Cajun/Creole · Cajun · main

Blackened Catfish with Lemon Butter

Blackened Catfish with Lemon Butter reads citrus 6.3, sourness 5.7 and fruity 5.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Cajun/Creole · Cajun main, about 12 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.4 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.4 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 8.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.4 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 6.3 · Sourness 5.7 · Fruity 5.0 · Richness 4.2 · Allium 4.2 · Salinity 3.7 · Heat 3.7 · Umami 3.5 · Herbaceous 3.0 · Marine & Briny 2.9 · Warm Spice 2.8 · Floral 1.4 · Bitterness 1.2 · Sweetness 1.1 · Earthy 0.9 · Smoke 0.5

What's in it (12)

• catfish fillets — 680 g
• unsalted butter — 82 g
• paprika — 30 g
• garlic — 15 g
• onion powder — 15 g
• cayenne pepper — 5 g
• thyme — 1 g
• dried leaf oregano — 1 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 5 g
• salt — 7 g
• lemon — 65 g
• parsley — 7 g

Time & effort: about 12 min · effort: involved

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. In a small bowl, mix the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, thyme, oregano, black pepper, and salt into an even blackening seasoning.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and brush it over both sides of the catfish fillets, then press the fillets firmly into the seasoning to coat completely.
3. Set a cast-iron or other heavy skillet over high heat and let it heat until lightly smoking, about 4 minutes — this is what gives blackened fish its char, not just color.
4. Add the fillets to the skillet and cook undisturbed until a deep, blackened crust forms on the bottom, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook until the crust matches on the second side and the fish flakes easily and reaches 145°F internally, about 3 minutes more.
5. Transfer the fillets to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm while you make the sauce.
6. Wipe out the skillet, return it to medium heat, and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, swirling until melted and just beginning to turn golden and foam, about 2 minutes.
7. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice to finish the sauce.
8. Spoon the lemon butter over the blackened catfish and scatter with parsley before serving.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Blackened Catfish with Cajun Lemon Butter — Southern
• Blackened Redfish (Catfish or Snapper) — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
• Cajun Blackened Catfish — Southern
• Carne de Porco à Alentejana — Portuguese
• Blackened Salmon with Cajun Spice — Cajun/Creole · Cajun

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, fruity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.