Pecan Crusted Swai (Vietnamese River farmed Catfish)

If it's Friday, it must be Fish Night!!!


2/3rds of the way through January and I am still sticking with my new year's resolution of a new Fish dish once a week for the year.  And this week I not only have a real winner, but also a new cooking process to get very tender, fully cooked, flaky fish fillets.  


Cooking fish is an art.  I am on a quest to rid the world of rubbery, over cooked, tasteless fish.  This method is similar to a trick lots of BBQers know as "Foiling".  That is to remove the meat from the grill/smoker about 5 degrees shy of the optimum internal temperature.  Immediately double wrap the meat in aluminum foil and then put the foil wrapped meat in a cooler (no ice) for a few hours.  The external temperature of the meat evens out to the center for a fully cooked piece of meat.


Well, since the fish fillet is so much thinner, you can do a similar process without the foil.  


Here's what I did...


HOT heavy nonstick pan.  Your fish will not stick if the pan is hot enough.  Add just a small amount of Canola oil to the bottom (just enough to coat, maybe 1/8th inch deep).  Heat the oil  (hot is your friend).  Once the fish is breaded (recipe will follow the cooking method), add to the oil...

Turn the heat down to medium.  You are pan searing the top.  It takes about 8 minutes for the breading to get golden brown and delicious.  Occasionally, take a fish turner and take a look to see how the GBD is proceeding.  You do not want to burn your nuts (put that line in so Chris would have something to comment about since he does not prefer fish).


Your goal is to only flip your fish once.  So be sure the side is finished.  Flip the fish over and bask in the beauty of the golden brown delicious looking crust...

Your pan is still HOT, even though the temp was dropped to medium, still plenty hot.  Now is the fish foiling trick....


With the pan still hot, and after the 1 minute while you bask in the glory of the GBD coating (One minute with the heat on medium), take the pan off the heat.  But IMMEDIATELY put the lid on the pan...

It's a boring photo, no images of golden brown and delicious, but while you are looking, the fish is continuing to cook.  The HOT top, combined with the still HOT bottom is cooking the fish evenly.  It will take about 10 more minutes (long enough to make the side dish of Snap Peas with almond slivers and garlic... but that's a post for another day).


And sure enough, golden brown and delicious, completely cooked throughout, but the fish was very moist, tender and flaky.   

OK... Here' a winner of a recipe.  Based on a Paul Prudhome Creole New Orleans style recipe...


2 large SWAI (catfish) fish fillets
1/2 cup Cornmeal
1/2 cup Pecans finely ground


Mix the cornmeal and pecans, rub the mixture into the fish (both sides), coating completely.


Cook in the method outlined above, HOT pan, HOT oil, turn the heat to medium, 8 minutes one side, flip, 1 minute on the other, remove from heat, cover pan and wait 10 minutes.


Meanwhile, make your simple cream sauce...


1/2 cup Butter (melted)
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
2 dozen whole pecan halves


Melt the butter, add the cream, mix well and simmer.
add the pecans to the mixture and continue to simmer for 5 minutes to soften the nuts (again... just for Chris).


And plate the fish, top with the sauce and nuts...


Enjoy!

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