Pan-Seared Mississippi Catfish on a Bed of River Rice
"My favorite thing to do is go to the catfish pond behind my house. I feed the fish, the ducks, and make sure all is in order at my little cabin," says Reed. "The next stop is usually through the pine trees and to my aunt and uncle's garden. I have a bucket of fresh vegetables when I arrive home. Fishing and gardening in our own backyard inspired our recipe. A quick swim in the pond after fishing makes the food go down even better!" Reed's family uses sautéed zucchini, broccoli, and carrots to create a steamship shape on the plate alongside the catfish. - Reed Lindsey, age 10, Mississippi
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 2 (4-ounce) catfish fillets
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
- In a medium sauté pan over moderate heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the red and yellow bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked brown rice and stir to combine. Arrange half the rice mixture in the center of each plate.
- In the same sauté pan over moderately high heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Using a paper towel, pat both sides of the catfish dry. Sprinkle both sides of the catfish with Creole seasoning and pepper. Add the catfish to the pan and cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the catfish over and continue cooking until the other side is golden brown and the fish is fork tender, about 3 minutes. Arrange the catfish atop the rice and garnish with additional vegetables, if desired.
589 calories; 23g protein; 48g carbohydrates; 33g fat (5g saturated fat); 504mg sodium
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