Blackened Catfish over Creamy Bacon Collards

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Catfish fillets get a heavy coat of homemade blackening spice and hit a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet until the crust turns nearly black and smells like a Louisiana fish camp. Underneath: collard greens braised soft with bacon, then finished with a splash of cream and cider vinegar so they're rich, tangy, and spoonable. No flour, no cornmeal, no sugar in the rub — the crust comes entirely from spice and butter.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 lb collard greens, stemmed and cut into 1-inch ribbons
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

• 4 6-oz catfish fillets, patted very dry
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp sliced scallion greens

Instructions

1. Stir the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, black pepper, cayenne, and 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt together in a small bowl until evenly colored. Set aside.
2. Start the greens: put the chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat and cook 7–8 minutes, stirring, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp at the edges. Add the sliced onion and cook 4 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds more.
3. Add the collard ribbons in two or three handfuls, stirring after each addition until they wilt enough to make room. Pour in the chicken broth and cider vinegar, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over medium-low for 20–25 minutes, stirring twice, until the greens are completely tender.
4. Uncover, stir in the heavy cream, and simmer 4–5 minutes until the liquid thickens and coats the greens. Season with salt and pepper, then keep warm over the lowest heat while you cook the fish.
5. Blot the catfish fillets dry again with paper towels — a dry surface is what lets the crust form. Sprinkle the blackening spice generously over both sides of each fillet and press it in with your fingers; use all of it.
6. Set a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes until a drop of water skitters and evaporates instantly. Add the avocado oil and 1 tbsp of the butter; it should foam and brown immediately.
7. Lay in two fillets, thicker side toward the center of the pan, and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes, until the spice crust is dark brown-black and releases easily. Flip, add 1 tbsp butter, and cook 2–3 minutes more, tilting the pan and spooning the foaming butter over the fish, until it flakes at the thickest point (internal temperature 140°F).
8. Transfer to a plate, wipe the skillet with a paper towel if the spices are burning, and repeat with the remaining 2 tbsp butter and 2 fillets. Ventilate the kitchen — blackening makes smoke.
9. Spoon the creamy collards onto four warm plates, set a fillet on top of each, and pour any butter left in the skillet over the fish. Scatter with scallion greens and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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