French Quarter Catfish With Bearnaise Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Tie the peppercorns and 2 tarragon sprigs in cheesecloth and secure with butcher's twine to make a sachet. In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, shallots and sachet and simmer over low heat until the liquid is evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool; discard the sachet.
• In a medium bowl set over a double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks and lemon juice. Heat, whisking constantly, until the yolks are pale and slightly thickened. Slowly ladle in the clarified butter, whisking constantly, until the sauce is emulsified. If sauce looks like it is getting too thick, add water by the tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency. Remove from the heat and add the chopped tarragon and 1 tablespoon of the shallots. Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook mushrooms and garlic, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add broth or wine, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add catfish, simmer, uncovered, for 6 to 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. (Butter sauce will be thin.) Serve over spaghetti. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Garnish with lemon and parsley if desired.

Steps:

• Make fish:
• Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.
• Brush a baking pan with 2 tablespoons oil.
• Combine bread crumbs, cornmeal, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large sealable plastic bag and shake to mix.
• Season fish with salt and pepper on both sides. Working with 1 piece at a time, dip fish in eggs, letting excess drip off, then put in bag and shake to coat well with crumbs.
• Transfer fish to baking pan and bake until undersides are golden, about 6 minutes. Drizzle fish with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, then carefully turn over and cook until golden and just cooked thourough, about 6 minutes more.
• Make rémoulade while fish bakes:
• Whisk together all rémoulade ingredients and salt to taste. Serve fish with sauce on the side.

Steps:

• For the sauce, put the Champagne vinegar, white wine, shallots, 1 tablespoon tarragon leaves, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is reduced to a few tablespoons. Cool slightly.
• Place the cooled mixture with the egg yolks and 1 teaspoon salt in the jar of a blender and blend for 30 seconds. With blender on, slowly pour the hot butter through the opening in the lid. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of tarragon leaves and blend only for a second. If the sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon of white wine to thin. Keep at room temperature until serving.
• Season the steaks liberally with salt and coarsely ground black pepper on both sides. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat until it's almost smoking, then sear the steaks on each side for 1 minute. Lower the heat to low and cook the steaks for about 7 to 10 minutes, turning once, until very rare in the middle. Remove to a plate, cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Serve with the bernaise sauce on the side.
• Note: To make the sauce in advance, prepare an hour before serving and allow it to sit in the blender. Before serving, add 1 tablespoon of the hottest tap water and blend for a few seconds.

Steps:

• Preheat the grill.
• Coat each catfish fillet with the dry rub. Dip the fish into the oil and place the fillets on a hot grill to establish grill marks. After establishing grill marks and the fillets release from the grill, place the catfish into a smoker. Smoke for 2 minutes using the hickory wood chips. Add water to the chips and steam the fish for another 2 minutes. Remove the catfish from the smoker and serve immediately with homemade Tartar Sauce.
• Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Season with salt, to taste. Chill, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Combine the vinegar, wine, scallions, and tarragon in a small saucepan. Place it over high heat and boil until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
• Fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring it almost to a boil. Lower the heat so that the water is hot but not boiling.
• Combine the egg yolks and the reserved scallion mixture in the top of the double boiler, and place the top over the bottom. Gradually whisk in the melted butter in a slow, steady stream. Continue whisking until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
• Makes 1 1/2 cups.