Here is a great blackened baked catfish recipe that doesn’t involve high heat frying and choking to death on the fumes from all the charring spices!  It’s healthier too since there is very minimal oil involved.  You can adjust the spices to your degree of heat comfort.  As the recipe stands now, it’s a good level of heat.  If your palate cannot take hot foods, I would decrease the amount of cayenne and/or omit the hot sauce.  This is one of my hubby’s favorite catfish recipes.  It kind of reminds us of the baked catfish from the Cracker Barrel Restaurant, but of course, my hubby says he likes my catfish better!  Goes great with a bottle of good quality sauvignon blanc!

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ pounds catfish fillets

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Combine the seasonings, hot sauce and oil together in a bowl.
3. Spray a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and place fillets into dish. Spoon mixture onto fish and use the back side of the spoon to spread mixture evenly onto top side of fish. Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Side dish suggestions:
Serve fish with beans and rice and a side of broccoli or some cornbread dressing with some southern greens.

Blackened Baked Catfish