Dukkah-Crusted Catfish

with Sugar Snap Pea & Couscous Salad

30 MIN

4 Servings

From the Test Kitchen

Dukkah (also spelled “duqqa”) is a blend of spices that hails from Egypt. For ages, dukkah was primarily used in its native land. But in recent years, it has become popular in America’s finest restaurant kitchens. A combination of classic Middle Eastern ingredients like cumin, coriander and white sesame seeds, dukkah is also notable for its customizability. Different regions, families and even individual chefs have tailored the recipe to their unique tastes. Here, we’re combining our own version of dukkah with chopped almonds and using the mixture to encrust crispy catfish fillets.

Get Plans

Nutrition

PER SERVING
Calories

590 Cals (est.)

fresh

ingredients

4 Catfish Fillets
1 cup Pearled Couscous
½ cup Plain Greek Yogurt
3 oz Sugar Snap Peas
1 Lemon
1 Persian Cucumber
1 Red Onion
1 large bunch Mint
1 large bunch Parsley
4 Tbsps Butter
2 Tbsps Dukkah Spice Blend (Za'atar, Whole White Sesame Seeds, Whole Nigella Seeds, Ground Sumac, Ground Coriander & Ground Cumin)
¼ cup Sliced Almonds

time-saving

tips & techniques

step-by-step

instructions

Cook Along

1 Cook the couscous:

Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Once boiling, add the couscous. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and rinse under warm water. Return to the pot and set aside in a warm place.

2 Prepare the ingredients:

While the couscous cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Snap off and discard the stem of each sugar snap pea; pull off and discard the tough string that runs the length of the pod. Finely chop the almonds. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Pick the mint and parsley leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Grate the cucumber. In a bowl, combine the grated cucumber and yogurt; stir to thoroughly combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3 Cook the onion & sugar snap peas:

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the onion and half the spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add the snap peas and half the butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the butter has melted and the snap peas are bright green. Transfer to the pot of cooked couscous. Wipe out the pan.

4 Coat the catfish:

While the onion and sugar snap peas cook, place the almonds and remaining spice blend on a plate; mix to thoroughly combine. Pat the catfish fillets dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. Coat 1 side of each seasoned fillet in the almond-spice blend mixture, pressing down to ensure that the fillets are thoroughly coated. Transfer the coated fillets to a plate.

5 Make the salad:

Squeeze the juice of all 4 lemon wedges into the pot of cooked couscous, onion and sugar snap peas. Stir to thoroughly combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and set aside in a warm place.

6 Cook the catfish & serve your dish:

In the same pan used to cook the onion and sugar snap peas, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the coated catfish fillets, coated sides down. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on the first side. Flip and add the remaining butter. Cook, occasionally spooning the butter over the fillets, 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish the cooked catfish and salad with the mint and parsley. Serve with the cucumber-yogurt sauce on the side. Enjoy!