Cajun Catfish with Spicy Strawberry Sauce
Submitted by sara73
Cornmeal-crusted Cajun catfish served over a sweet-and-spicy strawberry sauce made with preserves, horseradish, hot sauce, and red wine vinegar. A bold Southern fish dish that surprises.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
1 hrsCOOK
15 minREADY
1 hrsFried catfish with a strawberry sauce sounds wild until you taste it. Then it just sounds genius.
Catfish fillets get seasoned with salt, pepper, and a heavy dose of hot sauce, then rest in the fridge for an hour to soak up all that heat. A cornmeal-flour crust gives them that signature Southern crunch when sautéed in hot oil.
The sauce is where things get interesting: strawberry preserves simmered with red wine vinegar, cocktail sauce, horseradish, garlic, and soy sauce. It’s sweet, tangy, spicy, and a little funky all at once.
Spoon the sauce on the plate first, lay the crispy catfish right on top, and garnish with fresh sliced strawberries.
Kitchen Tips
- Let the seasoned catfish rest a full hour in the fridge. That marinating time lets the hot sauce penetrate deep into the flesh.
- Get the oil properly hot before adding the fish. If it’s not sizzling on contact, the cornmeal coating soaks up grease instead of crisping.
- The strawberry sauce also works with grilled chicken or pork chops if you want to stretch this recipe further.
Ingredients
Directions
- Strawberry Flavored Vinegar may be used instead of Red Wine Vinegar.
Place fillets in large shallow dish.
Season fish with salt, black pepper and hot pepper sauce; cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
In small saucepan, combine preserves, vinegar, soy sauce, cocktail sauce, garlic and horseradish; simmer sauce over low heat stirring occasionally, while preparing catfish.
Blend cornmeal and flour in shallow bowl.
Drain catfish and dredge in cornmeal mixture, coating on all sides.
Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium-high heat; when hot, add catfish and sauté until browned on both sides.
Drain well on paper towels; keep warm.
Spoon ¼ cup sauce on each plate; top with catfish fillets.
Garnish with sliced strawberries and parsley, if desired.
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