Catfish Burgers
With its moist, flaky texture, catfish makes a great substitute for crab in crab cake recipes. Instead of getting fancy, this recipe makes hearty patties perfect for burgers. You could plate these as catfish cakes—a dollop of tartar sauce and you’re set—but that just wouldn’t be as much fun. The flavors here are simple and may be familiar to some of you. These burgers are based on the famous shrimp burgers of the South Carolina coast.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb catfish fillets diced
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 Tbsps mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsps celery diced
- 1 Tbsp sweet onions grated
- 2 Tbsps parsley chopped
- 1 1/2 tsps lemon zest
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Dash salt to taste
- Dash black pepper freshly ground, to taste
- Dash cayenne pepper to taste
- 3 Tbsps peanut or vegetable oil
To serve:
- 4 large hamburger buns
- lettuce
- tomato slices
- Tartar sauce or coleslaw
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the catfish, eggs, panko, mayonnaise, celery, onions, parsley, lemon zest, and Worcestershire sauce, stirring with a wooden spoon until everything is evenly distributed.
- Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.
- Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form patties about 1 inch thick.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Cook the patties for 4 minutes, or until the bottoms are browned, before carefully flipping them over. Cook for another 4 minutes so both sides are browned.
- Serve on soft buns with lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce or coleslaw.
Notes
From Catfish: a Savor the South® cookbook by Paul Knipple and Angela Knipple. Copyright © 2015 by Paul Knipple and Angela Knipple.