Tonight, we’re serving up catfish inspired by a Southern favorite: Nashville “hot chicken,” fried and glazed with deliciously spicy flavors. To give our pan-fried catfish plenty of heat, we’re using a bold blend of spices (including cayenne pepper and ground pink peppercorns) in two ways: combined with flour to coat the catfish, and whisked together with olive oil to glaze it. On the side, a creamy, crunchy slaw balances it all out with refreshing flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 Catfish Fillets
- 2 Scallions
- 1 Gala Apple
- 1/2 lb Red Cabbage
- 3 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 3 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Roasted Pecans
- 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Catfish Spice Blend (Sweet Paprika, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Ground Chipotle Pepper, Onion Powder, Ground Pink Peppercorns, & Ground Cumin)
Instructions
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients:
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut out and discard the cabbage core; thinly slice the leaves. Core and thinly slice the apple. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Roughly chop the pecans.
Make the slaw:
In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, apple, vinegar, sugar, mayonnaise, and white bottoms of the scallions. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Make the spicy oil:
While the slaw marinates, in a bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of olive oil and up to 2/3 of the spice blend, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper.
Coat the catfish:
While the slaw continues to marinate, on a plate, combine the flour and as much of the remaining spice blend as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be. Pat the catfish fillets dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. Thoroughly coat the seasoned fillets in the flour-spice blend mixture (tapping off any excess). Transfer to a separate plate.
Cook & glaze the catfish:
While the slaw continues to marinate, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the coated catfish fillets and cook 3 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until browned. Flip and add the spicy oil. Cook, occasionally spooning the oil over the fillets, 3 to 5 minutes, or until the catfish is glazed and cooked through. Turn off the heat.
Finish the slaw & plate your dish:
Add the pecans to the bowl of slaw; stir to combine. Divide the finished slaw and glazed catfish fillets between 2 dishes. Garnish the catfish with the green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!