The best part about our living our baseball adventure is meeting new people everyday. We all come from all over the world, have different backgrounds and stories, but all have this crazy baseball thing in common. Insert my new friend Adair- my Mississippi girl who loves Southern food and all things travel. One baseball game’s worth of conversation and we became friends pretty quickly because of our mutual love of the culinary world. She even started a blog earlier in the year as well, http://www.everydayadair.blogspot.com , where she documents her food travels. So when I made this blackened catfish recipe, I immediately thought of her. Catfish is a fish found in Southern cuisine, most commonly battered and fried. It is mild in taste but has a thick flesh; I think it’s a great hearty substitute for heavier proteins. Instead of the traditional Southern route, I infused the fish with a little Caribbean flavor by blackening it with a spice rub. I complemented the heat with sweet, summer mango, creamy avocado, and bright herbs. Simply a great entree for the summer, whether you are reminiscing about the South or in the mood for some island spice.
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes
4- 6 or 8 oz catfish filets
1 large, ripe avocado
1 large, ripe mango
1/3 cup red onion, minced
1 jalapeno, minced with stem and seeds removed
1/3 cup lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
For Spice Rub:
3 tbs paprkia
1 tbs garlic powder
2 tbs onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
- Start by making the Mango-Avocado salsa. Dice the mango and avocado into roughly 1/2 inch pieces and immediately add lime juice to prevent the avocado from oxidizing. Add the red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and garlic. Toss well to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- To prepare the fish, combine the Spice Rub ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk to combine and spread out evenly along the bottom of the bowl.
- Pat the fish filets into the spicy rub evenly on both sides. The fish should be completely covered in spice. Place the filets on a cookie sheet.
- Preheat a cast iron pan or a large saute pan. Do not add any oil yet. Wait until the pan is very hot, on high heat for about two minutes, and then add roughly 1 tbs of vegetable oil. Add the fish to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until the fish is blackened and cooked completely through. Add more vegetable oil to the pan if necessary while flipping the fish. It will start to become flakey when cooked correctly. Gently remove from the pan onto a serving dish.
- Top with the mango-avocado salsa. Serve immediately.
Cooking In Red Socks 