Catfish Po'boy with Hoisin-Peanut Sauce

Here is an unusual take on a Southern standard. Catfish is one of my favorites; but not so much for my husband. This recipe seemed to be a nice compromise on the hotly debated "catfish issue" at my house, since we both really liked this unique version of a classic Po'boy. This is certainly a yummy Asian-inspired twist on these sandwiches.

Catfish Po'boy with Hoisin-Peanut Sauce
From: Cooking Light, David Bonom,JULY 2002

Ingredients:
Sauce:
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Catfish:
1/4 cup Thai chile sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) farm-raised catfish fillets
Cooking spray
Remaining ingredients:
4 (2 1/2-ounce) hoagie rolls, split and lightly toasted
2 cups shredded napa (Chinese) cabbage

Directions:
To prepare sauce, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and ginger; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low. Add hoisin sauce, peanut butter, lime juice, and sugar; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; set aside.

Prepare grill or broiler.

To prepare catfish, combine chile sauce and garlic in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add catfish; seal and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.

Remove fish from marinade; discard marinade. Place fish on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Cook 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Spread 1 tablespoon sauce over bottom half of each hoagie roll; top each serving with 1/2 cup cabbage, 1 catfish fillet, and top half of roll. Serve immediately.



The Result:
These were tasty, but a bit too spicy for my little ones. We gave the kids some fish sticks and the husband and I enjoyed these sandwiches by ourselves. We both had seconds, so I would say we really liked these tasty fish sandwiches.