Blackened Catfish Nuggets

We went to the grocery store yesterday, and the seafood department was handing out samples of their cajun catfish. It was delicious! But it was also $5.99 per pound, on sale! I looked around in their case, looking for something I could use as a substitute, and saw the catfish nuggets were only $2.69 a pound. This was much more palatable. I bought a couple pounds and went home to figure out what to do with them.

I found a recipe on the web that had been passed down for generations. Worth a try, I figured. I modified it a little, as is my normal way, and OH MY GOODNESS! I've never done catfish at home before, and this was truly amazing. I certainly won't take all the claim for this one, but I was happy to be the one manning the skillet. You might want to try this one - delicious spicy flavor, but not too spicy. Not fishy at all, which is good for my tastes. And the catfish has a less-flaky feel than most fish - Nico kept thinking it was chicken.

So here is the recipe we ended up with. Let me know if you try it.

4 servings

1 lb catfish nuggets, or boneless fillets
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/4 or 1/2 tsp cayenne (this is the heat - adjust accordingly ;-)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
butter or oil (for cooking)

1. Note: you must use butter or oil, or bacon grease. Margarine will not work. I used a mixture of bacon grease, butter, and olive oil, which gives a great flavor and the ability to work at high temperatures.
2. A large cast iron skillet works best. There may be a lot of smoke, so be sure to turn on your fan or open a window.
3. Mix all dry ingredients together in a gallon-size ziploc bag.
4. Put the nuggets into the bag, and shake to coat well.
5. Put the butter and/or oil in the skillet and heat until hot.
6. Put the nuggets in the skillet. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side.
7. Change the butter or oil if it gets too black.

We doubled this recipe and fed six of us with leftovers. We made a nice tartar sauce and some cole slaw (recipe on the side of the bag), both which helped cut the heat for the kids.

The original recipe is from James Naron, found on recipezaar.com. I cut back the salt and cayenne, and added the panko for a nice crispy texture on the nuggets. The original recipe was also for catfish fillets - the nuggets was our idea, and probably works about the same.