Catfish for Dinner

Grilled pretzel breaded catfish with fresh veggie relish and jasmine rice over raw greens to serve 5 health-hungry mouths...

Fairly straight forward dish featuring brightly colored vegetables. The trick was grilling the fish while keeping the breading in tact. I only had marginal success. Luckily I was planning on the relish topping.  Not only did it hide some missing breading, it also added a slight acid tang plus a crisp texture crunch. A needed counterpoint to the oily flesh which I marinated in milk and crushed garlic. I'm a firm proponent of using milk with the catfish. It seems to tame the natural gamy flavor.

Veggie relish:
5 small tri-colored mini sweet peppers- seeded
4 celery sticks- leaves and all
1/2 sweet onion
5 cherry tomatoes- seeded
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 Tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 Tsp. celery salt
fresh cracked pepper

     Slice and chop veg to an 1/8" dice. Add wet and dry ingredients. Toss and refrigerate for an hour or more.

Catfish Marinade:
1 cup milk
3 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 Tsp. dry chilli flake
salt and pepper
1 large egg white- reserve for breading

   In a large container add 5 catfish fillets. Pour in liquid and refrigerate for an hour or more.

Catfish breading:
2 cups mini pretzels- processed
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup corn starch

     Remove fish from liquid. Drain off 75% of milk and add 1 egg white. Whip until mixed. Dip fish in liquid then dredge in breading mix. Set aside.
     Oil grill grates then heat grill on high to 400*. Place fish on grill and reduce heat to 250* (could also be done in oven). Cook for 5-8 minutes. Carefully flip fish and continue to cook for 5-8 minutes until fish has firmed up. Serve warm over raw greens and top with cold relish and cooked rice on the side. Enjoy!