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George W. Brown, Jr.'s Catfish Tacos with Tequila Cream Corn

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  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME:
  • SERVINGS: 8

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Jalapeño remoulade

  1. 1 small red bell pepper
  2. 4 medium jalapeños
  3. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  4. 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  5. 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
  6. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  7. Kosher salt
  8. Cayenne pepper

Catfish tacos

  1. 2 1/2 pounds catfish fillets, cut lengthwise into 4-by-1-inch strips
  2. 2 cups buttermilk
  3. 8 flour tortillas
  4. 3/4 cup masa harina or yellow cornmeal
  5. 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
  6. 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  7. Kosher salt
  8. Canola oil, for frying
  1. 1/4 head of iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
  2. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  3. 2 cups pico de gallo or good quality tomato salsa
  4. 1/4 cup grated cotija cheese or crumbled feta cheese
  5. 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  6. 1/2 cup sour cream
  7. Tequila Cream Corn
  1. Preheat the broiler. Broil the red pepper and jalapeños until charred all over. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Remove the skin, cores and seeds and finely dice the red pepper and jalapeños. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the mayonnaise, shallot, cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt and cayenne and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  2. In a large bowl, cover the catfish with the buttermilk and refrigerate for 1 hour. Heat a large cast-iron skillet. One at a time, cook the tortillas over moderate heat until swarmed through, about 15 seconds per side. Stack the tortillas, wrap in foil and keep warm. On a large plate, combine the masa harina, cornmeal, cornstarch and salt. Remove the catfish strips from the buttermilk, shaking off any excess, and coat them with the cornmeal mixture.
  3. Heat 1/2 inch of canola oil in the large skillet. Working in batches fry the catfish over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the catfish to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain.
  4. In a medium bowl, toss the lettuce with the lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Spread a generous tablespoon of the jalapeño remoulade on half of each tortilla and top with the catfish and lettuce. Fold the tortillas. Spoon the creamed corn onto 8 large plates and set a taco on top. Garnish with the pico de gallo, cheese, cilantro leaves and sour cream and serve at once.

Suggested Pairing

Pair with an apple-tinged California Chenin Blanc like Dry Creek's Dry Chenin Blanc.