#NationalCatfishDay
Who even knew there was such a thing…kinda creepy if you ask me, but I’m always down to celebrate, especially if it means food! I grew up eating a lot of catfish (amongst other weird things) but honestly I don’t hear of people eating much catfish these days. But no shocker there were A LOT of recipes on #Pinterest (my go to for just about anything). I found one worth trying from Personally Paleo. I don’t know if I’m more excited about the fish or the grits. Enjoy! 100% Credit goes to the gals over on Personally Paleo!
Time: 30 mins
Yields: 4 servings
BBQ Rub Ingredients:
2 tbsp Hungarian paprika
2 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar *omit or substitute maple sugar for a slightly altered taste
1 tbsp mustard powder
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp granulated garlic
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
Catfish Ingredients:
4 pieces of catfish
½ tbsp butter
Cauliflower “Grits” Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, cored, cut into florets, with as little stems as possible
water, enough for about 1″ of water during cauliflower steps
1 tsp kosher salt
1 ½ tsp coarse ground black pepper
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp garlic, minced
½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup milk, your preference
1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Other Ingredients:
¼ tsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
Steps:
- Make the rub: Mix together all the rub ingredients and store in an airtight jar.
- Prep the cauliflower. In a microwave-safe bowl, add the cauliflower florets and about 1” water. Cover tightly with either a lid or plastic wrap and microwave for 8-10 minutes until florets are fork tender with very little bite left. Be careful of the steam!
- While the cauliflower is steaming, liberally sprinkle the BBQ rub on both sides of each fish fillet.
- In a cast iron pan over medium-high heat, melt the 1/2 TB butter. Once the butter is melted, place each fillet in the pan, careful not to crowd (you may do this in 2 batches if necessary). Cook for 4 minutes, carefully flip and continue cooking for another 4 or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Just before it’s finished, add the lime juice and cilantro. Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the fish.
- Once the cauliflower has finished steaming, add the butter, salt and pepper and let melt. Add the milk, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne and tobacco sauce.
- Using an immersion blender, pulse the cauliflower until it resembles grits and the ingredients are well combined (you can also do this in a food processor) Do not overpulse! You want it to retain some integrity. Mix in the cheese, and season to taste.
- Serve the grits along side the fish with added salt, pepper and lime juice as desired.
