This is a lighter, slightly more refined version of the traditional Cajun dish. See above for fish substitutions if you don't have catfish. The sauce reheats well, but the fish needs to be eaten as soon as it's been sauced. Served with simple steamed rice.
1/2cupfine cornmeal, a/k/a "fish fry"(Look for Louisiana plain fish fry)
1/3cup minced fresh parsley
1/4cupminced chives or scallions
5 to 10basil leaves, torn up.
Lemon juice to taste
Instructions
Make the sauce. Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat and saute the onion, celery, red pepper and serrano until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, tomato, thyme and Cajun seasoning and let this cook another minute or two, then pour in the white wine and bring to a boil. Let this boil down by half, then add the stock and simmer this uncovered for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and set aside.
In another frying pan, heat the bacon fat. Mix the flour and cornmeal. Salt the catfish fillets, then dust them in the flour mixture. Fry the fish over medium-high heat until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Drain any extra fat, leaving only about a tablespoon. Add the sauce to the pan with the fish, add the chopped herbs and lemon juice to taste. Swirl it all in the pan to mix. To serve, carefully lift a fish fillet with a long spatula, or two spatulas, and set on individual plates. Spoon over some sauce and serve with steamed rice.