StovetopCajun
Blackened catfish
A screaming skillet, a spice crust, a short cook. The black is charred spice, not burnt fish.
Made it?
20 min · 15 min hands-on · pull 145°F · rest 2 min
Ingredients
2 lb on the fire · ~1.4 lb to the table · 3 plates at 8 oz
- catfish fillets4 (2 lb)
- paprika2 tbsp
- cayenne1 tsp
- thyme1 tsp
- garlic powder1 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- butter, melted4 tbsp
Method
- 1
Mix the spices. Butter the fillets, coat. Cast iron until it smokes.
- 2
2–3 minutes a side. The crust should be dark mahogany. 145°F.
- 3
Open a window. This cook makes smoke. Lemon. Redfish is the original.
If you don’t have it
- catfish → redfish. Keep the same pull. Leaner cooks faster and dries sooner.
- catfish fillets → What you actually have, if it is the same muscle family. A nonstick pan will not blacken. Iron.
Same cook, different day
Weeknight
Less time. Same seasoning, hotter fire, watch the probe. Do not skip the rest.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making hushpuppies.
When the fish comes off, or the last minutes of ribs. Cornmeal, buttermilk, onion, 350°F oil until they float blond.
25 min
- With this dish, try making fried okra.
With fried chicken or catfish. ½-inch coins, cornmeal, 350°F, 3 minutes.
20 min
- With this dish, try making roasted fingerlings.
Same oven as a chicken or a lamb rack. Halved lengthwise, oil, salt, 425°F cut-side down.
35 min