Quick Cajun Catfish

Quick Cajun Catfish Recipe Ready in a mere 20 minutes, these delicious cornmeal-crusted catfish fillets will soon become a family favorite. Serve with oven roasted potatoes and steamed green beans.


From EatingWell:  November/December 1993, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (2008)

Yield: 4 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 4 catfish fillets, (1 1/4 pounds; see Tip)
  • 4 lemon wedges

Preparation

  1. Preheat broiler. Lightly oil a wire rack large enough to hold fish in a single layer. Place the rack on a baking sheet.
  2. Whisk buttermilk and mustard in a medium bowl until smooth. Combine cornmeal, salt and paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, cayenne pepper and black pepper in a shallow dish. Dip each fillet in the buttermilk mixture, turning to coat. Transfer to the cornmeal mixture, turning to coat completely. Place the fillets on the prepared rack; they should not touch.
  3. Broil 4 inches from the heat source until the fish is opaque in the center, about 3 minutes per side. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Tips & Notes
  • Tip: The catfish-farming industry has grown in the U.S. and the quality of the fish has improved. Farmers raise catfish sustainably in closed pens and feed them a mostly vegetarian diet. If you're wary of fish but enjoy bold flavors, this is a good recipe to help you get more heart-healthy fish into your diet.

Nutrition Per serving:

239 calories; 11 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 67 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 24 g protein; 1 g fiber; 546 mg sodium; 452 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (25% daily value).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 3 1/2 lean meat