Southwestern Catfish

Late March. The ramps are up. I checked the patch in the woods Wednesday — a thirty-foot line of ramps along a north-facing slope under big oaks — and the green leaves are out and the bulbs underneath are ready. I gathered conservatively, the way I always do with ramps because they're slow growers and you can deplete a patch if you're greedy. Six pounds of leaves and about two pounds of bulbs. The ramp ethic is to take a third and leave two-thirds. I take less than that. I want the patch to be there when River brings his kids someday, if there are River's kids.

The cohort is at week ten. The projects are coming together. The deer-sculpture man finished the body shape and is starting on the legs. The knife student has heat-treated his blank and is working on the handle. The bicycle student finished his frame and is now riding it around Tahlequah, which is the kind of result you live for as an instructor. He brought it to class Thursday. We all admired it. He said: I rode it eight miles yesterday. I said: now ride it eighty.

Friday I taught the knife-skills workshop for Hannah's nutrition program. Twelve women, ages thirty to sixty-five, in a community kitchen at the Cherokee Nation health building. I taught them basic knife grip, the rocking cut, the slice, the dice, the chop. I taught them how to butcher a chicken — a whole bird from the supermarket, broken down into eight pieces. I taught them how to know when a knife is dull. The women asked good questions. One of them — a younger one, who had not picked up a knife in a kitchen before — said at the end: I feel like I have a power I didn't have when I came in. I said: that's exactly the right way to feel. Knife skill is power. Hannah was watching. She said afterward: that's your tagline now. I said: knife skill is power. She said: yes. I said: I'll embroider it on a pillow. She said: don't.

Caleb Saturday — back to the regular Saturday. He brought a chicken and we worked on his butchery in the workshop kitchen. I was the teacher. He was the student. He broke the chicken down and the cuts were clean, his hands sure. The technique he'd learned in cooking class plus the practice he's done at home plus the one-on-one with me made for a clean butchery. He said: I want to do a deer. I said: in November. He said: in November.

After two days of teaching — first the women in Hannah’s nutrition program, then Caleb in the workshop kitchen — I wanted to cook something that asked me to use a knife with intention. Catfish is honest work: you run a clean fillet cut, you pat the fish dry, you don’t rush the sear. The southwestern spice profile felt right for where we are, this part of Oklahoma, this part of the year. You spend a week talking about what a sharp knife can do, then you come home and prove it.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 catfish fillets (about 6 oz each), patted very dry
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp neutral oil (such as avocado or canola)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 lime, cut into wedges
Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, for serving

Instructions

Make the rub. In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Stir until evenly blended.
Season the fish. Press the spice rub onto both sides of each catfish fillet, coating evenly. Let the seasoned fillets rest at room temperature for 5 minutes while the pan heats — this helps the crust set properly.
Heat the pan. Set a heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) over medium-high heat. Add the oil and let it shimmer — about 2 minutes. The pan needs to be genuinely hot before the fish goes in or the crust will steam instead of sear.
Sear the first side. Lay the fillets into the pan away from you. Do not move them. Cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes, until the edges are opaque and the crust releases cleanly from the pan.
Flip and finish. Flip each fillet once. Add the butter to the pan and let it melt and foam. Tilt the pan slightly and spoon the butter over the fish as it cooks. Continue 3–4 minutes, until the fish flakes cleanly at the thickest point when pressed with a finger.
Rest and serve. Transfer fillets to a warm plate and let them rest 2 minutes. Squeeze a lime wedge over each fillet, scatter fresh cilantro on top, and serve immediately with remaining lime wedges alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Southwestern Catfish — Knife Skill Is Power, and This Fish Deserves Both