Blackened Catfish Tacos Recipes

Steps:

• For the catfish: Whisk together the buttermilk, 1 tablespoon of the seafood seasoning, 1 teaspoon of the chipotle and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the fish, cover and let soak, refrigerated, for 10 to 15 minutes.
• For the fiesta slaw: While the fish is soaking, whisk together the mayonnaise, crema, lime juice, paprika, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Add the cabbages, cilantro, carrots and green onions and toss to coat.
• Whisk together the cornmeal, flour and remaining 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning and 1 teaspoon chipotle in a shallow dish or paper bag. Drain the catfish, shaking off any remaining marinade (discard the remaining marinade). Place 3 to 4 pieces of fish in the cornmeal mixture and shake/flip until they are coated. Remove the fish to a clean plate or baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fish.
• Add about 1 inch of canola oil to a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and heat to about 375 degrees F.
• Add the fish to the skillet a few pieces at a time. Fry on each side until golden brown all over, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a baking sheet with a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining fish.
• Toast the tortillas in a cast-iron skillet or over an open flame. Add 2 pieces of fish to each tortilla and top with the fiesta slaw. Serve with lime wedges, cilantro and red onions.

Steps:

• For the ma and pa slaw: Whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, vinegar and sugar in a large bowl. Add the red and green cabbage and toss until thoroughly coated.
• For the blackened catfish tacos: Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the tortillas and warm 15 seconds per side; keep warm while you fry the catfish.
• Coat one side of each piece of catfish with Creole seasoning. Put the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; when hot, add the catfish seasoned-side down and cook until blackened, about 5 minutes. Flip, and cook on the second side until an instant-read thermometer reads 145 degrees F., about 5 more minutes.
• Put 1 piece of catfish on each tortilla. Top with some slaw, onions and 2 slices of the avocado. Garnish each with a dollop of thousand island dressing and a few leaves of cilantro, if using. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• The fillets should be at room temperature. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over very high heat until it is beyond the smoking stage and you see white ash in the skillet bottom, at least for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour 2 tablespoons melted butter in each of 6 small ramekins; set aside and keep warm. Reserve the remaining butter. Heat the serving plates in a 250-degree oven. Dip each fillet in the reserved melted butter so that both sides are well coated. Then, mix thoroughly all the spices for blackening mixture and sprinkle the Blackening Spice Mixture generously and evenly on both sides of the fillets. Place 1 or 2 fillets in skillet and cook uncovered over very high heat until the underside becomes deep brown, almost black (but not burned), about 2 minutes (the time may vary according to the fillet's thickness and the heat of the skillet). Turn the fish over and pour 1 teaspoon of butter on top of each. Cook until fish is done, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with remaining fillets. Serve each fillet while hot. To serve, place 1 fillet and a ramekin of butter on each plate.

Steps:

• For the cabbage slaw: Add the 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, mayonnaise, garlic, avocado, lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to a food processor. Process until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add water, 2 tablespoons at a time.
• In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with the 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, the green onions and the dressing. Let sit for 15 minutes.
• For the fish tacos: Mix together the smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the fish and toss gently to coat.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the grapeseed oil and the fish and cook until the seasoning on the fish is blackened, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a plate.
• Top each tortilla with 2 slices of fish, about 1/4 cup of slaw and a sprinkle of cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, onion powder, cumin, salt, brown sugar and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the mixture as evenly as possible over both sides of the fish fillets.
• Combine all of the Avocado-Cilantro Sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse until well-combined; set aside.
• Combine all of the Slaw ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
• Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add in the fillets (a few at a time if you can't fit them all at once). Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the outside is blackened and the fish flakes apart easily. Note: try not to move them around so as to achieve a blackening affect. Too much movement, also, encourages the spice mixture to stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Remove the fish from the heat, and if desired, warm the tortillas in the same skillet over medium heat, cooking for about 30 seconds on each side.
• Break up the cooked fillets into 2-3" pieces. Distribute the fish evenly between the tortillas and top with Slaw and Avocado-Cilantro Sauce. You may garnish with additional fresh cilantro leaves and/or jalapeno, if desired.

Steps:

• Blackened Catfish.
• Season fish liberally on one side with blackening spice and a small amount of salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Place cast iron skillet on a burner and turn on high for about 3 minutes, until it becomes very hot. Turn off flame, add oil and place fish, seasoning side down, in pan.
• Turn flame back on and cook fish, seasoning side down, until translucent, about 5 minutes. The fish will turn white except for a small amount of pink in center. At this point, turn off heat and flip fish over in pan.
• Allow to sit in pan for about 1 minute. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel to absorb some of residual oil.
• Heat three tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds, to warm. Spread a small amount of remoulade on each tortilla, then lay three roughly equal-sized portions of fish on individual tacos. Top with lettuce (or cabbage) and tomato, then dollop a generous portion of remoulade on top of tacos. Makes 4 servings of 3 tacos.
• Remoulade:.
• In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir.

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, mix together the black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, parsley, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, oregano, and thyme until thoroughly combined. Press the catfish fillets into the spice mixture to thoroughly coat.
• Arrange a portable heat source outdoors, such as a butane burner or side burner of a gas grill. Melt butter in a glass or metal bowl. Light the burner, and place a large cast-iron skillet onto the burner over high heat. Pour about 1/4 cup of melted butter into the skillet; set remaining 1/2 cup of butter aside.
• When the butter in the skillet is smoking hot, lay the catfish fillets into the skillet. Cook until the spices are burned onto the fillets and the catfish is opaque and flaky inside, about 3 minutes per side. Don't breathe smoke from burning spices. To serve, pour remaining 1/2 cup of butter over the catfish.