Seafood

Pan-Fried Catfish Tacos with Mango Salsa- From The Obsessed Blogger In Me

12 May 2012
Pan-Fried Catfish Tacos with Mango Salsa

You are probably amazed that I can write a cookbook and still post 3 or more times a week. Today's Pan-Fried Catfish Tacos with Mango Salsa prove that there are three simple facts accounting for this seemingly amazing feat:

  1. My posts aren't as good as they used to be. So sue me. Sue me. Shoot bullets thru me.
  2. My brother Grant is coming up to the plate and providing wine notes for some of my posts. Do you know how much real estate a wine notes box takes up? So much that my posts don't seem quite as inconsequential as they might have.
  3. I am a blog obsessed freak. I simply have to post or I become irregular. Yeah, that kind of irregular!

Of course there is also the fact that I have been attending quite a few of the wonderful blogger events that come my way. These events provide content. Because they are new experiences about the things I love about blogging. The very things that energize me. Things like my week in the Amish country of Ohio. My trips to Driscoll's Berries and California Avocados were geeky food adventures that still occupy my dreams at night. Really. 

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Pan-Fried Catfish Tacos with Mango Salsa

Fish Tacos
By jgreghenry Published May 12, 2012
Prep time: 20
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 large ripe yet firm mango, cut from pit, peeled & cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • 1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 2 T lime juice
  • 2 t minced fresh mint leaves (optional)
  • 1 pn each kosher salt & black pepper, as needed
  • 4 catfish fillets
  • 1 c wondra flour
  • 0.5 t chili powder
  • 0.25 t ground cumin
  • 2 T unsalted butter
  • 2 T canola oil
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 1 c shredded cabbage
  • 0.5 c chopped cilantro leaves

Notes:

Prepare the salsa: In a medium bowl combine the mango, bell pepper, jalapeno, red onion, lime juice, and minced mint if using. Gently fold the ingredients together. Season very lightly with salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.

Prepare the catfish: In a small bowl mix the wondra, chili powder, and cumin with a big pinch each salt and pepper.

Rinse and dry the catfish fillets, laying them onto a plate in a single layer. Using fine meshed sieve or flour-sifter shake an even amount of the Wondra and spice mixture over all 4 fillets. Gently turn them over and repeat.

Heat butter and canola oil in a cast iron or non-stick skillet set over medium heat. The skillet should be large enough to hold the fillets in one layer, otherwise work in batches.

When the oil is hot, but not too close to smoking carefully lay the fillets in the pan. Cook then about 2 minutes on one side without disturbing them. Then flip them and cook them another 2 or 3 minutes until the fish is firm and cooked through but not overcooked. Remove the fish from the pan so that they stop cooking. Set aside, to cool somewhat then break the fish into bite-sized chunks.

Carefully wipe out the same skillet. Set it back over medium heat. Place the tortillas, one at a time to soften, about 20 seconds per side. Divide the fish among the tortillas, then top them with shredded cabbage, cilantro and some of the mango salsa. Serve warm.

 

Cioppino: The Best Fish Soup I know

02 May 2012
Cioppino

Ahhh, spring. The time when a young man's fancy turns to fish!

Of course I could have said,  "Ahhh, winter, spring, summer, fall, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. The time when a young man's fancy turns to fish".

At least this young man. While it's true that I am not technically a young man. But that would be rude to bring up. So we won't go there alright?

Because I want to talk Cioppino.

You probably know that Cioppino is a San Francisco tradition. It's a flavorful fish stew in a slightly spicy tomato broth. It (supposedly) originated in the city's Italian North Beach neighborhood a hundred or more years ago. This seafood-based soup can be made with any combination of seafood and fish you like. But I personally believe it must contain at least one variety of shellfish.

The recipe I use you'll find below. It originated with the CIA Greystone. But honestly I just use it as a road map. Cioppino is one of those soulful pots of goodness that tells you where it wants to go as you cook.

Don't forget to make a big pot. Because it's a communal meal. Best served among friends with great sourdough bread, plenty of napkins and extra bowls for all those shells. Oh, and wine. Don't forget the wine. My brother Grant chose to pair this Cioppino with  Four Vines "The Sophisticate" Zinfandel Sonoma County 2009.

So pull up a chair, bowl and glass and let your fancy turn to fish. GREG

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