cornmeal-crusted catfish sandwiches with lemon-caper sauce {+ the sustainable seafood blog project}
It’s Memorial Day. I’m home from camp (details to come soon!); I’m resting easy. I’m soaking up the holiday and the (hopefully) sunshine.
And oh, hey! Summer is here. ‘Tis the season for hot dogs, for steaks and burgers on the grill and for cornmeal-crusted catfish sandwiches — preferably outdoors, with a beer on the side. And because it’s the season for all things meat on the grill/on a bun/outdoors with a beer, Elliott and I pay particular attention to our food choices.
As you may know, that’s something we’ve been doing for quite a while — that is to say, choosing to eat most meat/animal products from reputable, sustainable and ethical (and preferably local) sources — and the buck doesn’t stop at seafood. So when the lovely Jessie of Life as a Strawberry invited some bloggers to talk about sustainable seafood and what it means to them for the Sustainable Seafood Blog Project, I was more than happy to be a part of it. Plus, it gave me a good excuse to make a catfish sandwich.
This infographic gives you a really good idea of what the world’s consumption of seafood has done to our resources, so I won’t get into the nitty-gritty. Instead, I’ll just tell you that, for Elliott and me, being careful about what type of seafood we purchase or consume is one way we feel we can be responsible for our environment and be good stewards of this beautiful Earth we were given. Putting that bit of extra effort toward our food is worth it to us, not just for the environment but for our health, too.
I like to think these catfish sandwiches embody everything about the way we choose to consume. They’re healthy — as in, baked instead of fried. They’re sustainable and accessible — according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, which is our go-to resource for determining what seafood is OK to purchase and what isn’t, US-farmed catfish is given a “best choice” rating… and I found it at the deli counter of our local Byerly’s. Oh, and they’re DELICIOUS — meaning we don’t have to sacrifice flavor when being choosy about our seafood. The cornmeal is flavored with Old Bay seasoning, cumin and a little cayenne pepper for kick, and there’s also a homemade lemon-caper sauce slathered on each bun. WHAT. Magic in the mouth, I tell you.
To be honest, I don’t love to preach to people about why we eat the way we do, so we do our best to share about it when we’re asked or if the opportunity to talk about it seems appropriate. So I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you’re a terrible person if you don’t choose to purchase or consume solely sustainable seafood. That said, if you are interested in learning more, Jessie has set up a fantastic website that gives you all the info you need: The Sustainable Seafood Blog Project. And maybe, if you like, you can take this post and this recipe as one opportunity to think about where your seafood comes from the next time you shop.
At the very least, let’s all have a beer and enjoy the sunshine because oh hey, it’s finally summer. Happy Memorial Day, y’all!
P.S. Check out these blogs this week for more yummy sustainable seafood recipes:
Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish Sandwiches with Lemon-Caper Dill Sauce
A Girl Versus Dough original (inspired by Simply Scratch)
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
For the catfish —
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 cup milk
1 lb US farm-raised catfish fillets, cut into sandwich-size portions
For the lemon-caper dill sauce —
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon capers
1 teaspoon minced bread and butter pickles
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the sandwiches —
4 sandwich buns
Red leaf lettuce
Sliced tomato
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
Whisk cornmeal, Old Bay seasoning, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper in a shallow bowl. Pour milk into a separate shallow bowl. Dip catfish fillets, one at a time, into milk and then into cornmeal mixture, turning to coat. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Spray tops lightly with cooking spray.
Bake catfish, flipping halfway through, until golden brown on the outside and flaky on the inside, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let sit at room temperature for 2 minutes before assembling sandwiches.
Combine all ingredients for the lemon-caper dill sauce in a small bowl; spread on one half of each sandwich bun. Top with a catfish fillet, lettuce and tomato. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Beautiful sandwich! Perfect for the first day of summer!
I am sea food addict so I am so grateful for your post on promoting the sustainability of it! As an Aussie seafood is close to my heart but I have seen the recent trend in cooking to use such fishes such as rock fish, scampi, abalone. Not only do these have better flavour but cook up stunningly!
I love the corn meal idea! I have a gluten free sister and I use this coat on chicken too. I like to add parmesan cheese too boost the flavour of the coat.
Love that cornmeal crust, great idea!
So……. Next time I come up to visit will I get to try some of that wonderful-looking fish? Along with some Brussels sprouts perhaps?
Tieghan — Yay, summer! 🙂 Thanks, dear!
Belinda — So glad to hear it! I haven’t tried those fish you mentioned but I should see if they have any of them here in the U.S. And next time I make this I’m definitely adding Parmesan cheese because that sounds AMAZING. 🙂
Laura — Thanks, friend! 🙂
Mom — Oh yes, definitely with brussels sprouts 😉
Steph, it was so great to meet you at camp! I’m so glad we connected 🙂
This sandwich looks delicious (gorgeous photos!) and I love that you’re highlighting eating sustainably. That’s something we should all be more conscious of.
Stephanie — Thank you so much, dear! So glad we could meet this weekend, too 🙂
It looks so good, I can imagine the taste, I like all the ingredients.
You definitely had me at cornmeal catfish!!! I just attended a fish fry and all those warm memories are coming back. This looks so good.
Yummy! I usually try to stay away from catfish sandwiches because they’re almost always fried…and my stomach does not like fried foods. But this baked version? HECK yes! And I wanna slather that sauce on errrrrthang. Nom nom.
These look SOOOOO YUMMY. And this sauce sounds ah-freakin-mazing. I think I’m drooling. Also, I’m so glad to have you on board with this project!
As a huge seafood eater, I feel using fish from sustainable fish farmers is important. Albeit expensive, and sometimes difficult to get ahold of, but I find humanely raised and farmed fish is a better product and makes me happier about what I’m eating. This sandwich is the BOMB! Love the caper sauce!
What a great sandwich, so good on a Sunday afternoon.
Marta — Thank you so much!
Jocelyn — Mmm, fish fry, gotta love those. 🙂 Thank you!
Stephie — My tummy and fried foods don’t get along either, so I’m glad this baked version works out just as well! And with far less mess. WIN 🙂 Thanks, friend!
Jessie — Thank you, dear! I’m honored to be a part of it. 🙂
Julia — Yay for happy food! 🙂 Thanks, love!
Julie — It is a fantastic weekend sandwich. 🙂 Thank you, dear!
Love Love Love this.. It’s the only way my husband will eat Catfish. Gotta add that cornmeal to the crust. 🙂
Erika — The cornmeal addition is sooooo good 🙂 Thanks so much, darlin’!
These look delicious! And I love that they’re baked instead of fried… Will be trying this (and some of your other yummy looking recipes) soon! SO glad we found each other’s blogs through this project…
I love seafood and eat it at least 3 times a week, so this post was quite interesting to read! I’m glad people are becoming more aware of where their food is coming from – so important.
Now, moving on to this sandwich – I MUST HAVE IT!!!! You knocked it out of the park on this one, girl! xx
Laura — Thank you — hope you love the recipe! And I’m so glad we found each others’ blogs, too! 🙂
Ashley — Thank you, darlin’! I’m just happy that people are open to the conversation. 🙂 And everybody likes sandwiches!
wOWZA. I’ve never had catfish, but I may need to!
Carrian — You definitely need to! You’ll love it 🙂
Wow – what great info from that chart and from the Sustainable Seafood Project. Definitely an eye opener! Also these sandwiches – incredible! They remind me of a sandwich I had up in Grand Marais at this adorable little cafe that was so good that sometimes I dream about it. Now I can have my hand at making it again at home!
Taylor — Thank you, dear! Now you’ve got me jonesing for a trip to Grand Marais 😉
LOVE IT! You know how I am about a yummy tartar sauce! I totally love your version 🙂
Did I mention I love it? 😉
I definitely try to think about these things when I eat seafood–I need to be better about it when I eat sushi, but I feel like I balance it out by not eating it too frequently. Love the way you wrote this post, informative and educational, without being preachy at all (I know, I get sort of anxious talking about those types of things too).
I love breaded/fried/baked catfish!! I think it is one of the best ways to prepare it. These sandwiches look so delish!
Laurie — Thanks so much for the inspiration! My life is made better by that homemade tartar sauce 😉
Laura — Haha, thanks for sticking with me through the anxiety 🙂 I definitely know what you mean about the sushi — I think moderation is just as key as choosing the right kind of seafood!
I can’t wait to hear about your camp blogaway recap! I bet it was a blast. But until then, I will just feast my eyes on this delicious catfish sammie!
Lauren — Mayhaps tomorrow I will do a recap? 😉 Thanks, friend!
Such a lovely, simple and summery sandwich for this time of year!
Georgia — Thank you, dear!
I have actually never had catfish, but this is totally calling to me!
Deborah — It’s so good! You should definitely give it a try 🙂
Perfect way to kick off summer!
Steph — Thanks, dear!
this looks so good!! i love that sauce – i would probably slather way too much on it 😉
Julie — I almost ate the extra sauce with a spoon, for real 😉 Thanks, friend!
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