Makes 4—5 servings
Skip the deep fryer, keep the crunch! Savor the bold Creole flavors in every bite of this oven-baked version of a Southern classic.
Ingredients
Catfish:
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 ½ tbsp. blackening seasoning
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 4—5 catfish filets
- nonstick cooking spray
Creole Tartare Sauce:
- 1 cup light or olive oil-based mayo
- 1/2 cup Wickles Relish (if you can’t find the Wickles brand, regular relish will do just fine)
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped dill
- 4 tbsp. Creole (or stone-ground) mustard
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Finely chop pecans with a food processor or smash them using a rolling pin and a ziplock bag.
- Combine ground pecans, cornmeal and seasoning in a wide, shallow bowl.
- Pour buttermilk into a separate bowl.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray foil with nonstick spray.
- Dip the catfish filets first into the buttermilk, then coat with the pecan-cornmeal mixture using one hand for the wet ingredients and the other for the dry ingredients.
- Once your catfish is breaded, lay them on your sheet tray and give them a light spray with nonstick spray.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the crust starts to brown and the fish is cooked through.
- While your catfish is cooking, combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Serve the catfish with a side of tartare sauce and pair with coleslaw or a fresh green salad to round out your plate. Enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Rob Varner of Sheepshead Eats.