Recipe: Grilled Lemongrass Catfish with Hoison-Ginger Sauce

Terrytx (10:12:12 AM) :

Grilled Lemongrass Catfish with Hoisin-Ginger Sauce

Recipe By : Lemon Grass Restaurant, Sacramento, CA
Serving Size : 4

For Marinade:
4 farm-raised catfish fillets
2 tbsp vegetable oil -- or lemongrass oil
1 tbsp fresh lemongrass -- minced*
Hoisin-Ginger Sauce:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp yellow onion -- finely minced
1 clove garlic -- finely minced
1 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar**
1/4 tsp ground chili paste
For Garnish:
green onions -- sliced
peanuts -- roasted

Place catfish in a shallow pan and sprinkle with oil and lemongrass or lemon zest. Set aside.

To make the sauce: heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add hoisin sauce, water, vinegar and chili paste, if using. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until a creamy consistency. If sauce is too thick, add more water. Set aside.

Prepare a grill or preheat the broiler.

Place fillets on an oiled grill rack or broiler pan rack. Grill or broil fillets about 4 inches from the heat source for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork***. Place fillets on serving plates and spoon a little of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with green onions and peanuts and serve.

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NOTES :
* if you don't have lemongrass and can't get your hands on any, use lemon zest.
** if you can't get rice wine vinegar, use white vinegar.
*** I found after cooking it for the amount called for that it needed a couple of extra minutes in the pan. I had to microwave it for 1:30 afterwards for it to flake. Depending on how hot your stove gets, that is how fast it will cook.

Nationally recognized Vietnamese restauranteur and chef Mai Pham opened her first Lemon Grass Restaurant in Sacremento in 1988. Since then, her award-winning restaurant has expanded to include three additional locations. According to The Sacramento Bee "Her fish dishes exude extraordinary flavor and freshness" and the Grilled Lemongrass Catfish with Hoisin-Ginger Sauce is no exception. This is according to the booklet "CATFISH - An All American Recipe and Restaurant Guide" that I got from The Catfish Institute.

I served this with white basmati rice that I cooked in the microwave (15 min on HI) and some sauteed spinach with garlic and ginger.

RisaG