Tonight’s dinner has plenty of comforting, cold-weather appeal. We’re dressing up catfish with a citrusy, briny sauce of lemon and capers—which also brightens our hearty black lentils and collard greens. And for extra depth of flavor, we’re seasoning our lentils and vegetables with ras el hanout—a fragrant and complex Moroccan spice blend that evokes the warming notes of cinnamon, coriander, black pepper and cumin.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 Catfish Fillets
- 1/2 c Black Lentils
- 1 Collard Greens
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Yellow Onion
- 3 tbsp Rice Flour
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 tsp Ras El Hanout
- 1 tbsp Capers
Instructions
Instructions
Cook the lentils:
Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Using your fingers, inspect the lentils for any pebbles; discard the pebbles. Rinse the lentils and drain thoroughly. Add the lentils to the pot of boiling water and cook, uncovered, 24 to 26 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Set aside in a warm place.
Prepare the ingredients:
While the lentils cook, wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Remove and discard the collard green stems; roughly chop the leaves. Roughly chop the capers. Using a peeler, remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon.
Cook the collard greens:
While the lentils continue to cook, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the onion and ras el hanout; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add the collard greens; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly wilted. Add ½ cup of water and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until the collard greens have wilted and the water has cooked off. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside in a warm place. Wipe out the pan.
Coat & brown the catfish:
Place the flour on a plate. Pat the catfish fillets dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. Thoroughly coat 1 side of each seasoned fillet in the flour (tapping off any excess); transfer to a separate plate. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the fillets, coated sides down, and cook 5 to 7 minutes on the first side, or until browned. Add the butter and flip the fillets; cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until the catfish is almost cooked through.
Finish the catfish & sauce:
Add the capers and the juice of 3 lemon wedges to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook, occasionally spooning the sauce over the fillets, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the catfish is cooked through. Turn off the heat.
Finish the lentils & plate your dish:
To the pot of cooked lentils, add the cooked collard greens, lemon zest and the juice of the remaining lemon wedge; stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the finished lentils and finished catfish fillets between 2 dishes. Top the catfish with the sauce. Enjoy!