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ingredients
cajun catfish with pineapple salsa
catfish or basa filets ( washed and dried off)
cajun spice ( I use store bought but you can easily make your own. This is another post altogether)
pineapple salsa ( click on the photo below for the recipe)
cajun spice ( I use store bought but you can easily make your own. This is another post altogether)
pineapple salsa ( click on the photo below for the recipe)
It's pretty easy to prepare this dish. Most of the prep is in the sides and the pineapple salsa. I used a grill pan that I bought because you want to get the pan as hot as possible to get some color on the spices. If you want to use a super hot cast iron you can to get a blackened effect. I did this on the BBQ so I would not smoke up the house. My wife would not like that very much.
Take your catfish, dry it off very well. I use catfish or in this case Basa fish because they hold up well and are flakey white fish but firm. If you use something lighter it would flake apart in the pan. Coat the fish in cajun seasoning very well as seen in the photo below. The ends up being spicy but not as much as you would think. Get your pan smoking hot and put the fish down (with no oil). Wait about 4 min. and flip using a fish spatula. Cook another 4 min and it should be done. Remove from the pan, top with the salsa and have it with your favourite spring side dish. Enjoy.
Take your catfish, dry it off very well. I use catfish or in this case Basa fish because they hold up well and are flakey white fish but firm. If you use something lighter it would flake apart in the pan. Coat the fish in cajun seasoning very well as seen in the photo below. The ends up being spicy but not as much as you would think. Get your pan smoking hot and put the fish down (with no oil). Wait about 4 min. and flip using a fish spatula. Cook another 4 min and it should be done. Remove from the pan, top with the salsa and have it with your favourite spring side dish. Enjoy.
you want to get some good spice coverage
on the grill
This is a great dish to have on a nice spring or summer day out back sitting on your patio or in your back yard with a nice glass of white wine in hand. I originally wanted to do it with traditional catfish but the grocery store only had catfish that was pre flavoured. I did not want that so I asked the guy behind the counter what was comparable to it in texture. He recommended Basa fish. Well, I try and trust the folks working behind and I am glad I do because this fish was pretty good. I did a little looking up and it turns out that Basa fish is a catfish native to Vietnam and Thailand so I guess I was buying catfish after all. I guess there was a catfish war in 2002 where this catfish was being sold cheaper than its North American cousin due to the fact that the Vietnamese importers were subsidized by the Vietnam government. With pressure from the U.S catfish industry the U.S government passed a law preventing this fish from being called “Catfish”. True story. All I know is that it tastes pretty good.
design
dry chardonay
Suggested Drink Pairing
additional photographs
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