Bronzed Catfish

Main Course

Recipe courtesy of Chef Paul Prudhomme

Serves 4

Ingredients: 
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 boneless catfish filets (4½-ounce fish fillets each) or other firm-fleshed fish, about ½ inch thick at thickest part, well chilled     
  • About 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic, or            
  • Blackened Redfish Magic, or Meat Magic, or Barbecue Magic, or Fajita   
  • Magic or Magic Seasoning Salt or Magic Salt-Free Seasoning

Note:  Bronzing is a wonderful cooking technique for meat or fish – and it’s so simple.  You actually roast one side of the meat or fish at a time on a heavy griddle or in a large, heavy aluminum skillet or electric skillet heated to 350 degrees.  (You can purchase a surface thermometer, or pyrometer, to measure dry temperature of griddle or aluminum skillet.)  If you omit butter stages, bronzing produces delicious reduced-fat meat and fish dishes.  Just spray griddle or skillet surfaces with nonstick cooking spray just before adding meat.

 

Bronzed Catfish

Bronzed Catfish

Click image to enlarge

Method: 

Place a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 7 minutes.

As soon as the skillet is hot, lightly coat one side of each fillet with butter, then sprinkle each buttered side evenly with ½ teaspoon of the Magic Seasoning Blend<.  Place the fish in the skillet, seasoned sides down and sprinkle the top sides of all the fillets evenly with the remaining seasoning.

Cook until the undersides of the fillets are bronze in color, approximately 2½ minutes.  Watch as the fish cooks and you’ll see a white line coming up the side of each fillet as it turns from translucent to opaque; when one half of the thickness is opaque, the fish is ready to be turned.  Turn the fish and cook approximately 2½ minutes longer.  To test for doneness, simply touch the fish in the center - - properly cooked fish will have a stiffer texture than partially cooked fish.  You also can use a fork to flake the fish at its thickest part - - if it flakes easily, it is done.  Do not overcook as the fish will continue to cook even after you remove it from the heat.  Serve immediately.

Note:  You can turn the fish more than once or continuously until cooked to desired doneness.  All cooking times are approximate.

 

Louisiana Recipes Weekly



 

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