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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.

Ethan Mick

with Red Cabbage, Apple, & Pecan Slaw

Nashville-Style Hot Catfish

Catfish Fillets

Scallions

Gala Apple

Red Cabbage

All-Purpose Flour

Mayonnaise

Roasted Pecans

Rice Vinegar

Sugar

Catfish Spice Blend (Sweet Paprika, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Ground Chipotle Pepper, Onion Powder, Ground Pink Peppercorns, & Ground Cumin)

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.

Prepare the ingredients:

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 slaw:

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.

Make the spicy oil:

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.

Coat 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.

Cook & glaze the catfish:

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!