Pan-fried Catfish with Pecan Lemon Butter

Pan-fried catfish with pecan, parsley, lemon butter.

Patrick had seen this prepared on Cooking at Home with Dan Eaton and made this for lunch the other day.  The nice fresh never frozen farm-raised catfish fillets came from Whole Foods. 



SERVES:3
INGREDIENTS:
• three catfish fillets
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• salt to taste
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Cajun spice rub (or more to taste)
• 3 Tbs butter for frying fish
• 1/3 cup rough chopped pecans
• 2-3 Tbs rough chopped parsley
• 2-3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbs butter for sauce

PROCEDURE:
1. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk to a large pie dish and beat 1 large egg into that and then add the catfish fillets and toss to coat.
2. Use another pie dish to combine 1/2 -3/4 cup all-purpose flour with 1 tsp Cajun spice rub.
3. At some point, before cooking the fish, you'll need to rough chop about 1/3 cup pecans and also rough chop 2-3 Tbs of fresh parsley.

Pecans and parsley.

4. When it comes time to cook the fish, season it with a little salt if you like and lightly dredge it on both sides in the seasoned flour.
5. Then saute it in a large, heavy bottomed nonstick pan or cast iron skillet in 2 - 3 Tbs melted butter on medium high heat.

Pan fry in butter after dredging in buttermilk and flour.

6. You want the catfish to be golden brown on both sides and cooked through....it's going to take around 7 - 8 minutes total.

Cook until golden brown on each side.

7. When the fish is cooked to your liking, carefully take it out of the pan and put it on a clean plate to rest.
8. And then add a couple more Tbs of butter to the pan and turn the heat down to medium low and add the pecans.
9. Let those toast for a minute and then squeeze in a couple of Tbs of fresh lemon juice and add the chopped parsley and it's good to go.

Add lemon juice to pecan butter.

10. Serve the cooked fish with the pecan butter right on top.

Ready to eat with a side of 3-bean salad.

We had this with a side of 3-bean salad.  The fish with this topping was absolutely delicious.   We will definitely be having this again. 

INGREDIENTS:
• two 7-ounce catfish fillets
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (see hints below)
• 1 large egg
• salt to taste
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Cajun spice rub (or more to taste)
• 3 Tbs butter for frying fish
• 1/3 cup rough chopped pecans
• 2-3 Tbs rough chopped parsley
• 2-3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbs butter for sauce

PROCEDURE:
1. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk to a large pie dish and beat 1 large egg into that and then add the catfish fillets and toss to coat.
2. Use another pie dish to combine 1/2 -3/4 cup all-purpose flour with 1 tsp Cajun spice rub.
3. At some point, before cooking the fish, you'll need to rough chop about 1/3 cup pecans and also rough chop 2-3 Tbs of fresh parsley.
4. When it comes time to cook the fish, season it with a little salt if you like and lightly dredge it on both sides in the seasoned flour.
5. Then saute it in a large, heavy bottomed nonstick pan or cast iron skillet in 2 - 3 Tbs melted butter on medium high heat.
6. You want the catfish to be golden brown on both sides and cooked through....it's going to take around 7 - 8 minutes total.
7. When the fish is cooked to your liking, carefully take it out of the pan and put it on a clean plate to rest.
8. And then add a couple more Tbs of butter to the pan and turn the heat down to medium low and add the pecans.
9. Let those toast for a minute and then squeeze in a couple of Tbs of fresh lemon juice and add the chopped parsley and it's good to go.
10. Serve the cooked fish with the pecan butter right on top.
- See more at: http://charlotte.twcnews.com/content/lifestyles/cooking_at_home/704864/pan-fried-catfish-with-pecan--parsley-and-lemon-butter#sthash.mH5xbwre.dpuf SERVES: 2
INGREDIENTS:
• two 7-ounce catfish fillets
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (see hints below)
• 1 large egg
• salt to taste
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Cajun spice rub (or more to taste)
• 3 Tbs butter for frying fish
• 1/3 cup rough chopped pecans
• 2-3 Tbs rough chopped parsley
• 2-3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbs butter for sauce

PROCEDURE:
1. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk to a large pie dish and beat 1 large egg into that and then add the catfish fillets and toss to coat.
2. Use another pie dish to combine 1/2 -3/4 cup all-purpose flour with 1 tsp Cajun spice rub.
3. At some point, before cooking the fish, you'll need to rough chop about 1/3 cup pecans and also rough chop 2-3 Tbs of fresh parsley.
4. When it comes time to cook the fish, season it with a little salt if you like and lightly dredge it on both sides in the seasoned flour.
5. Then saute it in a large, heavy bottomed nonstick pan or cast iron skillet in 2 - 3 Tbs melted butter on medium high heat.
6. You want the catfish to be golden brown on both sides and cooked through....it's going to take around 7 - 8 minutes total.
7. When the fish is cooked to your liking, carefully take it out of the pan and put it on a clean plate to rest.
8. And then add a couple more Tbs of butter to the pan and turn the heat down to medium low and add the pecans.
9. Let those toast for a minute and then squeeze in a couple of Tbs of fresh lemon juice and add the chopped parsley and it's good to go.
10. Serve the cooked fish with the pecan butter right on top.

SERVES: 2
INGREDIENTS:
• two 7-ounce catfish fillets
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (see hints below)
• 1 large egg
• salt to taste
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Cajun spice rub (or more to taste)
• 3 Tbs butter for frying fish
• 1/3 cup rough chopped pecans
• 2-3 Tbs rough chopped parsley
• 2-3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbs butter for sauce

PROCEDURE:
1. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk to a large pie dish and beat 1 large egg into that and then add the catfish fillets and toss to coat.
2. Use another pie dish to combine 1/2 -3/4 cup all-purpose flour with 1 tsp Cajun spice rub.
3. At some point, before cooking the fish, you'll need to rough chop about 1/3 cup pecans and also rough chop 2-3 Tbs of fresh parsley.
4. When it comes time to cook the fish, season it with a little salt if you like and lightly dredge it on both sides in the seasoned flour.
5. Then saute it in a large, heavy bottomed nonstick pan or cast iron skillet in 2 - 3 Tbs melted butter on medium high heat.
6. You want the catfish to be golden brown on both sides and cooked through....it's going to take around 7 - 8 minutes total.
7. When the fish is cooked to your liking, carefully take it out of the pan and put it on a clean plate to rest.
8. And then add a couple more Tbs of butter to the pan and turn the heat down to medium low and add the pecans.
9. Let those toast for a minute and then squeeze in a couple of Tbs of fresh lemon juice and add the chopped parsley and it's good to go.
10. Serve the cooked fish with the pecan butter right on top.
- See more at: http://charlotte.twcnews.com/content/lifestyles/cooking_at_home/704864/pan-fried-catfish-with-pecan--parsley-and-lemon-butter#sthash.mH5xbwre.dpuf

SERVES: 2
INGREDIENTS:
• two 7-ounce catfish fillets
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (see hints below)
• 1 large egg
• salt to taste
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Cajun spice rub (or more to taste)
• 3 Tbs butter for frying fish
• 1/3 cup rough chopped pecans
• 2-3 Tbs rough chopped parsley
• 2-3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbs butter for sauce

PROCEDURE:
1. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk to a large pie dish and beat 1 large egg into that and then add the catfish fillets and toss to coat.
2. Use another pie dish to combine 1/2 -3/4 cup all-purpose flour with 1 tsp Cajun spice rub.
3. At some point, before cooking the fish, you'll need to rough chop about 1/3 cup pecans and also rough chop 2-3 Tbs of fresh parsley.
4. When it comes time to cook the fish, season it with a little salt if you like and lightly dredge it on both sides in the seasoned flour.
5. Then saute it in a large, heavy bottomed nonstick pan or cast iron skillet in 2 - 3 Tbs melted butter on medium high heat.
6. You want the catfish to be golden brown on both sides and cooked through....it's going to take around 7 - 8 minutes total.
7. When the fish is cooked to your liking, carefully take it out of the pan and put it on a clean plate to rest.
8. And then add a couple more Tbs of butter to the pan and turn the heat down to medium low and add the pecans.
9. Let those toast for a minute and then squeeze in a couple of Tbs of fresh lemon juice and add the chopped parsley and it's good to go.
10. Serve the cooked fish with the pecan butter right on top.
- See more at: http://charlotte.twcnews.com/content/lifestyles/cooking_at_home/704864/pan-fried-catfish-with-pecan--parsley-and-lemon-butter#sthash.mH5xbwre.dpuf

SERVES: 2
INGREDIENTS:
• two 7-ounce catfish fillets
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (see hints below)
• 1 large egg
• salt to taste
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Cajun spice rub (or more to taste)
• 3 Tbs butter for frying fish
• 1/3 cup rough chopped pecans
• 2-3 Tbs rough chopped parsley
• 2-3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbs butter for sauce

PROCEDURE:
1. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk to a large pie dish and beat 1 large egg into that and then add the catfish fillets and toss to coat.
2. Use another pie dish to combine 1/2 -3/4 cup all-purpose flour with 1 tsp Cajun spice rub.
3. At some point, before cooking the fish, you'll need to rough chop about 1/3 cup pecans and also rough chop 2-3 Tbs of fresh parsley.
4. When it comes time to cook the fish, season it with a little salt if you like and lightly dredge it on both sides in the seasoned flour.
5. Then saute it in a large, heavy bottomed nonstick pan or cast iron skillet in 2 - 3 Tbs melted butter on medium high heat.
6. You want the catfish to be golden brown on both sides and cooked through....it's going to take around 7 - 8 minutes total.
7. When the fish is cooked to your liking, carefully take it out of the pan and put it on a clean plate to rest.
8. And then add a couple more Tbs of butter to the pan and turn the heat down to medium low and add the pecans.
9. Let those toast for a minute and then squeeze in a couple of Tbs of fresh lemon juice and add the chopped parsley and it's good to go.
10. Serve the cooked fish with the pecan butter right on top.
- See more at: http://charlotte.twcnews.com/content/lifestyles/cooking_at_home/704864/pan-fried-catfish-with-pecan--parsley-and-lemon-butter#sthash.mH5xbwre.dpuf

Freezer Diving (Cherry Crisp for Dessert)

Cherry Crisp from frozen cherries.

If you are like me, food accumulates in your freezer, and every now and then it is necessary to go "freezer diving" and see what's there.  This week I am going to try to use items from my freezer and avoid buying very much from the grocery store.  I'll use what we have on hand that needs to be used.  This morning on my first "freezer dive" I found a bag of frozen sweet cherries.

I probably had these on hand this summer to include in a smoothie but never got around to using them. So with this I will have my dessert prepared for the weekend and no grocery shopping was necessary.  I had all I needed on hand. 

Here's the recipe.

1 16 oz bag frozen dark sweet pitted cherries (unsweetened)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
juice of one lemon (I always have lemons on hand---I buy them by the bag at Costco.)
2 teaspoons water
freshly ground nutmeg about 1/8 teaspoon
1/2 cup quick cook oats, uncooked (I always keep oats on hand.)
1/4 brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (almond flavoring always complements cherries).

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the frozen cherries in a shallow 1 quart baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray.

Place frozen cherries in baking dish.

Mix the cornstarch, lemon juice, water, almond extract and nutmeg in a small bowl and stir well.

Mix cornstarch, lemon juice, water, almond extract and nutmeg.

Pour this mixture over the cherries, stirring to coat.  Combine the oats, brown sugar and flour in a small bowl.  Cut in the butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal (I use my fingers to do this).

Topping of oatmeal, brown sugar, flour and butter.

Sprinkle topping over the cherries.  Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until top is lightly browned and the fruit is bubbly.
Makes six servings.

Out of the oven.

Ready to eat.

Now I'll have to dive into the freezer and see what I can find for a main dish.  I'll keep you posted. 

Viagra on the Amalfi Coast

Fruit stand in Positano, Italy.

On Tuesday, after visiting Pompeii, we drove along the beautiful Amalfi Coast which must surely be one of the most beautiful coasts in the world.  (Photos of that later.)  Near the small town of Positano we stopped at a little roadside market..  Many of the products we encountered were similar to ones we might find at the NC State Farmers Market.  Others were quite different.

These small tomatoes resemble ones you might get at Harris Teeter, but they taste oh so much better.

Locally grown lemons.

The Amalfi Coast has the perfect climate for growing lemons and lemons are a major crop of the area.  The trees produce from four to five crops a year.  And in addition to fresh lemons, many lemon products are sold here.

Colorful hot peppers.

Although there are lots of peppers sold in the market, we haven't found the food particularly spicy.
The most interesting products sold at this market were the Viagra peppers and the olive oil infused with the Viagra peppers.  Do these products have the same effect as Viagra?

Viagra peppers.

Olive oil infused with Viagra peppers.

Did I see some of my colleagues preparing to test this product????

Gelato in Amalfi on a Rainy Morning

The beautiful town of Amalfi, Italy.

On Monday morning we were bussed over to the town of Amalfi, the largest of the coastal towns in Salerno.   The town is surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery.  It began raining soon after we arrived at the town square.  Despite the intermittent showers we were able to have a good view of  Saint Andrew's Cathedral (Duomo) that overlooks the Piazza Duomo or town square..  This area has been very dry—three months with little rain— so the rain was welcomed by the locals, but we wished it had held off a day. 

The Duomo overlooking the town square.

At times there were heavy downpours, and we had to duck into the little shops for refuge.  Dan and I sought cover in a little coffee shop that also served gelato and other ice cream treats.

A deluge of rain flooding street in  Amalfi.

I had pistachio gelato and Dan had a banana split.

Lemons are grown in the area around Amalfi and they are plentiful in the markets.  There are also many products made from lemons: candy, biscotti, candles, and soap, for example.

A basket of lemons for sale in market.