Blackened Catfish with Peppers

My first experience with catfish was catching one while fishing for pickerel.  I landed this crazy looking fish with smooth milky black skin and whiskers.  I was probably 8 years old and fishing from shore.  I ran and showed my Dad and asked what it was.  He gave a great belly laugh and said "you caught a catfish, I didn't know there were any in this lake."
Can we eat it? I asked.
"Sure can.  They are really good eating"

So I ran into the cottage to show my Mom that I caught this cool fish.  She jumped and pointed at me..."Get that ugly fish out of MY kitchen!"  Needless to say I was disappointed.  But my Dad and I cleaned it outside and fried it up.  I was sold!  It is a delicate white flesh that was delicious. Since then on principle I order catfish whenever I see it on a menu and am virtually never disappointed.

I was raised in Southern Ontario and in the summers lived in a cottage on a lake.  My Mom's reaction is probably partly my fault.  I would bring frogs and snakes home in my pockets and sometimes she'd find turtles in my closet.

My wife Lesli and I took a holiday in Florida and when we were in the grocery store I saw catfish fillets.  First time for everything.  I knew I had to try my hand at cooking it again.  This is the recipe that I have worked out over the years.

Catfish

3-4 catfish fillets
The rule of thumb is that smaller fillets are better than big ones.  In Vancouver they are all medium to small.  I only saw big ones in Florida.

Marinade
Marinade 1/2 hour or more

1/4 cup white wine

1tbsp olive oil

salt / pepper to taste

2 -3 whole lime juice (no lemon)
( I used to use 1 whole lemon juiced and 1 whole lime juiced)
3-4 cloves garlic pressed

Peppers

4 different coloured peppers cut into 1/4 - 1/2 inch strips 

Grape seed oil or olive oil 

3-4 cloves garlic pressed

1-2 tsp crushed hot red pepper  seeds

2 shallots cut fine

Directions

• Cook the peppers first.  Remove the peppers after finished cooking.  Fry fish in same pan as peppers for approximately 5 minutes a side.

• Warm oil, with shallots and garlic then slowly satay until cooked.  20-40 minutes.

Add garlic and shallots to warm oil

Slightly caramelize Shallots 

• Put oil in large cast iron pan with sliced shallots and 3 cloves of pressed garlic.  Saute until starting to caramelise on medium heat.  About5-8 minutes.

Slice Peppers thin

A Full Pan of Peppers!

• Then add sliced peppers and another tbsp of oil.  Add the Turn the heat down to medium-low and saute slowly for about 30-45 minutes until soft and the pan is getting blackened but not so hot that it is burning or smoking.  Turn the pan down lower if needed, it will just take a little longer- this part really can't be rushed.

Take it Slow

Blackened Build up of Goodness

• I start the rice side dish while the peppers are cooking because this can take 20+ minutes.  Long Grain & Wild Rice with Mushrooms is our favourite with this recipe.  Hey, I don't have to make Fancy Pants things every time :)

• Take the pepper out and put them on plates and place in a warmed oven to keep warm.

Flaky Side Down First

Frying 2nd Side for 5 minutes

• Turn the heat up on the pan to medium.  Arrange the catfish in the pan with the flaky side down first. You will see the marinate drip of the fish and bubble and blacken as it cooks.  Fry for 5 minutes then flip over and cook another 5 minutes.  DON'T over cook!  It will look opaque when cook and not clear.  If its over cooked it will get chewy- yuck!

• Plate the catfish and rice on the warm plates with the peppers.  The rice is nice because the peppers can be very hot sometimes depending on the amount of crushed red pepper seeds you use.

Even if you never make catfish at home, do yourself a favour and order it at a restaurant.  You will be thankful.  Just check to see if the cook has frogs or snakes in their pockets, then again, live on the wild side!

Chanterelle Mushroom & Caramelized Shallot Risotto

Ever since reading about Stuart Woods' character Stone Barrington making risotto I have wanted to try making this dish.  It sounded exotic and difficult to make and he always... got some if you know what I mean.  Fingers crossed.

Once again I followed the instructions like a good boy and was rewarded.  I recommend you do the same.  I got this recipe from Adventures in Cooking, check out her amazing photos too. 

Here is a link to some things to be aware of when cooking risotto and mistakes to avoid.

Expensive tasty mushrooms

Ingredients

5 shallots, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups chopped chanterelles (can substitute button mushrooms) 

[I used 3 cups chanterelles and 1 cup brown button]

2 cups arborio rice

1 cup white wine

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2/3 cup cream

1/3 cup grated parmesan

2/3 cup grated gruyere

1 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mushroom Risotto and Italian Seasoned Tenderloin

• First caramelize the shallots. Melt the butter in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and stir to coat in the butter. Reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking them until they turn golden brown, (about 40 minutes), stirring every 10 minutes and more frequently towards the end of cooking to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and set aside.

• Warm the stock now in a different pan, to be added later

• In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. 

• Add the garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, 

• then add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more, 

Adding mushrooms to garlic and oil

Mushrooms after 5 minutes

• Add the rice and stir constantly for 2 minutes, 

Mixing in the Rice for 2 minutes

•  then add the wine and 2 cups of the stock, 

• Continue cooking and stirring until most of the stock is absorbed, then add another cup of stock and keep stirring until it is mostly absorbed. Repeat this process until you have used all the stock, 

Adding the wine and 2 cups chicken stock

Keep adding stock...1 cup at a time

Ready to add cheese etc

• Once the risotto is thick and creamy, add the caramelized shallots, cream, cheeses, herbs, and spices and stir until incorporated and all the cheese has melted,

Everything mixed in and cheese melted

Cheese, herbs and spices ready to go!

• Remove from heat and taste, add more salt if necessary. 

• Serve immediately.

• Get some.

Wine Pairing
We had an interesting Chardonnay from Culmina Winery in Oliver BC.  It had a wonderful nose and brought out the cream I think we could have drank this wine all night long.  We also sampled a Pinot Noir from See Ya Later Ranch also a BC wine.  The Pinot Noir brought out the earthiness of the mushrooms for a completely different experience.  When I served it with the beef tenderloin I paired it with the BC liquor store recommendation of a French Pinot Noir Bourgogne Pinot Noir - Louis Latour.  I found this wine excellent, smooth multi layered and without an alcohol taste.  I would recommend it as a wine pairing.

Here's to getting some...Risotto!