Catfish, Black Eyed Peas and Fried Collards

Welcome to Soul Food Night!  My husband, Tim, is a true blue Southerner and I have to say this Yankee lady has really taken to southern food.  I went to college in NC and quickly fell in love with sweet tea and upon moving to VA started making grits, biscuits and black eyed peas every which way. Tim has been nagging me for years to try catfish and I just kept thinking I just don't know, they look so gross.  A couple of times I have stumbled across some interesting recipes but have not been able to put my hands on catfish (fresh or frozen) from my fishmonger.  Apparently, you have to keep your eyes peeled for it.  I went to the store, and low and behold Harris Teeter had it, and it was on sale.  I bought 4 fresh fillets and decided to go with a theme and really do some soul food.  Emeril Lagasse had an intriguing recipe Crispy Catfish and Black Eyed Peas, Bacon with Caramelized Onion Relish and Fried Collard Greens.

Black Eyed Pea Shot

The catfish is going to cook quickly so definitely get started on the black eyed peas first.  The onions need a lot of time to really caramelize and it is worth the time invested because you will not get the sweetness unless you slowly brown them in the bacon fat. Pay no attention to the time allotted in the recipe as I found it takes much longer.   I do have a time saver for you though: I used canned black eyed peas.  I drained and rinsed the peas and was ready to go.  This is much faster than using dried, which you have to soak over night. The veal broth takes a good bit of time to reduce too, but be patient.  I really recommend starting all of this really early so you are not rushed.  This side easily stays warm on a low burner and can wait for the fish. 


Better shot of Catfish



Catfish reminds me a lot of flounder; it was very easy to pan fry.  I sprinkled the fillets with Creole seasoning and then dredged them.  A cast iron skillet works well for frying both the fish and the collards.  The catfish fry quickly and if you have multiple fillets and need to do them in batches you can easily keep them warm in a 250 degree oven on a cooling rack on a sheet tray. 

The last step is frying the collards, it didn't say in the recipe if you were supposed to cut the leaves or fry them whole.  I decided I would try both.  The whole leaf was an epic fail, lots of spitting and it really didn't get crispy.  I decided to julienne the leaves and fry them in the long strips.  This worked great!  They got the crispy texture I was looking for and they looked great on the plate.  Make sure you salt them as soon as you get them out of the fryer and place them on the paper towels.  Overall, I loved the meal and can now say I am a fan of catfish.  It tastes just like a mild, meaty white fish.  Once again this meal was pleasing to all of my taste buds: sweet, spicy, salty, and bitter.  Tim really enjoyed the meal, which always makes me happy.  It is so much fun trying new things and I will be happy to make this again, of course if I can find the catfish!