INDIANAPOLIS – Fried Catfish with Remoulade

NFL AFC CITIES RECIPE #10

INDIANAPOLIS

FRIED CATFISH WITH REMOULADE

 

I really had two options this week.  Come January I always enjoyed making food from the respective NFL teams that were hosting playoff games that weekend.  I’ve had a lot of practice over the years with the success of Peyton Manning and the Colts seemingly always there as AFC South champions.  But I decided to do some more research of the popular foods in Indianapolis which I hadn’t done in a few years.  Fried pork loin sandwiches were something I have never tried, and I thought hard about doing that but felt it too similar to some of what we’ve already done on www.DoinThatRagu.com.  So, I went with my usual dish for Indy that I enjoy very much.

Some of you may be staring at this recipe and saying wait isn’t that Cajun food?  Shouldn’t this be for New Orleans?  Well catfish is very popular in Indianapolis and all over Indiana for that matter.  They like to coat the fish with cornmeal which is also popular in the South.  We won’t be adding any Cajun spices or other Southern twists to the meal.  This is the Midwest baby and we are just going to let good honest food for good honest folks do the talking for us.

 

THE RECIPE

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Mayonnaise

1 TBSP German style Mustard

1 TBSP Lemon Juice

1 TBSP White Wine Vinegar

1 TSP White Wine Worcestershire Sauce

1 TSP Honey

½ TSP Hot Sauce

1 Scallion (green parts only), finely chopped

2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ TBSP Fresh Dill, chopped

Salt, to taste

Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

4 Catfish fillets (6-8 oz. each)

½ cup All Purpose Flour

¼ cup Whole Milk

1 Egg

¾ cup Cornmeal

Vegetable and/or Canola Oil for frying

 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make the Remoulade first. In a small to medium bowl combine Mayonnaise, Mustard, Lemon Juice, Vinegar, Worcestershire, Honey, and Hot Sauce.  Stir until blended.
2. Add the Scallion, Garlic, Dill, Salt, and Pepper. Stir together to make a sauce.  Don’t overmix.
3. Pat dry the Catfish fillets. Season with Salt and Pepper.
4. Place the Flour on a plate. Dredge the fillets in the Flour allowing any excess to fall back to the plate.
5. In a small bowl beat the Egg lightly. Add the milk and stir till blended.
6. On another plate place the Cornmeal.
7. Dip the fillets one at a time into the Egg and Milk mixture and allow any runoff to drop back into the bowl.
8. Dredge the fillets in the Cornmeal until covered all over. Place on a different plate.
9. In a large frying pan heat the Oil over medium high.
10. When the Oil is hot enough place each fillet in the pan. Fry until lightly browned (about 5 minutes) and then turn over and fry the other side until light brown (about 4 minutes).  Drain on paper towels if desired before serving.

 

Serves four.  Serve with Remoulade on the side.  Serve with sweet potato or sweet potato fries (also great for dipping in the Remoulade) and green beans or salad. 

 

WINE PAIRING:  Beer is always recommended by the local pubs in Indianapolis that serve fried catfish.  That is always a good choice.  If you are more of a wine person like me than the top recommendation would be a German Riesling to match the flavors of the Remoulade well.  Make sure it is more of a dry Riesling (Kabinett) or slightly sweet (Spatlese).