Catfish BLT with Dill Tartar Sauce

Food Service Search Staff

INGREDIENTS:24 6-oz.fillets U.S. Farm-raised Catfish (9 lbs.)
1 qt. buttermilk
1½ cups Cajun seasoning, blackened seafood
48 slices hickory-smoked bacon, thickly sliced (4 lbs.)
24 egg buns, sliced, or French bread, split, toasted
3 qts. dill tartar sauce
(recipe follows)
2 lbs. iceberg lettuce, shredded
as needed, french fries
as needed, fresh fruit salad

Dill Tartar Sauce (yield: 3 cups plus):
1 ½ cups mayonnaise
2/3 cup sweet pickle relish
2/3 cup sweet onion, minced
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. horseradish, grated
2 large eggs, hard-boiled, chopped DIRECTIONS:Place catfish fillets in bottom of steamtable pans; pour buttermilk over top of fish, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove fillets from buttermilk and drain. Sprinkle both sides of catfish with blackened seafood seasoning mixture. Place in containers and keep refrigerated until ready to cook. Cook bacon until crisp. Reserve.

To serve: For each BLT, grill catfish fillet to order 4 minutes on each side (or bake in convection oven until cooked through to 140°F). On bottom half of toasted bun or bread, spread 2 Tbsp. dill tartar sauce. Top with grilled catfish, ½ cup shredded lettuce, 2 tomato slices, and 2 bacon slices. Cover with top half of bun or bread and serve with crisp french fries and fresh fruit salad.

For dill tartar sauce: In bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before using as directed. SERVINGS:24 servings From:Chef Rob Curtin, Harper’s Restaurants, based in Charlotte, N.C. PHOTO CREDIT:Photo Credit: THE CATFISH INSTITUTE