Crispy Catfish with Comeback Sauce and Blistered Okra

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Southern fish-fry flavor without a speck of cornmeal: catfish fillets get a crackling crust of crushed pork rinds and almond flour, shallow-fried in bacon fat until deep gold. A tangy Mississippi-style comeback sauce and a skillet of charred, buttery okra round out the plate. Rich, salty, and genuinely low-carb.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp sugar-free hot sauce
• 1 tbsp dill pickle, finely minced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 4 fillets catfish fillets (about 6 oz each)
• 3 oz plain pork rinds
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup bacon fat or lard, for frying

• 1 lb fresh okra, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Make the comeback sauce first: whisk the mayonnaise, Dijon, hot sauce, minced pickle, smoked paprika, grated garlic, lemon juice, and black pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 15 minutes so the flavors marry.
2. Pat the catfish fillets completely dry with paper towels and season both sides lightly with the 1/2 tsp salt. Letting them sit dry for 10 minutes helps the crust grip.
3. Pulse the pork rinds in a food processor (or crush in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin) to coarse crumbs the texture of breadcrumbs. Transfer to a shallow dish and mix with the almond flour, Cajun seasoning, and onion powder.
4. In a second shallow dish, beat the eggs with the heavy cream until smooth.
5. Dip each fillet in the egg wash, letting excess drip off, then press firmly into the pork rind mixture on both sides so the coating adheres in a thick, even layer. Set the breaded fillets on a rack.
6. Heat the bacon fat in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high until it shimmers, about 350°F (a crumb should sizzle immediately). Fry the fillets in two batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and the fish flakes at the thickest point (145°F internal). Drain on a wire rack, not paper towels, so the crust stays crisp. Keep warm in a 200°F oven.
7. Wipe the skillet clean, return it to high heat, and add the avocado oil. Add the okra cut-side down in a single layer and let it sit undisturbed for 3 minutes to blister and char.
8. Toss the okra, add the butter, sliced garlic, salt, and cayenne, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, stirring, until the okra is bright green, spotty brown, and no longer slimy. Squeeze in the juice of a lemon wedge off the heat.
9. Plate a fillet with a pile of okra, a generous spoonful of comeback sauce, and remaining lemon wedges. Serve immediately while the crust is still crackling.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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