Have you ever enjoyed a salad made with bread? #mscatfishlady‘s Mother, Miss June, had a recipe for Corn Bread Salad from her dear, long-time friend Ruth Skipper Taylor from Sunflower. It is pretty different from this recipe. The next time I make it, I will try to record all the procedures. #mscatfishlady cooks as she learned from all her forebears. She doesn’t measure a thing when she cooks. She just sprinkles and adds stuff until she hears the spirit of her ancestors whisper, “That’s enough, child.”
But–there is something extraordinary about good bread crumbled and sprinkled with vinaigrette.
This recipe is courtesy of our friends at The Catfish Institute.
,,Ingredients:
4 Delta Pride Farm-Raised Catfish Fillets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt divided
½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 loaf of crusty Italian bread cut into 2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 large tomatoes, cut into medium chunks
1 cucumber, seeded and sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced for garnish
Instructions:
PREHEAT grill and oven to 350°F.
DRIZZLE fillets with oil, then season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place catfish on the grill for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and grill 2 to 3 more minutes. Transfer to a platter to cool before adding to salad. In a large bowl, there is TOSS bread, olive oil, remaining salt and pepper, and minced garlic.
TRANSFER to a large sheet tray in a single layer and bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until golden brown.
REMOVE from oven and let cool slightly. In another large bowl, carefully toss tomato, cucumber, red onion, toasted bread, and catfish with Tass Vinaigrette. Let sit for at least 30 minutes so flavors combine.
GARNISH with fresh basil.
Tasso Vinaigrette
¼ cup tasso, finely diced
½ cup olive oil, divided
¹/³ cup green onions, finely diced
1½ teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¹/8 cup honey
HEAT a sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil; when hot, add tasso and cook until crispy.
ADD green onions and garlic. Quickly toss them together and remove them from the heat.
IN A MIXING BOWL, combine mustard, vinegar, honey, and tasso mixture; stir well. While whisking, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.