Cast Iron Catfish

When many people think of seafood, the first thing that comes to mind is: FRIED. Fried shrimp, fried catfish, fried oysters and the list goes on. I may be in the minority, but forgive me, I am not a big fan of fried foods and never have been!  I feel that the breading usually overpowers the taste of the actual food that is being fried. When it comes to seafood, my preference is either sautéed, grilled, broiled or lightly blackened.  In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with any of these cooking methods because they all give you a different (and delicious) take on seafood. Today, I am sharing with you one of my favorite ways to cook catfish:  sautéed in an iron skillet and served with a lemon, butter sauce.  For those of you who may not be the biggest fan of fish because sometimes it literally tastes “fishy”, this fish is great because it is mild and meaty! By having it sautéed rather than fried, its delicate flavor is revealed! I love to serve it with some delicious grilled vegetables and the BEST dill potatoes. Let’s get cooking!

 Cast Iron Catfish with Grilled Vegetables and Dill Potatoes

3 to 4 catfish filets

1 container cherry or grape tomatoes

3 zucchini, halved, and sliced into long slices about ¼ inch thick

½ bag of green beans, trimmed

Garlic powder (to taste)

Salt (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

Lemon Pepper (to taste)

Olive oil

¼ cup of salted butter, melted

1 lemon, halved and seeded

2 to 3 tablespoons, fresh, chopped Italian parsley

Arugula

Preheat the grill to medium heat. 

In a separate dish or plate, place the catfish. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Set aside.  For the vegetables, place each type in separate dishes or bowls.  For the tomatoes, generously coat them with olive oil and salt and pepper.  For the zucchini, drizzle with olive oil as well and season with salt and pepper.  For the green beans, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and season with the lemon pepper.  Using your hands, toss the vegetables gently making sure that they are all seasoned well.

For the fish:

For the fish, heat the cast iron skillet with olive oil and butter on the grill until hot. Add the fish and cook until no longer translucent, but opaque and flaky. It should take about 10 minutes flipping halfway through the cooking process, however, the cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the fish. Bigger filets will have longer cooking times..  

For the vegetables: 

Place vegetables on the grill or a grill basket.

Cook the vegetables in this order:

Grill the zucchini first until soft and a bit charred.

Next, grill the green beans until tender and a bit charred.

Lastly, grill the tomatoes until lightly blistered.

Dill Potatoes

1 bag of fingerling potatoes, washed and quartered

2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

1 tablespoon salt

3 tablespoons butter

3 to 4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

In a medium to large pan, add the quartered potatoes and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil.  Add 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning and 1 tablespoon salt.  Boil for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.   Drain and return immediately back to the pan.  Add butter and the desired amount of dill.  I like a lot of dill so I add about 4 tablespoons or more.  Stir well.  Season with salt, if needed. Serve immediately.

When there are five minutes remaining of cooking, begin to prepare the lemon butter sauce. Combine the melted butter and the juice from half of a lemon.  Add a dash of garlic powder.  Mix well.  Set aside.  When the fish is done, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the parsley to the sauce.  Stir. 

To plate:

In the middle of the plate, place about ¼ to ½ cup of arugula.  Drizzle a couple of spoonfuls of the lemon, butter sauce.  Top with the catfish.  Drizzle more of the sauce over the fish.  Surround the fish with the grilled vegetables of your choice and dill potatoes. 

Yield: 3-4

Author: Kelly Meer

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Cast Iron Catfish

A healthy and tasty way to enjoy catfish! Goodbye fried fish, hello cast iron sauté!

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Ingredients

Catfish

• 3 to 4 Catfish Filets
• 1 container cherry or grape tomatoes
• 3 zucchini, halved and sliced into long strips (about 1/4 inch thick)
• 1/2 bag green beans, trimmed
• Garlic Powder to taste
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Lemon Pepper to taste
• Drizzle of Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup of salted butter, melted
• 1 lemon, halved and seeded
• 2 to 3 tbsp. fresh, chopped Italian parsley
• Arugula

Dill Potatoes

• 1 bag of fingerling potatoes, washed and quartered
• 2 tbsp. old bay seasoning
• 1 tbsp. of salt
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 3 to 4 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped

Instructions

Cast Iron Catfish and Vegetables

1. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
2. In a separate dish or plate, place the catfish. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.
3. Place each type of vegetable into separate dishes or bowls.
4. For the tomatoes, generously coat them with olive oil and salt and pepper.
5. For the zucchini, drizzle with olive oil as well and season with salt and pepper.
6. For the green beans, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and season with the lemon pepper.
7. Using your hands, toss the vegetables gently making sure that they are all seasoned well.
8. For the fish, heat the cast iron skillet with olive oil and butter on the grill until hot.
9. Add the fish and cook until no longer translucent, but opaque and flaky. It should take about 10 minutes flipping halfway through the cooking process, however, the cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the fish. Bigger filets will have longer cooking times.
10. While fish is cooking, begin cooking vegetables in this order: Grill the zucchini first until soft and a bit charred. Next, grill the green beans until tender and a bit charred. Lastly, grill the tomatoes until lightly blistered.
11. When there are five minutes remaining of cooking, begin to prepare the lemon butter sauce.
12. Combine the melted butter and the juice from half of a lemon.
13. Add a dash of garlic powder. Mix well. Set aside.
14. When the fish is done, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the parsley to the sauce. Stir.

Dill Potatoes

1. In a medium to large pan, add the quartered potatoes and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil.
2. Add 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning and 1 tablespoon salt.
3. Boil for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
4. Drain and return immediately back to the pan.
5. Add butter and the desired amount of dill. Stir well. Season with salt, if needed.
6. Serve immediately.

To Plate

1. In the middle of the plate, place about ¼ to ½ cup of arugula.
2. Drizzle a couple of spoonfuls of the lemon, butter sauce.
3. Top with the catfish. Drizzle more of the sauce over the fish.
4. Surround the fish with the grilled vegetables of your choice and dill potatoes.