My husband used to tease me when he started noticing how often I would order my blackened catfish. Then one day at Cracker Barrel he tasted my dinner, and he began ordering it too. Fast forward to 3 kids later, and you would laugh if you heard our typical order at Cracker Barrel: Spicy Catfish. Spicy Catfish. Spicy Catfish. Spicy Catfish. Macaroni and Cheese.
My pocketbook is not rich enough to eat out often for blackened catfish, so I had to learn how to cook restaurant style blackened catfish on my own. The first lesson learned was that fresh catfish can be pricey. But I also found that frozen tilapia is affordable and is similar to catfish in the fillet size available, mild flavor and texture. And as a bonus, frozen tilapia is usually packaged in individual, vacuum sealed pouches, so they stay fresh in the freezer longer. A perfect freezer food-storage food.
The next challenge was figuring out how to cook my fish. Thank you Food Network and serendipity because I came across a very short TV segment about sear-roasting fish at the exact time I was channel surfing. I was so excited to try it the first time, and even more excited that I was able to make it work! My kids now love this fish at home and get excited every time I make it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Sear-Roasted Blackened Tilapia
Tilapia fillets, patted dry with paper towels (enough for desired serving sizes)
Butter
Olive Oil
Cajun seasoning (Note: I use Emeril's Baby Bam for my daughter, who doesn't like spicy fish.)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. (When I use a convection oven, I set my oven at 400 degrees.) Wrap any non-heat resistant handles on your pan with several layers of aluminum foil.
Heat a shallow saute or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon (or slightly more if using a large pan) olive oil to the hot pan. You will know that the pan is hot enough if the olive oil ripples on the bottom of the pan when you tip the pan to swirl the oil across the bottom of the pan. Add 1 tablespoon butter and swirl pan to mix melted butter and oil.
Add fillets to pan, flat side down. Using a spoon or pastry brush, coat the top of the fish with the oil/butter mixture in the pan. (Hint: tip the pan to help you spoon up the oil and butter. Also, do not move the fish once it has been placed in the pan. This will help make a nice, slightly crisp surface on the bottom of the fish.) Sprinkle fish with desired amount of Cajun seasoning. Use a spoon or pastry brush to oil tops of fish again, so that the spice is no longer dry.
After the fish has begun to develop a slightly crispy crust on the bottom surface, move the pan to the hot oven. This usually takes just a few minutes on the stove. Bake fish until it is white and flaky. This usually takes just a few minutes, 3 or 4.
NOTE: If your pan is small, you can cook this dish in batches. Use aluminum foil to tent dis of cooked fish to keep it warm while cooking additional batches. Also, you will need to ensure that the pan remains hot on the stove between batches.
