National Catfish Month brings tasty recipes

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, August 7, 2019

LAPLACE — August is the time to send children back to school, draft the perfect fantasy football teams and celebrate National Catfish Month with 31 delectable recipes.

Visit uscatfish.com to see the full list of recipes, which cover everything from classic fried catfish with hushpuppies and tartar sauce to oven baked catfish with savory cheese grits and catfish quesadillas with cilantro and lime sour cream. In the meantime, please enjoy the following recipes:

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COCONUT CRUSTED CATFISH
Yields four servings

  • 4 U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish Fillets
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Lime wedges for garnish

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Season each fillet with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and egg. In another small bowl, stir together remaining ingredients.

Dip seasoned catfish fillet into egg mixture, then coconut mixture. Place on a sheet tray. Repeat with remaining fillets. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with lime wedges.

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CATFISH ALFREDO
Yields eight servings

  • 6 U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish Fillets
  • 12 ounces penne pasta
  • Paprika
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • ½ pound mushrooms, diced
  • 1 (15-ounce) jar Alfredo sauce
  • ½ cup grated Romano cheese
  • ½ cup cream
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 cups fresh spinach, washed and torn into large pieces
  • ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

BRING large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain.

DUST fish with paprika and season with salt and pepper.

MELT butter with olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook until softened and translucent. Stir in garlic, red pepper and mushrooms, and cook over medium-high heat until soft. Remove all vegetables from saucepan with slotted spoon.

HEAT seasoned oil from vegetables to medium-high, adding additional olive oil if needed. Sear fish 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove from pan and wipe clean with a paper towel.

PLACE sautéed vegetables back in saucepan. Pour in Alfredo sauce; add Romano cheese and cream. Simmer, stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes Season with cayenne, salt and pepper.Add spinach. Stir pasta into sauce.

DIVIDE pasta onto serving plates and top with a catfish fillet. Garnish with chopped parsley.