Recipe: Grilled BLT Flavored Catfish

Recipe

Grilled BLT Flavored Catfish

When I make a BLT, it has all sorts of extra seasonings to punch up the flavors. I start with toasted sourdough bread, spread with a thin layer of mayonnaise. Then I sprinkle on some Italian seasoning and a bit of granulated garlic, coarse ground pepper and a thin slice of red onion. Bacon, crisp romaine, and ripe Roma tomato slices complete the sandwich.

In this recipe, thick catfish fillets are marinated in lemon juice, Italian Seasoning, garlic and olive oil, then wrapped with bacon and grilled. The fish is served on a bed of lettuce, accompanied by chopped tomatoes and garlicky aioli. Serve it with warm sourdough bread and your grilled catfish with BLT seasonings is complete.

Besides adding flavor to the dish, the bacon strips help keep the fish from sticking to the grill and from falling apart. It's a handy method to use when grilling any thick fillet.

Ingredients

1-1/2 to 2 pounds catfish fillets, at least 1/2" inch thick in the middle
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
fresh cracked pepper
8 strips raw bacon
2 Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup aioli, or mayonnaise
4 lettuce leaves
lemon wedges for garnish

Cut the catfish fillet(s) into 4 equal size pieces. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the Italian seasoning, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice to form a paste. Rub the fillets on both sides with the paste. Sprinkle with pepper. Marinate 1 hour, refrigerated.

Prepare the barbecue grill or preheat the broiler. Chop the tomatoes and set aside. Prepare the aioli (see index for recipe) and set aside.

Set aside 2 strips of raw bacon per fillet. Wrap one slice of bacon around the middle of the fillet, so that the ends overlap in the center of the skinned side. Wrap another strip of bacon around the fillet in the opposite direction, so the ends overlap with those of the other slice. Use a toothpick to secure all 4 ends. When complete, the bacon should form a cross on both sides of the fillet, as if it was a gift-wrapped package.

Grill the fillets according to the Canadian Rule, about 10 minutes per inch, until done. Serve each fillet on a lettuce leaf, with a spoonful of tomatoes and aioli or mayonnaise on the side. Garnish with lemon wedges.