Grill some catfish

It’s summertime and the living is hot, which means I’ve backed away from the oven and I’m tr ying to reduce my use of the stove as much as possible.

All is not lost as there is one way to keep the smoke, the haze, the splattering oil, well away from the inside of the house: Use the grill.

This month I’ve decided to start throwing some catfish on the grill. This recipe, which involves a spice rub, could be used on other fish types, especially firm ones, like swordfish, tuna and salmon.

I like the taste of catfish, but I think there are other reasons to buy it. First, it’s usually a lot more affordable than other fish. Second, much of the catfish sold in this country is grown here and most types (and all the domestic ones) get the highest rating from Seafood Watch.

This type of recipe is usually called blackened catfish and originated on a cast iron skillet instead of on the grill. Blackened catfish actually refers to using a rub to season the fish. Marinades are often discouraged with fish, especially those destined for the grill, because acids can break down already delicate flesh.

Far from being blackened, the grilled catfish will likely retain a red hue from the rub, along with some nice browning.

While firm, catfish is not as hardy as salmon or swordfish on the grill. If you haven’t cooked fish on the grill before, here are some things to consider, since fish is far

more likely to stick to the grill than beef, pork or chicken.

Make sure your grill is clean and before turning it on, consider applying a little cooking oil with a rag to grease it up. When flipping the fillets, be careful and consider drizzling a little oil on top.

Another avenue to consider is placing the catfish on top of lemon, lime or orange slices to keep it from sticking to the grill. A third option is to use a grill basket, which allows for easy flipping.

The recipe I used as a base uses a cilantro-lime butter to go on top of the grilled catfish.

Normally I’m a butter fanatic and I believe in cooking show pioneer Julia Child’s quote about my favorite fat — “With enough butter, anything is good.”

In an alarming exception to the rule, butter does not make the catfish taste any better, although chopped cilantro and lime juice certainly do. Although, local tastes vary. I’ve gone with olive oil instead.

When it comes to the rub, most call for all the same ingredients: Paprika, salt, pepper, onion and garlic powders, dried thyme and oregano and cayenne pepper.

I ditch the paprika and use medium-hot chile powder instead of cayenne, adding in cumin and lemon pepper, although some lemon zest would go nicely, as well.

Skin-on fillets, like with salmon, are the easiest to grill because the fatty skin does not stick to the grill like the flesh does, but it is rare to see a catfish fillet with skin on it.

I like to pair the catfish with some red potatoes that I briefly parboiled before cutting them into quarters, tossing them with a little oil, salt and pepper and baking at 450 degrees for 30 minutes until they were golden brown.

Other side dishes are broccoli, in its steamed, stir-fried, roasted or even grilled incarnations; green chiles roasted on the grill or really anything from the garden thrown on the grill. Some favorites are the ever-growing zucchini crop or summer squash, asparagus or cauliflower.

Remember to serve the catfish with sliced limes, to squeeze over the cooked fillets.

Ingredients Catfish dry rub

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1-2 tablespoons chile powder (spiciness level of your choice) • 1 teaspoon onion

powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic

powder

• 3/4 teaspoon black

pepper

• 3/4 teaspoon lemon pepper (or lemon zest)

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon

ground cumin

• 3/4 teaspoon ground

coriander (optional) • Other spices as

desired

Catfish

• 1-2 catfish fillets • Olive, canola or vegetable

oil

• 1 handful cilantro,

finely chopped • 1-2 limes, cut into

quarters

Directions

• Combine all of the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl, including the salt, chile, onion and garlic powders, black pepper, lemon pepper and cumin. Mix until well combined.

• Turn the grill on medium-high. • Pat dry both sides of the catfish fillets with paper towels. This will ensure the rub sticks to the meat.

• Apply the rub to both sides of each fillet.

• Drizzle a small amount of oil on the side of the fillets that will be placed on the grill before placing them both on the grill. You can also squirt a little lime juice on them.

• Cook for 3-7 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Before you very carefully flip the fillets with the biggest spatula you can find, drizzle a small amount of oil on top and, if desired, a little lime juice.

• Sprinkle the chopped cilantro on top and serve with lime wedges.

Recipe adapted from “Grilled blackened catfish with cilantro-lime butter” by Shawn on kitchenswagger. com

Wheeler Cowperthwaite/Special to the Valley Press While this might be called blackened catfish, when cooked on the grill, it retains the red coloring from a chile-based rub.