Sometimes, I make dishes that don't turn out that great, and it is entirely my fault. I chose to bake these fillets instead of pan-frying them and tried to save time by coating the catfish in the morning before I went to work. This meant that the crust that should've been crunchy and delicious was soggy and a little weird. Moral of the story: don't be like me. But the walnuts still added a great flavor and would be even better toasted. I also wish there had been more of the glaze. Next time I might double that. I didn't get as much sweet chili flavor as I had hoped.Sweet Chili Glazed and Walnut Encrusted Catfish
adapted from Picky Palate
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon warm water
¾ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
½ Cup ground walnuts (use food processor to grind)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
4 catfish fillets (or tilapia or other mild white fish)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
1. Place the honey, chili powder and warm water in a small bowl; mix to combine. Place crumbs, walnuts, salt, chili powder and pepper into a shallow dish; mix to combine. Season both sides of tilapia fillets with pinches of salt and pepper. With a pastry brush, brush honey glaze on both sides of tilapia then press into crumb mix. Continue until all fillets are coated.
2. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. When hot place coated tilapia fillets into skillet; cook 2-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and fish flakes easy with a fork. Remove and serve warm.
