I am a newlywed on a budget, just trying to make healthy and inexpensive meals for my husband and I to enjoy. He eats a lot, so cost is a big factor. Though I work 3 jobs, I manage to find time 6 nights a week to cook a full dinner for us both. I am constantly looking for new recipes that are moderately healthy, taste great, and won't break the bank.

On the side, I also own a brownie business called Gersheybars. My passion and love for cooking started when I was just a small child, baking with my mom and grandmother. The brownie recipe has been passed down through 5 generations and I am thrilled to finally have an outlet to share them with everybody else. Friends and family have helped spread the word and made my business as successful as it is today.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Catfish Cakes

Being from Maryland, I grew up around crabs and everybody raving about the unique flavors Marylanders use to season them. I can't eat crab, so we decided to try a crabcake but with catfish instead. Here's the original recipe.

Ingred
ients
  • 1/2 pound catfish
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1/2 tsp yellow mustard, or 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1 1/4 cup crushed Ritz crackers
  • 1 egg
  • vegetable oil for frying
Ingredient Modifications
  • 1 Tbsp Mayo -- with 1 1/2 tsp the cakes didn't hold together and were really dry.
  • 2 Tbsp Old Bay -- we like things spicy! The 2 tsp was hardly noticeable.
  • 1 tsp cayenne -- again, we felt like the cakes needed more spice
  • 1 cup crushed Ritz -- any more, and these would've been even more dry.

Directions

1. Place catfish in a pan with enough water to cover it about halfway. Bring to a boil and cook until the fish is flakey. Drain the excess water.

2. Cut fish into chunks, basically making it into a mash. Mix in rest of ingredients until well blended, and the consistency of a chunky meatloaf.

3. Heat oil in large heavy skillet (we used a cast iron) over medium-high. Form fish mixture into patties and fry in hot oil. Drain on paper towels, and serve warm.

We served ours with a big salad and fresh corn on the cob. With the modifications, these were really tasty. The 2nd batch we did had the additional mayo and spices, and they were really moist and spicy. I've never had a traditional crab cake, but Justin has, and he said these tasted just as good as the ones he had in Maryland.

2 comments:

Nirmala said...

I think it's amazing that you cook so often and work! I have no excuses.

JANET said...

These look very tasty! I just joined the Foodie Blogroll, and my blog is all about Catfish Country, so I was really pleased to see this recipe.