Yield: 24 servings (4 oz. catfish, 1 cup slaw, 1 Tbsp. sauce).

24 4-oz fillets (6 lbs.) U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish
11/2 qts. buttermilk
1 cup flour, all-purpose
1 cup flour, semolina
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1/4 cup parsley, fresh, minced
2 Tbsp. salt, kosher
2 Tbsp. thyme, fresh, minced
1 Tbsp. oregan or marjoram, fresh, minced
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. black pepper, ground
1 Tbsp. red pepper, ground
1 tsp. cumin, ground
1 tsp. coriander, ground
1 tsp. mustard, dry
1 qt. vegetable oil
11/2 gal. Mardi Gras Slaw (recipe follows)
3 cups Jalapeño Meuniere Sauce (recipe follows)

Place catfish fillets in a shallow half steamtable pan. Pour buttermlik over catfish and turn to coat; cover and refrigerate up to 1 hour.

In bowl, combine flours, cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, spices and herbs. Mix well. Reserve.

When ready to cook remove catfish fillets from buttermlik and shake off excess liquid. Dredge catfish fillets in flour mixture to coat well. Let stand 15 minutes before pan-frying.

In deep skillet, heat oil; add breaded catfish fillets gently to oil and pan-fry, 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain well. Lay on parchmentlined sheet pan and place in 200°F conventional or 150°F convection oven and keep warm until service according to HACCP guidelines.

Serve each fillet on a 1-cup portion of Mardi Gras Slaw and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. Jalapeño Meuniere Sauce.

MARDI GRAS SLAW (3 QTS.):
3 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
3 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced
11/2 cups yellow squash, sliced length-wise, cut into half-rounds or julienne
1 cup zucchini, sliced length-wise, cut into half-rounds or julienne
as needed, prepared lemon juice shallot vinaigrette with mustard and lemon zest

In bowl, combine cabbages, squash and zucchini; toss to mix. Drizzle lemon vinaigrette over slaw mixture; toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving as directed.

JALAPEÑO MEUNIERE SAUCE:
11/2 cups butter, salted, cut into small chunks, divided
1/2 cup garlic, minced
1 cup (6 large) jalapeños, seeded and sliced on bias
2/3 cup fish stock
2 tsp. lemon juice
to taste, Worcestershire sauce
to taste, salt and ground black pepper
8 small lemons, thinly sliced, optional
1/2 cup parsley, fresh, chopped

In saucepan, melt half the butter; add garlic and jalapeños and cook until mixture begins to brown and smells like toasted hazelnuts, about 5 minutes.

Add fish stock, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce; return to a boil. Remove from heat. Slowly whisk in remaining butter, until thickened. Add lemon slices, if desired, and parsley. Keep warm but not hot and serve as directed.

Recipe Provided By: Founding/consulting chef Jan Birnbaum, Sazerac, Seattle.

Photo Credit: The Catfish Institute