Fried Catfish
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds catfish fillets
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup skim milk
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.
- In a shallow dish, stir together the cornmeal, paprika, thyme, salt, celery seed, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Dip the catfish fillets in milk, then place them into the cornmeal mixture and coat liberally; place on the greased baking sheet.
- Coat the tops of the fillets with cooking spray until wet.
- Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish is easily flaked with a fork.
Catfish Étouffée
Ingredients
- 1 cup enriched white rice
- 2 cups water
- 4 tablespoons brown roux
- 1 cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 pounds catfish fillets, cut into 1 inch pieces
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Directions
- Combine rice and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until done.
- In a large saucepan, warm roux over medium heat. Stir in onion, green bell pepper, and garlic; cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Stir in broth and tomatoes.
- Season with lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, black pepper, thyme, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Stir in catfish and parsley. Simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Stir in 2 cups cooked white rice, and season with red pepper flakes. Serve.
