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Asian Catfish
(Vietnamese-Style Catfish
with Peanuts and Fresh Herbs)
Serves 4
Since my early memories of
catfish bring to mind cornmeal-crusted mud, I wanted to give
this underrated fish another chance to win me over. I
treated it to a very special Vietnamese-inspired
preparation: a light sauté of rice flour-and-turmeric dusted
catfish followed by a shower of fresh wilted
herbs—delicious! The majority of catfish available today is
farm raised, eliminating much of the murky flavor of its
wild cousins. And while I’m generally not a huge fan of
farmed fish, I actually prefer sustainably-raised farmed
catfish from the United States. Serve the fish over a bed of
cooked rice vermicelli for a one-dish meal.
1 1/2 pounds catfish
fillets, about 1/4-inch thick, skin removed, fish cut into
11/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup white rice flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil,
plus more if needed
6 green onions, white and
green parts, thinly sliced
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup packed fresh cilantro
leaves
Nuoc cham, for serving
(recipe below)
Cooked rice vermicelli, for
serving (optional)
If the catfish feels wet or
if it was previously frozen, pat it dry with paper towels or
a clean kitchen towel. Combine the rice flour, salt,
turmeric, and pepper in a gallon-size resealable bag or a
wide, rimmed plate. Add half the fish and shake to coat with
the seasoned flour. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large
nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Remove the fish
from the bag, shaking any excess flour back into the bag.
Add the seasoned catfish to the pan and cook until golden
and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side for 1/4
inch-thick fillets. Transfer the fish to a platter or large
plate. Repeat with the remaining fish and 1 tablespoon of
oil.
When all the fish is cooked,
wipe the pan clean. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil
over medium heat. Add the green onions and peanuts and cook,
stirring, until sizzling and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir
in the dill and cilantro and cook until wilted, about 1
minute. Pour the fresh herb mixture over the catfish. Serve
over rice vermicelli with nuoc cham on the side for
drizzling.
Variation: I used
farm-raised catfish fillets, but you could try another
medium-firm textured fillet, such as striped bass or
flounder. The catfish I use is fairly thin (about 1/4 inch
thick); add a few minutes to the cooking time if you use
thicker fillets.
Nuoc Cham
Makes about 1 3/4 cups
Nuoc cham is a staple of
the Vietnamese table. The sauce is very basic, yet it
introduces a balance of sweet, tart, salty, and spicy to
your meal. Keep a batch in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup very warm tap water
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
(check the label to be sure it’s gluten free)
1 tablespoon freshly
squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice
vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
flakes
In a small bowl, combine the
sugar with the water. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add
the fish sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, garlic, and red
pepper flakes. Refrigerate until ready to use. The sauce
will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
Reprinted with permission
from The
Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen: Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings,
Sauces, and More.
Copyright © 2011 by Laura B. Russell, Celestial Arts, an
imprint of Ten Speed Press and the Crown Publishing Group,
Berkeley, CA.
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