WELL FED

BLACKENED CATFISH WITH SPICY FRIED CORN

So trying to figure out the inaugural meal in the new kitchen has proven to be a bit intimidating.  I wanted to do something exciting, monumental.  But we're also still dealing with the last tedious bits of moving, cleaning out the old apartment, bringing over the last odds and ends, etc, so making something like a braised pork should feels sort of overwhelming.  The first dish (as well as second) that I made using my sweet, baby Viking sort of slipped by without fanfare.  A couple days after the stove was installed I made some oatmeal (flavored with currants, quince jam and cardamom) and then a few nights later I threw together some udon noodles with a spicy, garlicky almond sauce (SO good - a nice twist on the usual peanut sauce).  Finally as this past weekend rolled around, I was determined to finally DO IT.

I'd been thinking about that catfish dish I told you about and thought, why not?  It's not exactly on the level of Batali or Goin or Silverton, but it was pretty freaking great.  The best part was that it's the kind of dish that doesn't require a huge time commitment or search for hard to find ingredients.  Perfect for a weeknight, or the end of a day spent packing boxes.  Sunday morning, on our way to clean out the kitchen in Mark's apartment, we stopped by the Melrose Place farmers' market where I picked up some fresh corn.  That night, tired and sweaty, a refreshing glass of pink lemonade (spiked with vodka) at my side, I settled into my new kitchen.

 

INGREDIENTS

(for the catfish)

2 to 4 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

2 tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 catfish fillets (6 to 8 ounces each)

2 tablespoons butter

lemon wedges

(for the corn)

4 ears corn, shucked and sliced off the cob into a large bowl

1/4 pound 5 or 6 slices bacon, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 chipotle in adobo sauce, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons fresh chopped mint

2 tablespoons sour cream or mayonnaise 

To make the spice mixture for the catfish, combine the corn meal, paprika, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, sugar, salt and pepper.  

Stir to combine.  This will make more spice mixture than you will need for this dish.  Just store the rest in a small, airtight container in your spice cupboard.  Believe it or not, this mixture is also really great on popcorn.

To make the corn, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.  Add the bacon and pepper, stirring to coat.  Saute for about 5 to 10 minutes, until crisp, stirring occasionally.  

If the pan seems especially greasy, spoon off some of the bacon fat.

Stir the corn into the skillet, coating with the fat and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in the chipotle and salt.  Add 2 tablespoons or so of water and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, simmer until thickened.  

Continue to cook for about 5 minutes.  Taste the corn to see if it's done and adjust for seasoning.  Just before serving, stir in the cilantro, mint and sour cream or mayonnaise.  Now I know mayonnaise might sound like a strange addition, but trust me it works.  Besides, Mexican corn on the cob starts by slathering the steaming, hot ear with a mixture of mayonnaise, lime juice and cayenne, then showering it with cotija or Parmesan cheese.  It's great.

To make the catfish, preheat your broiler.  Place the catfish on a plate and spoon over about a tablespoon of the seasoning mixture, per catfish fillet.  Gently rub into the fish on both sides.  Place the fish on a wire rack over a small rimmed baking sheet.  Top each fillet with 1 or 2 small pieces of butter.

Slide the fish under the broiler and cook for about 3 minutes for the first side.  Gently flip the fish over and continue to cook for about 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes for the second side.  Remove from the broiler.

To serve, spoon a mound of the corn mixture onto the plate and top with 1 catfish fillet, accompanied by a few wedges of lemon to spritz over.

The corn is sweet, the chipotle smokey and spicy, the bacon is also smokey with that salty kick that works so well with corn.  The cilantro and mint highlight the freshness of the dish while the mayonnaise (or sour cream) give it richness and body.  The textures are really great too, the fresh pop of the corn kernels contrast with the crunch of the bacon.  It's kind of addictive.

These flavors are echoed in the catfish, which is also smokey, spicy and just slightly sweet.  The cornmeal gives the coating a great texture, and the butter melts and soaks into the fish adding an unexpected luxuriousness.  

The corn serves 4.  The catfish rub yields about 1/3 cup.

KITCHEN UPDATE: Counters & Appliances

We are inching closer and closer to being done.  Or at least functional. I feel like it's going to be a while before the kitchen is actually DONE done. But until that day eventually happens, I now at least have a working sink, stove and refrigerator (the dishwasher will be installed tomorrow).  Isn't it looking good?  I'm so excited.  That counter material is honed black granite.  Honed granite is stone that does not have the glossy finish that comes with buffing.  The result is something that has more of a matte finish.  It was a look that I preferred for this house.  Glossy stone or man made surfaces like Caesarstone just didn't feel right for the look I was going for. They seemed a little too slick. I considered soapstone and Carrara marble, but while they both look great, the former doesn't wear particularly well and is susceptible to cuts, and the later is vulnerable to stains and etching from citrus.  Although to be honest, honed granite can also stain, but I figure it's black, so it shouldn't show as bad as white marble would.  It does tend to show fingerprints, but I still love it.  So far.  I do have concerns about chipping plates and breaking glasses from setting them down a little too carelessly, but I guess it's something I'll have to deal with.  

As far as the appliances go, I sort of splurged.  I decided to go Viking.  

How I love it so.  Carrie Bradshaw has to have her Manholos. I had to have my Viking.  Although in the beginning I was open to other ranges, such at Bertazonni and Wolf.  In fact, a friend who has a Viking was actively steering me away from them.  Apparently she'd had a number of problems with it and if she'd had to do it over, she admitted that she would have gotten a Wolf.  One Saturday after Mark and I closed on the house, we headed out to the Burbank to do a little appliance shopping at Pacific Sales.  One of the sales people there showed us the professional style ranges they had and in his opinion, the Viking was the way to go.  He explained that the new model on the market has been completely redesigned and certain issues that the previous version had, have been addressed.  It was exactly what I wanted to hear.

To go with the stove, we decided to stay with the Viking family for the refrigerator.

I've always wanted a freezer on the bottom.  It just makes the most sense to me.  Why put the frozen food that I use the least at eye level?  I want my mustard collection, jars of capers, pickles and, tapenade right where I can see them.

For the dishwasher, we went Miele, which according to the research I did, is quite highly ranked.

One of the main reasons I selected the Miele is because of this cool little feature - a pull out rack for cutlery.  Instead of a basket, you can just toss yours forks spoons and knives onto this rack and that way spoons won't end up sticking together and not getting clean.  I don't know why, but I just love the idea of this rack.

Having a dishwasher will be new for me.  Growing up we didn't have one.  I was it.  It wasn't until I went away to college that my parents finally got one.  I have to say, of all house hold chores, all I which I sort of despise, washing dishes I really don't mind.  Still, being able to file dirty dishes away in a magical stainless steel box, only to have them emerge sparkling and clean, is rather appealing.  Especially since we now have room to have small dinner parties and the results of which will be stacks and stacks of dirty dishes.

Next week my dad is flying out to paint the cabinets.  He's very good and the best part is he's free.  Then we are heading into the home stretch.  Just a little more painting, installing the the handles and drawer pulls, putting in the back splash and hanging light fixtures over the sink and table in the breakfast room. 

I can't wait to start cooking.  It's so going to happen this weekend.

KITCHEN UPDATE: The Cabinets

I had fully intended on posting another recipe before doing a kitchen update.  I even knew what it would be - blackened catfish with a fried corn dish that was in the New York Times a couple weeks ago.  Mark was out of town at the Toronto Film Festival and I was making dinner for myself.  As I started to prep my ingredients, the thought of taking pictures of the process and finished product felt like a chore.  Mostly because the lighting in Mark's kitchen is not great.  I'd rather not post than post ugly pictures.  I know there are some food blogs out there that do not feel the same way, but there you have it.  But just so you know, the catfish and corn was pretty fantastic and WILL be made again.  And next time it will be documented, I promise. 

Anyway, on to the kitchen.  You might be interested to know that the cabinets have been installed and the space is quickly looking like a real kitchen.  The design of the kitchen came about quite quickly.  Soon after we closed on the house I contacted a cabinet maker whose work I'd seen in some bungalows that had been built in the 20's but had been totally restored and updated.  The kitchens were so well done, vintage looking, but laid out in a modern way, with lots of counter space and new appliances, including stacked washer/dryers.  I was very impressed.  I gave Rick, at Cabinets Unlimited, a call and explained what I wanted.  He asked that I fax him a sketch with dimensions.  Soon he met me at the house and we discussed further.  He took his own dimensions and then headed back to his studio in Ojai, up the central coast toward Santa Barbara.

About four weeks later, Rick returned to the house with a big truck full of the new custom cabinets.  He, his son and a fantastic finish carpenter, unloaded them into the living room and over the next couple days, they got installed.  The whole process was totally simple.  The layout of the kitchen was not changing significantly.  The sink was to stay in the same location, as would the stove.  A pantry to the right of the sink was removed to make more counter space and the refrigerator would be shifted down, for the same reason.  With these minor adjustments, there would now be space for five people to be working in the kitchen at the same time, without getting into one another's way.  Not that that's likely to happen.  A more realistic scenario would be Annie and myself prepping and cooking with standers-by drinking signature cocktails or wine, watching and nibbling on appies.

While the old kitchen cupboards had stationary shelves coated in layers and layers of thick paint, I wanted the new kitchen to have versatility and clever storage solutions.  Where previous owners had a stacked washer/dryer, I was opting to relocate the pantry, this time with adjustable roll-out shelves.

To the left of the stove I had Rick include some heavy duty roll-out shelves for pots and pans.

Beside the dishwasher I had him put a built-in trash can and recycling bin.  

See just above the dishwasher, beside the sink, will be my main food prep area.  That way I'm just one step from the sink to my left, and to my right is the trash.  Very convenient.

In the breakfast room, I had Rick build shoulder height bookcases on either side of the door for cookbooks.

In our next installment, counter tops will arrive.