Catfish Katsu & Yakiniku Sauce

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the ends of the radishes; halve lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Peel the carrots; thinly slice on an angle. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice on an angle, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Cut out and discard the cabbage core; thinly slice the leaves. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl; beat until smooth.

In a medium pot, combine the rice, a big pinch of salt and 1 ½ cups of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook 12 to 14 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and fluff the cooked rice with a fork. Transfer to a serving dish and set aside in a warm place.

While the rice cooks, in a medium bowl, combine the radishes and yakiniku sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the radishes marinate, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the carrots and white bottoms of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the cabbage; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly wilted. Add ¼ cup of water and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes, or until the water has cooked off. Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and set aside in a warm place. Rinse and wipe out the pan.

While the vegetables cook, place the flour and breadcrumbs on 2 separate plates; season with salt and pepper. Pat the catfish fillets dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. Working 1 piece at a time, thoroughly coat the seasoned fillets in the flour (tapping off any excess), then in the beaten eggs (letting the excess drip off), then in the breadcrumbs (pressing to adhere). Transfer to a plate.

In the same pan, heat a thin layer of oil on medium-high until hot. Once hot enough that a few breadcrumbs sizzle immediately when added to the pan, working in batches if necessary, add the breaded catfish fillets. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer to the serving dish of cooked vegetables. Garnish the cooked catfish fillets with the marinated radishes (reserving the yakiniku sauce before adding) and green tops of the scallions. Garnish the rice with the furikake. Serve with the reserved yakiniku sauce on the side. Enjoy!