Sweet and Spicy Catfish Sandwiches

• Recipe by Ratha Chau

Chef Way These fantastic sandwiches—filled with moist, sweetly glazed catfish, a spicy sambal mayonnaise, crunchy cucumbers and cilantro—are usually made with marinated catfish and garlic butter.

Easy Way Skip marinating the fish (the honey glaze adds enough flavor) and rub the bread with a garlic clove.

Ingredients

1. 4 soft baguette rolls (about 7 inches long), split lengthwise
2. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3. 1/2 cup plus 1/4 teaspoon honey
4. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
5. 1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh ginger
6. 1 scallion, white and green parts chopped
7. 3 garlic cloves, 2 very finely chopped
8. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
9. 1/4 cup cider vinegar
10. 1/2 cup shredded carrots
11. 1/4 cup mayonnaise
12. 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or other Asian red chile sauce
13. 2 large, thick, skinless catfish fillets (about 10 ounces each), halved lengthwise
14. Vegetable oil, for brushing
15. Thinly sliced cucumber and cilantro sprigs, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler and position a rack 6 inches from the heat. Brush the cut sides of the rolls with the butter.
2. In a small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the honey with the soy sauce, ginger, scallion and chopped garlic. Season the honey glaze lightly with salt and black pepper. In another small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the honey with the vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the carrots and toss to combine. In a third small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the sambal oelek and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of honey; season the sambal mayonnaise with salt.
3. Arrange the fish fillets on a baking sheet; brush with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Broil for about 6 minutes, until the fish is just beginning to turn opaque. Brush the fillets very liberally with the honey glaze and broil for 8 minutes longer, until browned and cooked through.
4. Broil the buttered rolls for 1 minute, until they are toasted. Rub the whole garlic clove all over the toasted sides of the rolls and spread with the sambal mayonnaise. Using a slotted spoon, lift the carrots from the pickling liquid and spread them on the toasted rolls. Top with the glazed fish fillets, cucumber slices and cilantro sprigs and close the sandwiches. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve right away.

Make Ahead

The honey glaze, sambal mayonnaise and pickled carrots in their pickling liquid can be refrigerated separately overnight.