Catfish is a seriously underrated fish. It’s almost always fried and I have no idea why. It’s delicious, cheap and relatively sustainable when farmed responsibly. In our latest Perennial Plate video, we went catfish noodling, and as with so many things we’ve had down south, the fish was battered and fried. The batter was a mix of cornmeal, boxed mashed potato mix and some seasonings. For this recipe, I simply grill it and serve it with a kohlrabi slaw. Catfish is a great grilling fish because it isn’t too flaky, so you don’t have to worry about it falling apart.
As with all my recipes, don’t rush out to the store to buy anything in particular. Use what you have. Catfish doesn’t need to be marinated, it doesn’t need sage, but it can add a little something. Sage is a warm spice, but I think it works wonders in a fresh food setting. It’s a bit of a surprise.
SERVES 4
For the catfish:
- 4 6-ounce pieces of catfish
- 1/4 cup minced fresh sage or marjoram
- 1/2 tablespoon crushed black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon red chile flakes
- Mix together the ingredients and rub into the fish, leave it in the fridge in a bowl for about 2 hours. Remove from the fridge, bring to room temperature and grill for about three minutes on each side.
For the kohlrabi slaw:
- 2 large head of kohlrabi, peeled and julienned
- 1/2 red onion or 2 spring onions, finely diced
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup minced sage or marjoram
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground toasted fennel seed
- I’ve included an ingredient list. But a slaw is pretty personal. Some people like a lot of vinegar, others like to just have the crunch. Adjust this recipe according to your personal taste. Serve alongside grilled catfish.
