By Week 520. Year 10. Tommy is 43. Spring cleaning and pit maintenance. The mortar checked, the grate inspected, the tools organized. The business running steady — DeShawn handling the big jobs, Marcus on the commercial side, the name Beaumont on the vans and the invoices and the reputation. Rémy (14) finishing school, drawn to the water. The garden is producing. The bayou is running. The roux is turning.
Made crawfish bisque this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Come eat, cher.
When you’ve spent the week with your hands on the business and your eyes on the bayou, the food that makes sense is the food that comes from the water — clean, direct, and full of place. Rémy’s been pulled toward the water lately, and I get it; there’s something about spring on the bayou that calls to you. So I put catfish in the skillet — lemon-pepper, butter, a little heat — because it’s the kind of plate that says where you are without saying a word. The door was open. Come eat.
Lemon-Pepper Catfish
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 catfish fillets (about 6 oz each), patted dry
- 2 tablespoons lemon-pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 lemon, half juiced and half sliced into rounds
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Season the fish. In a small bowl, combine the lemon-pepper seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and cayenne. Pat the catfish fillets dry with paper towels, then coat both sides evenly with the seasoning blend. Press gently so it adheres.
- Heat the skillet. Place a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers, about 2 minutes. The pan should be hot enough that the fish sizzles the moment it touches it.
- Sear the fillets. Lay the catfish fillets in the skillet without crowding — work in two batches if needed. Cook undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes until a deep golden crust forms on the bottom. Carefully flip each fillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until the fish is opaque through and flakes easily at the thickest point.
- Finish with butter and lemon. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the butter to the pan and let it melt, then tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the fillets for about 1 minute. Squeeze the lemon juice directly over the fish.
- Rest and serve. Transfer the fillets to a platter and let rest for 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon rounds. Serve alongside rice, greens, or warm cornbread.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 290 | Protein: 27g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 2g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 540mg