Palace Cafe Catfish Pecan With Meuniere Sauce

A company catfish dinner from the flavor center of the universe, Louisiana. Courtesy of Chef Dick Brennan, Jr. of the Palace Cafe, as featured in The Louisiana New Garde television series. Serve with steamed white rice.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Catfish Pecan

• 36  ounces catfish fillets
• 3  cups pecans, roasted
• 1  cup  dried breadcrumbs
• 1  cup all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 3  eggs
• 1⁄2 cup milk
•  seafood seasoning or   creole seasoning, to taste
•  olive oil

• Meuniere Sauce

• 3  cups  fish stock or 3  cups  clam juice
• 1⁄2 lemon, juice of
• 1  teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1  dash Tabasco sauce (or other Louisiana hot sauce)
• 1  tablespoon heavy cream or 1  tablespoon  whipping cream
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter
•  pecans, roasted

Directions

1. To make the catfish: Preheat the oven to 450F and coat a frying pan lightly with olive oil.
2. Trim all fat from fillets.
3. Grind the roasted pecans and breadcrumbs in the container of a food processor or blender until fine.
4. Pour into a pie pan.
5. Add salt and pepper to flour; place into another pie pan.
6. Beat the eggs and milk together.
7. Season the fish with seafood seasoning, dredge in flour, dip in egg mixture and coat with pecan/bread crumb mixture.
8. Place into prepared pan and cook over medium heat until golden; place in oven for five minutes to finish.
9. To make the sauce: Cook fish stock, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and pepper sauce in a medium saucepan; add cream and cook to reduce for about two minutes.
10. Remove from heat and whisk in butter.
11. Serve over the cooked fish and garnish with roasted whole pecans.