Prep your veg and singe that cat!
With all the channel cats being fried up and turned into boulettes it’s time for a different angle on the tasty bottom feeder. Its firm flesh makes it a natural for pasta salad and the bacon bits add just enough smoky crunch to wean you off the fried (at least for one meal). Remember that movie about Mozart called ‘Amadeus?’ The one where the Emperor of Austria walks out on Wolfgang because his opera has ‘too many notes?” This may have gotten some laughs in the theater, but methinks that his majesty had a point. Too many elements can cause a loss of focus. In cooking, lots of ingredients are great in gumbo where they are all combining to create a new synthesis of flavor. However….
Not the case with salads of any kind. In salads, you want to shoot for compatible but distinct. They need to get along but without sacrificing their individuality. And there shouldn’t be “too many notes.” And as for the cheese it can be any kind of hard cheese, but it needs to be shaved. Tastes better that way.
So do a quick slice on the veg (they can be different from the ones listed below), do the boil and broil, respectively, with the pasta and catfish, make the vinaigrette and you’re good to go.
Another nice feature of this recipe – it’s a good keeper. Due to the firmness of the fish and the pasta it can be stored covered in the fridge and you can snack on it for a day or two after.
Fishing for Catfish Corkscrew Salad!
And how about this guy! He’s fishin’, smokin’, and stylin’ at the same time what with his colorless coordinated outfit and spotless white nubucks. It’s exhibit A in how far personal standards have fallen. No doubt if this was a contemporary shot he’d be sporting a stained NASCAR wifebeater and a pair of cutoffs. Found this picture when cleaning out the house of a dead relative and don’t know if he was friend or kin, but if anyone can identify him I’d be interested to know who he was.
I’m actually toying with the idea of using this website as a kind of digital milk carton since I have so many unidentified food-related photos from the distant past. đ
So contact me if you know who he was. Your reward will, however, be metaphysical, not monetary.
Now enjoy the salad and keep cool!
p.s. Need a summery quick cake for the boat? Try my version of Ambrosia Cake. It’s a good traveler and tastes great.
- For the vinaigrette:
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic lemon vinegar (or tarragon vinegar & honey to taste)
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- For the salad:
- 2 cups of fusilli pasta (or other bite-sized pasta like rigatoni)
- 1 lb. catfish
- 4 strips bacon
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ¼ cup black olives
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- shaved parmesan cheese to taste
- minced parsley or basil to taste
- For the vinaigrette:
- Crush the garlic clove and pour the oil over it.
- Whisk in the other ingredients and set aside.
- Remove garlic clove just before putting it into the salad.
- For the salad:
- Boil the fusilli according to package directions, then drain and set aside.
- Cook the bacon until brown and crispy. Crumble and set aside.
- Brown the catfish on one side in a pan with a little oil, then put in a 350-degree oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until done. Squeeze a little lemon or lime juice over it and let cool.
- Cut catfish into bite-sized chunks and mix into the pasta along with vegetables.
- Add salad dressing, shave or grate parmesan over salad and serve.
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