We Cooked the Catfish.

So, the catfish was cooked and eaten the day after it was caught, but I just have not gotten around to posting about it...until today!!! Be excited. I know you are wanna know how to cook catfish. It's so popular and all.

Nobody does food better than the Food Network, so I copied one of their recipes. It was pretty good. This could probably be used with any fish. If you're only making one or two, make far less of the seasoning and dredging mixture. Even for the 4 catfish fillets this recipe calls for, I would cut it in half. There was a lot of seasoning.

I chose a recipe for fried fish because I wasn't sure if catfish tasted good or not. I figured as long as it was fried, it would taste great! It was. But the fish underneath the batter wasn't half bad either, so next time I think I'll skip the frying (remember how healthy I'm trying to be? Right).

And now I give you my second attempt at cooking fish ever.....CATFISH!

Pan Fried Catfish with Lemon and Garlic

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005

Show: Emeril LiveEpisode: Deep Fried Southern

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/pan-fried-catfish-with-lemon-and-garlic-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 4 (6 to 6 1/2- ounce) catfish fillets
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Essence or other seasoning salt, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley leaves, plus chopped parsley forgarnish
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup all- purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Place the catfish in a shallow bowl or baking dish. Season the fillets with 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the Essence. Add the lemon juice, parsley, and garlic. Turn the catfish several times to coat evenly. Allow mixture to stand at room temperature for up to 10 minutes.

Combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, and the remaining Essence in a shallow bowl. Remove the catfish from the marinade and dredge in the cornmeal mixture, coating evenly.

Heat the oil in a large, deep, cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the catfish, in batches, and fry until golden brown on both sides, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Remove catfish from the skillet with a slotted spatula and drain on paper-towels. Season with salt and serve immediately with additional parsley and lemon wedges.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

HUSBAND'S REACTION: He approved. His favorite part? No bones to worry about! I think we might be trying some more catfish in the future.

He's so cool, you can trust his opinion. :)