How Do You Cook Swai Fillets?

Swai is the new fish in town. It has started to appear in markets throughout the country and is a great bargain at about $3 - $4 per pound. First, a little fishy info.

Swai (rhymes with "why") is also known by the names Basa, Panga, or iridescent shark, but it is not a shark at all. Swai is farm-raised catfish from Southeast Asia. It can be found as individually frozen boneless fillets in 2-pound packages, which makes it very convenient if you only need 1 or 2 fillets.

With a mild taste and texture, Swai can be cooked using similar methods used for Tilapia. It has no fishy smell and the fillets cook up solid, so it lends itself to many types of recipes. It can be pan-fried with blackened seasoning, oven-baked with panko crumbs for a healthier twist, or even grilled on a grill pan over a bed of fresh oregano. I'm also thinking it would be great in a chowder once the weather cools off.

The bonus to this yummy fish lies in the nutritional numbers. At just 90 calories for a 3 1/2 oz portion, it is low in cholesterol and high in protein at 13 grams.

So if you find this fish in your markets, buy some and experiment a little. The delicate flavor works great with stronger spices and seasonings, so use your imagination and enjoy!

Buffalo-Style Baked Swai Fish and Chips

This is a spicy new twist to use with Swai, regular Catfish or it's even tasty on grilled salmon.  This is the same sauce we use for Buffalo Chicken Wings.

To Make the Buffalo Sauce

3/4 stick Salted Butter

3/4 cup Franks Red Hot Original Sauce
1 TB Red Pepper Flakes
3 TB Garlic Powder
1 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
1 TB White Vinegar

Melt butter in saucepan then add red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Heat and stir until you get a roux consistency. Add Franks Red Hot sauce and vinegar and heat to a low simmer. Continue to simmer for 10 - 15 minutes on low heat.

To Prepare the Fish Fillets
1 1/2 pounds Catfish Fillets
1 cup Buttermilk
1 cup Flour
3/4 cup Cornmeal
2 tsp Seasoned Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Canola Oil, for frying

Place catfish fillets on a plate, pat dry with a paper towel and set aside.

Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Mix well and pour onto a large plate.

In a deep skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of canola oil until hot.

Using 2 shallow bowls, place the buttermilk in one bowl and the flour mixture in the other. Dip the pieces of catfish in the buttermilk then in the flour/cornmeal mixture and toss to coat. Gently place the fillets into the heated oil and fry the fish, in batches, about 3 - 4 minutes per side until evenly cooked through, turning only once. Transfer the catfish to a paper-towel lined plate and let drain briefly.

Place a fillet on the serving plate and use a pastry brush to apply a layer of the Buffalo Sauce to the top. If you prefer, use a thin layer of sauce and serve with a small dish of sauce on the side.

Serve with waffle-cut fries or cole claw and celery sticks.  Enjoy!

Swai Chowder

This new soup creation was so yummy!  The clam juice and milk broth base are complimented by a seared fillet of Swai, then served over and around a scoop of creamy mashed potatoes. Delicious!

   

1 TB  Olive Oil
2 TB  Minced Garlic
1 tsp  Minced Onion
2 TB  Butter
4  Swai or Catfish fillets, cut in half (so you have 8 square pieces)
2  Bottles Clam Juice
6 - 7  Potatoes
1  can Minced Clams, undrained
6  Thick Cut Bacon Slices, cut into 1" pieces
2 tsp  Old Bay Seasoning
2 tsp  Salt
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
2 cups  Milk

In a large deep pot, heat oil and add the minced garlic and onion. Heat until slightly browned, then add the butter and melt over medium heat.  When the mixture begins to sizzle, add the fillets in a single layer. Brown for 3 minutes, turn and cook about 3 minutes longer or until both sides are seared. This will allow the fish to have a slightly crisp texture and it will absorb some of the garlic flavor.

In a second skillet, brown the bacon then drain the bacon pieces on a paper towel. Set aside.

Slice the potatoes and boil in a pot of water until slices are fork tender.  Drain the potatoes and mash, adding buter, milk and seasonings, if desired.

Now that the fish is slightly browned, add the clam juice, clams, milk, bacon pieces and seasonings to the pot.  The fish will gently poach in this liquid.  Do not boil!  When the soup begins to steam (but NOT boil), gently move the fish until it is opaque and flakes slightly with a fork.

Next, add about 1 cup of the mashed potatoes to the soup and stir gently as it becomes a more chowder-like thickness.  Lower the heat and keep warm.

Using medium sized soup bowls, add about 1/2 cup mashed potatoes to the center of each bowl.  Ladle the chowder around the potatoes and include 1 or 2 pieces of fish.  Top with a sprinkle of green onions and serve.

Serves about 6.