Why Fry on Friday? A Catfish Dinner...

Catfish w/ Tomato Ragout 

There are plenty of foods that are vastly improved when fried. Items such as Twinkies, Potatoes, and even capers. Frying adds to texture more than taste but it's hard to argue when you eat a piece of fried chicken, it just seems to taste so much better.

Well, one thing that doesn't necessarily need to be fried to hold its' own is catfish. Catfish can be fried, blackened, pan seared or roasted, each preparation holds its' own intrigue. At times we can get so carried away with eating things the way that we are used to that we never venture out to see if there's a method of cooking that will yield positive and welcomed results.


On the menu today: Pan Roasted Catfish with Tomato & Squash Ragout...

For The Catfish we will need the following:

• Catfish Filets (1 pp)
• Paprika (1 Tbs)
• Old Bay Seasoning (1 tsp)
• Olive Oil (2 tbs) 
• Salt & Pepper (T T)

Marinade the catfish in the paprika, old bay seasoning and olive oil for 15 - 45 minutes. Place in a pan and then in an oven preheated to 375 for 7-12 minutes or until done. * To make for a darker flesh, you can place on High broil for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. Remove and set aside to be plated.

For the rice, simply use the package instructions and sub chicken or veggie stock for the water, you can even get creative and use the tea infused rice recipe on the blog. (Just type - "Tea Infused Rice" in the search box)

Squash & Tomato Ragout 

For the Ragout we will need the following:

• Yellow Squash (2 each)
• Roma Tomatoes (6 ea)
• Garlic (2 cloves)
• Basil (6 leaves)
• Salt & Pepper (T T)
• Olive Oil (2 Tbs)

For the ragout dice the squash small as seen below. Dice the tomatoes and mince the basil and garlic. Start cooking by adding the olive oil to a sauté pan and then adding the diced squash. Allow the squash to brown slightly and then add the garlic and basil. Finally, add the tomatoes, cooking for an additional 3-5 minutes. Plate by pouring over the rice or the fish.