Ingredients:
8 small catfish fillets
1 cup flour, seasoned with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil for frying
For the Batter:
2 eggs
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup cornmeal
1 cup flat beer
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced
1/3 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1 tsp. chili flakes
Preparation for the batter:
In a large bowl, add eggs and beat. Blend in flour and salt. Add cornmeal and beer, a little at a time while whisking lightly. Batter should be a little lumpy. Let stand at room temperature for one hour.
Lightly fold in remaining ingredients. (If you can't find pumpkin seeds, try sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, roasted nuts or dried seeds from your own home grown vegetables.)
Preparation for the fish:
Dust fish with seasoned flour and then batter to coat. Place in hot oil (375 to 400 degrees) until brown and crispy, about three to four minutes. While fish are frying, prepare tartar sauce (see recipe below).
Serve fish on a plate along with a serving of prepared coleslaw and lemon wedges. Place fish on plate, place ramekin of tartar sauce on plate and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Yield: 4 servings
Cilantro Tartar Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs. capers, drained
3 Tbs. black olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
Notes:
- In place of cilantro, use basil, tarragon, chives, thyme, oregano, or even Italian or regular parsley.
- Catfish is the fifth most popular fish in the United States, ahead of salmon, scallops, sole, clams and crab.
- Commercially-farmed channel catfish offer the best taste. The flavor is mild, the flesh is lean and an excellent source of protein.
- Catfish can be fried, broiled, baked, grilled, blackened, sauteed and stir-fried.
