Cilantro Lime Catfish Recipes

CATFISH TACOS WITH CILANTRO LIME SLAW AND CHIPOTLE CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Catfish Tacos:
• For the chipotle cream sauce: Put all the ingredients in a blender, except the heavy cream and salt and pepper. Blend well. Remove from the blender to a mixing bowl and slowly whisk in the heavy cream. All the cream may not be needed. The correct consistency, is like a crema. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Add more chipotle in adobo for more spice, if desired. Cover and refrigerate.
• For the slaw: Add the cabbages to a mixing bowl. Toss with the carrot, onion, cilantro, olive oil and lime juice, to taste. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well, cover and refrigerate.
• For the catfish balls: In a hot skillet, over medium heat, add the butter, onion, jalapeno, and garlic. As it is cooking, add a pinch of salt, cracked pepper, paprika and cumin. Saute until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Heat enough peanut oil in a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 350 degrees F.
• Remove any silver skin from the fillets. Pulse the catfish in the food processor until it is chopped, about 30 seconds. You don't want to puree the fish, just chop it into small chunks. Put the fish in a mixing bowl and add the cilantro, Creole mustard, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise and Jack cheese. Add the cooled onion mixture to the bowl along with another pinch of salt and pepper. Mix gently with a spoon, then gently mix in 1 cup of the panko bread crumbs. The consistency will still be wet, but still formable for the catfish balls. Put the remainder of the bread crumbs into a bowl. Scoop out the catfish mixture using a 2 tablespoon-size scoop and form into a ball shape. Don't make the catfish balls to be too big, they won't cook all the way through.
• Roll the balls in the panko bread crumbs, and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Carefully drop them into the hot oil and fry in batches of 5 or 6 depending on your fryer. Do not crowd. Fry the balls for about 3 to 4 minutes. They are done when they are slightly more than golden brown. Remove from the oil and let cool on a paper towel lined sheet pan. Check the first batch to make sure they are cooked through. Repeat the process with the remaining fish mixture.
• Remove the chipotle sauce and the slaw from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature to remove some of the chill. Heat the tortillas. Stack 7 or 8 tortillas and wrap in a damp kitchen or paper towel and microwave for about 15 seconds. Repeat with remaining tortillas. They can also be wrapped in foil and heated in the oven.
• Add 2 or 3 catfish balls, depending on the size, to a tortilla, and slightly crush them. Some people tear them completely apart, it is up to you. Top with a little grated Jack cheese, chipotle cream sauce and slaw. Repeat with remaining tortillas and fillings. Arrange on a serving platter and enjoy with a nice cerveza.

BROILED CATFISH WITH LIME-CILANTRO BUTTER ON A BED OF SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• While it is cooking, combine butter, minced cilantro, lime zest and juice, salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
• Heat broiler to high; place catfish in roasting pan; brush half of the butter-cilantro mixture over catfish.
• Broil until fish is browned, flaky and cooked through, about 6 minutes; set aside and keep warm.
• Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid; toss pasta with remaining butter-cilantro mixture, reserved liquid and 1 tablespoon of the pecans.
• Arrange pasta on a platter; top with fish, garnish with remaining nuts and cilantro sprigs.
• *Totoast pecans: place in a dry skillet over medium-low heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 1-2 minutes- watch carefully to avoid burning.

GRILLED CATFISH TACOS

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Rub catfish fillets with 1 tablespoon lime juice and season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, and coriander. Spray both sides of each fillet with cooking spray.
• Grill catfish on the preheated grill until fish is easily flaked with a fork, about 5 minutes on each side.
• Combine sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, and chipotle peppers for crema until well blended; set aside.
• Combine red cabbage, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl and squeeze lime juice over it. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary; set aside.
• Wrap corn tortillas in a damp paper towel. Heat in a microwave until warm, about 1 minute.
• Divide grilled fish evenly over corn tortillas and serve with cilantro-lime sauce, slaw, Monterey Jack cheese, tomato, avocado, and green onions.