Jambalaya, Crawfish Pie... Blackened Catfish!

This is really the only way I eat Catfish anymore... I recommend Channel Cat, as it has a very mild flavor, almost like Tilapia. I made the mistake of eating Mud Cat before and I understand why it was given that name. I have many fond memories of childhood trips to Oxbow Dam on the Snake River bordering Oregon & Idaho, to go Cattin'... Staying up till the wee hours of the morning, hauling huge Catfish out of the river, of course there was the occasion Carp, which eats catfish eggs or anything else that gets near it greedy maw. Breakfasts of Crapy, caught during the previous day.... With pancakes cooked on the Coleman. Ah, the good old days...
I usually make a quadruple batch of this rub to keep on hand. But for a family of four, 1 lb of catfish is plenty.

Blackened Catfish

Blackening Rub:
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Sweet Paprika
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1/4 tsp Dried Marjoram
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/4 tsp Cayenne – or to taste, I use just a pinch more than 1/4 tsp
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper

With a mortar and pestle, grind oregano, Marjoram, Thyme and Kosher Salt
In a small bowl, combine all the herbs, spices, and sugar.

Blackened Catfish:
1 recipe of rub
2 Catfish Fillets about 8 oz each
1 large Clove of Garlic, sliced thin
1 TB Olive oil
1 TB unsalted butter

Pat your catfish dry and lay out on a bleach-able surface.

Sprinkle the spice mixture on both sides, go ahead and rub it in to ensure complete and even coverage.

In a large skillet, sauté the sliced garlic in olive oil over moderately high heat, just until golden.

Remove garlic from pan and throw it away,
Add butter to the pan;

Once the foam subsides introduce the fillets to the pan.

Sauté for 4 minutes on each side or until almost cooked through (They will finish cooking after you remove them from the pan)

Serve with vegetable Jambalaya, as I did above.

Although I have to admit, my Jambalaya was not from scratch, I had help from Zatarain's... But if you would like to try an excellent homemade Jambalaya, look no further than Spryte's Place. Incredible!!

Mangia!!
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