Catfish broiled with mushrooms

I was in the mood for a lighter dinner Monday night, so I pulled a huge catfish filet out of the freezer. Now in my younger days, I loved fried fish, and cajun style fried catfish is amazing. But my tastes have changed to the point where I actually prefer broiled fish. I won’t turn down a good fish fry, but this is now my preferred way to serve it. What’s even nicer, is that you don’t have to thaw the fish before you cook it.

For broiled fish, I like to use Slap Ya Mama Hot, to season it. I have found that if you use a milder cajun seasoning, to get some 'hot', the finished fish gets a little too salty. A nice dusting of the Slap Ya Mama Hot, and you get just enough hot without too much salt. 

The mushrooms added a nice touch. Here’s how I put this together. You can cook several filets and it won’t change the recipe. Just add more mushrooms.

Frozen catfish filets

Cajun seasoning (Slap Ya Mama Hot)

Oregano

Olive oil

Butter

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

1 clove of garlic

Preparation

Make sure you choose a cast iron pan, that is big enough to hold the fish. If you don’t start with frozen fish, you’ll have to reduce the cooking time. Heat that and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Set the frozen fish in the pan, and sprinkle the top of the filet with a light dusting of the cajun seasoning, and then a spec of oregano. Drizzle olive oil over the fish, and place the pan under a hot broiler. Broil for about five minutes.

By now the fish should be thawed. Gently turn the fish over, sprinkle a little cajun seasoning on this side, and set two tablespoons of butter on top of the fish. Return to the broiler. After a few minutes, add the mushrooms and garlic around the fish, and continue broiling.

When the mushrooms have softened, shove them together in a line, and turn the fish over, so it sits on the mushrooms and garlic. Add one more tablespoon of butter, and broil until the top of the fish just starts browning. It should be perfect, moist and steamy inside. You are ready to serve.

Serving

I served my catfish, covered with the mushrooms, next to a big pile of steamed brown rice. Alongside that, I added a pile of steamed, buttered, mixed vegetables. You also want warmed homemade dinner rolls, and a nice German Riesling. This dinner really hit the spot.