Recipe(tried): Pat/Pecan Coated Catfish Fillets

Dear Pat, My husband loves catfish also, and this is one of our favorite ways to prepare it. Dena in Oregon

Pecan-Coated Catfish Fillets With Homemade Tartar Sauce

6 - 1/2 inch thick catfish fillets (about 1 3/4 LBS)
1 1/2 cups milk, as needed

For the tartar sauce:
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 TBSP minced fresh parsley
1 TBSP minced fresh chives
1 TBSP drained small capers
2 TBSP minced sweet pickles
1 large green onion, including some green top, chopped fine
scant 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
3 to 4 grinds black pepper
Salt, to taste

For the pecan coating:
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
3 to 4 TBSP milk
1 cup fresh, soft bread crumbs
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
3 TBSP unsalted butter
1 TBSP vegetable oil

In a shallow bowl, cover the fish with 1 1/2 cups of milk. Refrigerate, covered, for several hours.

Mix together all the ingredients for the tartar sauce. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

Pour the milk off the fish fillets and pat them dry. Salt and pepper on all sides and set aside.

Set up an assembly line: first the flour on wax paper; then a low bowl holding the egg beaten with 3 or 4 TBSP milk; then the bread crumbs tossed with the pecans on waxed paper; and finally another sheet of waxed paper or a platter to hold the coated fillets.

Dredge each fillet in flour and shake off any excess. Dip into the egg mixture, letting the excess drain off, then coat with the nut-crumb mixture by pressing lightly. Carefully transfer to the platter.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat half the butter and oil. Brown 3 fillets on both sides (3-4 minutes total) until the fish flakes when poked with a fork. It's best not to turn the fillets more than once. Quickly cook the rest of the fillets the same way, keeping the first batch in an oven on low heat.

Serve immediately with tarter sauce and lemon wedges. Serves 6 generously.

Calories for fish: 469
30g protien
24g carbs
2g fiber
29g total fat (6.5g sat fat)
315mg sodium

Tarter sauce, per TBSP: 19 cals
1g carbs
0g fiber
1.5g fat (0.2g sat fat)
79g sodium