Catfish Sandwich with Spicy Quick-Pickled Cucumbers
Take these crispy catfish sandwiches over the top by pickling your own spicy cucumbers at home with jalapeños, vinegar, sugar, and salt
Recipe - St. Louis Park
Catfish Sandwich with Spicy Quick-Pickled Cucumbers
Prep Time15 Minutes
Servings6
Cook Time30 Minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt, divided
4 Persian cucumbers, cut into 1/4-inch slices on an angle
1 medium jalapeno, thinly sliced
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup fine cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp Old Bay seafood seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 (7- 9 oz each) US farm-raised catfish fillets, rinsed and thoroughly patted dry
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 egg
6 hamburger buns, toasted
Tartar sauce
Iceberg lettuce
Directions
- To make the quick-pickled cucumbers, heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add vinegar, water, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt to the pan and cook until it begins to simmer and sugar dissolves. Toss sliced cucumbers and jalapeño together in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the simmering liquid over the top and stir to evenly coat. Allow to cool to room temperature or chill before serving.
- Heat two inches of oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat until it reaches 350°F. Adjust heat as necessary to maintain the temperature while frying.
- Whisk cornmeal and flour together in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, combine the seafood seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add 1 teaspoon seasoning mixture to the flour and whisk. Season catfish fillets evenly on both sides with remaining seasoning mixture. Pour the buttermilk into another shallow dish. Add egg and whisk to combine. Dip each fillet into the buttermilk mixture, flip once to coat both sides and allow the excess to drip off. Coat both sides of the fillets in the cornmeal mixture. Set the coated fillets on a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Gently add the fillets, two at a time, to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the fried fillets to a cooling rack set over a newspaper-lined half sheet pan. Repeat method with remaining fillets.
- Spread tartar sauce on both sides of hamburger buns. Place a few cucumber slices on the bottom of each bun. Top with catfish and lettuce and serve.
15 minutes
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
6
Servings
Shop Ingredients
Makes 6 servings
Essential Everyday Vinegar, White, Distilled, 64 Ounce
Cub Drinking Water, Purified, 1 Gallon
Essential Everyday Sugar, Granulated, Pure, 4 Pound
Essential Everyday Salt, Plain, 26 Ounce
Not Available
Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, 0.1 Pound
Essential Everyday Vegetable Oil, Pure, 24 Ounce
Bob's Red Mill Cornmeal, Medium Grind, 24 Ounce
Essential Everyday Flour, All-Purpose, 5 Pound
Old Bay Seasoning, 6 Ounce
Essential Everyday Black Pepper, Pure Ground, 1.5 Ounce
Not Available
Kemps Cultured Lowfat Buttermilk, 16 Fluid ounce
Cub Eggs, Large, 12 Each
Not Available
Essential Everyday Tartar Sauce, 12 Ounce
Fresh Iceburg Lettuce, 1 Each
Directions
- To make the quick-pickled cucumbers, heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add vinegar, water, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt to the pan and cook until it begins to simmer and sugar dissolves. Toss sliced cucumbers and jalapeño together in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the simmering liquid over the top and stir to evenly coat. Allow to cool to room temperature or chill before serving.
- Heat two inches of oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat until it reaches 350°F. Adjust heat as necessary to maintain the temperature while frying.
- Whisk cornmeal and flour together in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, combine the seafood seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add 1 teaspoon seasoning mixture to the flour and whisk. Season catfish fillets evenly on both sides with remaining seasoning mixture. Pour the buttermilk into another shallow dish. Add egg and whisk to combine. Dip each fillet into the buttermilk mixture, flip once to coat both sides and allow the excess to drip off. Coat both sides of the fillets in the cornmeal mixture. Set the coated fillets on a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Gently add the fillets, two at a time, to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the fried fillets to a cooling rack set over a newspaper-lined half sheet pan. Repeat method with remaining fillets.
- Spread tartar sauce on both sides of hamburger buns. Place a few cucumber slices on the bottom of each bun. Top with catfish and lettuce and serve.