Fish dinner's come a long way

The advent of all sorts of readily available foods, not to mention various ingredients and seasonings, plus the recipes to go with them, has worked miracles when it comes to the previous Lenten what-to-fix-now dinnertime dilemma.

In days not that long ago, this was a hair-tearing, hand-wringing challenge for moms and other family cooks. Back then, for the kids in my neighborhood at least, come suppertime, it was pretty much of a stall, then drag-feet, no-go.

Take fish, long considered by many at that time as the ultimate worst mainstay of many meals. Nowadays, it's on the threshhold of "do we have enough for second helpings?'' footing.

Here, then, are two different takes, both by seasoning and preparation, to add to your repertoire.

The first is a quick-fix, pan-fried "blackened'' offering, seasoned to make you forget you're even eating fish. Or, depending on a different fish attitude, salmon seasoned to perfection.

It's from the folks at Spice Islands, who say a cast-iron skillet is best for this recipe.

Paul Prudhomme, that wonderful Cajun gent who introduced us to this world of awesome ethnic eats, is to be thanked for our second recipe today.

Taken from his "Fork in the Road'' cookbook, it's an oven-baked catfish that has the same snappy seasonings as a traditional oil-fried, stovetop version, with every bit of the same snappy seasonings and the same bite.

Lay in a supply of your favorite fish go-withs -- make your own or buy some bottled tartar and/or cocktail sauce, and don't forget the lemon wedges, if the budget will allow. Kids, especially, go for the wedge-squeeze portion of the program. For the real little ones, baby lemons are an especially good choice.

Speaking of go-withs, we like rice pilaf, homemade or packaged, and something green -- asparagus, if it's affordable and available, broccoli, salad, well, you know...

Spice Islands black 'n spicy fish

11/2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

2 pounds salmon fillets (cut into serving-size pieces) or steaks (if desired, substitute swordfish or tuna)



In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, paprika, onion powder, oregano, peppers and thyme; mix well and rub on both sides of fish.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray and add fish.

Cook 8 to 10 minutes on each side, until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Oven-fried catfish

Seasoning mix:

11/4 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 (4-to-5-ounce) fresh or frozen catfish or other similar fish fillets (thawed, if frozen), rinsed and patted dry

1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons (about 3 large) finely sliced green onions (don't skip or skimp on this ingredient)

1 tablespoon oil



In a small bowl, combine the the garlic powder, salt, onion powder, basil, paprika, black and white pepper, oregano, cumin and cayenne pepper; mix well. Sprinkle all surfaces of the fish evenly with 4 teaspoons of the seasoning mixture, reserving remaining mixture.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine the toasted crumbs, parsley, green onions and remaining seasoning mixture; add the oil and mix in using your fingers until the crumbs are moist. Dredge the fish fillets, 1 at a time, in the crumb mixture, pressing down gently on each side.

Shake off any excess and place the fish on a nonstick baking sheet, presentation side up, and bake for 6 minutes. Turn fish over and cook another 6 minutes. Turn over one more time, presentation side up, and cook until done, about 4 minutes more. Serve immediately.

The next Forum will appear in Friday's comics pages.