Recipe - Blackened Catfish

4 Catfish fillets (about 3 lbs
total weight)
One half Stick butter
One fourth cup Olive oil

SPICE MIX
2 tablespoon Sweet paprika
2 One half teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Onion powder
1 One half teaspoon Garlic powder
1 One half teaspoon Cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon Lemon pepper*
1 teaspoon Whole thyme leaves
1 One half teaspoon Whole basil leaves

Okay, so I admit that I too am tired of everyone blackening everything.
This method, however, is very easy and the results unusually good. I prefer
this to blackened redfish (which is nearing the endangeredspecies list),
blackened chicken, and, Lord save us all, blackened oysters. Why would you
do such a thing to a perfectly innocent oyster?

This is the only time that you have ever seen me use garlic and onion
powders . . . but this is the only way you can do this dish.

* Lemon pepper is a blend that can be found in the spice section of the
local supermarket.

Mix together and store in a lidded jar. You will probably not need all of
this mix for this particular recipe. Use it on other meats as well.

Heat a black iron frying pan for at least 10 minutes over very high heat.

Cut each of the fillets in half. Melt the butter and mix with the olive
oil. Place the spice mix on a plate. Dip the fish into the butter and oil
and then dredge on both sides in the spice mix. Fry in a very hot pan just
a few minutes on each side. This must be done in a room with a very good
kitchen fan or out in the backyard over a very hot charcoal barbecue fire.

Serve this with a great deal of beer, an enormous green salad, and
Macaroni Pie (see recipe).

From The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American. Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe
Archive, http://www.erols.com/hosey.