Southern · main

Cajun Blackened Catfish

Cajun Blackened Catfish reads citrus 6.7, sourness 6.0 and richness 5.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Southern main, about 8 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 5.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.8 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 8.5 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.3 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.5 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 6.7 · Sourness 6.0 · Richness 5.4 · Fruity 5.4 · Umami 4.4 · Allium 4.2 · Heat 3.7 · Salinity 3.7 · Marine & Briny 2.8 · Warm Spice 2.5 · Herbaceous 1.9 · Sweetness 1.6 · Floral 1.4 · Bitterness 1.1 · Earthy 0.9

What's in it (12)

• catfish fillets — 680 g
• sweet paprika — 30 g
• garlic — 15 g
• onion powder — 15 g
• cayenne pepper — 5 g
• dried leaf oregano — 1 g
• thyme — 1 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 5 g
• white pepper — 3 g
• salt — 7 g
• unsalted butter — 82 g
• lemon — 65 g

Time & effort: about 8 min (6 min active) · effort: medium

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

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, dried oregano, dried thyme, black pepper, white pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the salt; mix well to make the blackening spice blend.
2. Pat the catfish fillets completely dry with paper towels, then season both sides with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Brush each fillet on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, then press the spice blend firmly onto both sides to form a thick, even crust.
4. Set a large cast-iron skillet over high heat and let it heat until a drop of water flicked onto the surface skitters and evaporates instantly, about 4 minutes — this dry, screaming-hot pan is what gives blackened fish its crust.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter to the skillet; once it stops foaming and starts to smoke lightly, lay the fillets in the pan without crowding, working in two batches if needed, and sear undisturbed until the crust is deeply blackened and releases easily from the pan, 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan, flip each fillet, and sear the second side until equally blackened and the fish flakes easily with a fork and reaches 145°F in the center, 2-3 minutes.
7. Transfer the fillets to a plate and let rest 2 minutes, then serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

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

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, richness 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.