Here are my two favorites from my files. Enjoy!
Baked Fillet of Catfish Creole
4 each 6 to 8 ounce catfish fillets
Creole Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup chopped celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves, whole
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon dill
1/4 teaspoon sweet basil
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
salt
cayenne pepper
Preparation:
In a heavy pot, sauté onions, celery, garlic and seasonings in butter until done (10 minutes). Add tomato sauce and water, bring to a rapid boil and reduce to simmer. Stir occasionally and cook approximately one hour. Add more water if necessary to retain volume. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste when finished cooking.
Place catfish fillets in a glass baking dish. Cover with Creole Sauce. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve at once with fresh steamed rice.
Pecan Crusted Fish with Peppers and Squash
12 oz. skinless catfish, whitefish or orange roughy fillets, about 1/2" thick (we've also used skinless salmon fillets)
1/2 c finely chopped pecans
1/3 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 c flour
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 egg
1 Tbsp water
2 small red and/or orange sweet peppers, seeded and quartered
1 medium yellow squash and one medium zucchini, each cut into 1/2" diagonal slices
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
Line a 15"x10"x1" baking pan with foil. Lightly grease foil and set aside. Rinse fish and pat dry. Cut fish into 4 serving-size pieces. Set aside.
In a shallow dish, stir together flour and ground red pepper. In a small bowl beat together egg and water. In another shallow dish, mix together the cornmeal, pecans, onion salt. Dip one piece of fish in flour to coat lightly, shaking off excess. Dip fish in egg, then pecan mix to coat. Place coated fish on prepared pan. Repeat with remaining fish.
In large bowl combine sweet peppers, zucchini and yellow squash. Add olive oil and seasoned salt. Toss to coat. Arrange peppers and squash next to fish, overlapping veggies as needed to fit on the pan.
Bake uncovered in 425F oven for 20-25 minutes or until the fish just flakes easily with fork and veggies are tender.