Crab Stuffed Catfish Fillets with Cajun Remoulade Sauce

I adapted this recipe from Southern Living May 2014. The recipe as written had the catfish fillets butterflied and then stuffed and then the top of the fish placed over the stuffing. I butterflied the fillets and simply piled the delicious crab meat stuffing on top to bake. And no, this was not one serving as pictured above. We cut it in half and shared! The remoulade rocked, too.

1/2 cup butter

3 celery ribs, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 small green bell pepper, diced

1 T. minced garlic

1 T. fresh lemon juice

2 t. Cajun seasoning

1/8 t. hot sauce (I used 1/4 t.)

1/2 lb. fresh lump crabmeat, drained

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

6 (7 oz.) fresh catfish fillets

1 T. olive oil

1 t. paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Add celery and next 3 ingredients, and sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in lemon juice and next 2 ingredients, and cook 1 minute. Gently stir in crabmeat, breadcrumbs, and, if desired, additional Cajun seasoning and hot sauce. Remove from heat; cool completely (about 15 minutes).

Preheat oven to 425°. Butterfly catfish fillets by making a lengthwise cut in 1 side, carefully cutting to but not through the opposite side; unfold fillets.

Spoon crab mixture down center of 1 side of each butterflied fillet; fold opposite side over filling. Brush fillets with olive oil; sprinkle with paprika and desired amount of salt and pepper. Place fillets on a wire rack coated with cooking spray in a jelly-roll pan.

Bake at 425° for 20 to 25 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Serve with Cajun Rémoulade.

Remoulade Sauce 

1/2 cup dill pickle relish, drained

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup diced yellow onion

1/4 cup diced celery

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons ketchup

3 tablespoons yellow mustard

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons Creole mustard

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 dashes of hot sauce

Table salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Process first 13 ingredients and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor 30 to 40 seconds or until finely chopped. Serve immediately or chilled. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.