Pan Seared Catfish Scallops with Asparagus
These restaurant-quality Pan Seared Catfish Scallops Recipe using channel catfish are seared in oil and butter until they’re crispy and golden brown. This is the most original and innovative of all the catfish recipes I have every developed and is a great way to elevate a big channel catfish into something of a delicacy. They are ready in minutes, and you can serve them as a magically delicious appetizer or main course.Seafood can be very expensive. You are likely going to pay a minimum of $25/pound for scallops at your local grocery store. But by transforming this thick catfish fillet into what appears to be a scallop, you can make an ordinary catfish into something truly special.CHANNEL CATFISHCatfishing gets a bad rap, but learning how to catch a catfish is still a ton of fun. It's extremely easy to catch channel catfish on the Red River here in Fargo, North Dakota.A channel catfish weighing north of 15 pounds isn’t uncommon to catch on the Red River of the North. Even though the average fish will usually fall in the 1- to 5-pound range, you only need to catch a couple of these to create lots of great fish recipes. And although the Red River is a pretty muddy environment, I've never caught a channel catfish that didn't end up being absolutely delicious! Any spinning or baitcasting reel will work when trying to catch channel catfish. 20-pound braided fishing line is ideal, as it provides strength and better hook sets due it its lack of stretch. My favorite rig is a slip sinker rig which starts with a slinker slide slid down the braid followed by a plastic bead to prevent chaffing of the line. Next, tie a barrel swivel to the end of your braid, then tie a 1- to 2-foot length of 20-pound flourocarbon leader material to the other side of the swivel. Finish with a size 1 circle hook and clip a 1-ounce bank sinker to the sinker slide. As for bait, there’s not much a channel catfish won’t eat. We use nightcrawlers from the compost pile in our garden, duck and goose livers I save from hunting, and the occasional frog my daughter catches on the river bank.ASPARAGUS IN THE OVENI learned how to cook asparagus in the oven from my wife who shared this asparagus recipe with me when she made me dinner for one of our first dates. Asparagus in the oven is the perfect side dish to any family dinner. This asparagus recipe is simple and roasting in the oven is much more flavorful than steaming on the stovetop. With its tender stalks and crispy tips, asparagus in the oven is one of the most delectable ways to enjoy this healthy, quick-cooking vegetable.MORE FISH RECIPESLooking for more fish recipes? How about my wife's favorite – Crispy Fried Whole Fish! Or how about our daughter's favorite – Potato Crusted Fish! And everyone loves the Smoked Fish Dip! Whether you love cooking walleye, perch, or catfish, you'll find all my fish recipes here.This recipe was written by Jeff Benda and first published by Outdoor Edge Knives.COME TO NORTH DAKOTA TO CATCH FISHIf you would like to visit North Dakota and catch some fish, check out details at the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website.CONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITYSign up here to receive a new recipe in your email inbox every Tuesday morning! If you make this Pan Seared Catfish Scallops Recipe, I’d love for you to join our community and connect with me so we can all see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! When you post a pic of your finished dish on Instagram, be sure and use the hashtag #wildgameandfish and then tag me @wildgameandfish so I can share it on my Instagram stories. If you have another great smoked fish recipe you'd love to share, I'd love to hear about it. You can email me at: jeffinfargo@gmail.comDid you enjoy this Pan Seared Catfish Scallops Recipe? Be sure to leave a 5-star rating RIGHT HERE!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds catfish fillets, 1-inch thick
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 5 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoon jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- 2 teaspoon yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- First of all, as soon as I catch any fish, I always use my favorite fillet knife and cut them under the gills and bleed them out. This will help remove blood from your fillets and give you a cleaner product to work with. Next, you should cool the fish off by putting them in a cooler full of ice.
- When you are ready to cook them, remove skin from catfish fillets. Using a sharp knife, cut “scallop” shape round pieces out of the fillet that are 2-inch wide and 1-inch thick. Trim any fat off of fillets. Soak in brine of 2 cups of cold water and 1 Tablespoon salt for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 Tablespoons olive oil with rice wine vinegar, honey, diced jalapeno and onion. Set aside.
- Trim your asparagus, put them on a baking sheet, and toss with one tablespoon each of olive oil and soy sauce. Place them in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 10 minutes while you cook your scallops.
- Pat “scallops” dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter to nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Think of the frying pan as a clock face and add the catfish “scallops”, one by one, in a clockwise order starting at 12 o’clock, then 1:00, etc. Fry for 90 seconds, then flip them over in the same order you placed the in the pan and fry for another 90 seconds. When he scallops are cooked, remove them from the pan onto a paper lined plate.
- Divide your cooked catfish “scallops” between your serving plates, add your cooked asparagus, and spoon your rice wine vinegar dressing over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
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One Response
Amazing! Great idea!