Catfish Out of Water

I like a good blackened tilapia. It tends to be my go-to for blackened fish. They tend to be a readily available fish at a good price in my area. Especially if you're picking them up in bulk. This isn't sponsored, but my local Costco has a fairly reasonably prices seafood selection. Which means that I need to find a way to use up a lot of fish very quickly! Today, there was a good deal on cod at my local grocery store, though. And I wouldn't ordinarily think of making blackened cod.

I live in Wisconsin. So, fish fries are abundant, to say the least. The entire area will smell like fish on Friday night. And, having been a part of the restaurant community here for a few years? I can tell you that the very last thing that I want some nights is more fried cod. I may, perhaps, be fried fished out. Come to think of it, I don't even think that I've ever made fried cod on this blog. It looks like the closest that I've ever come is Barbecue Salmon Burgers w/ Tartar Sauce or Air Fryer Catfish Salad.

Gallery

Variations of Blackened Cod Salad

You can absolutely blacken cod. It's my go-to and absolutely delicious. It might not be the most traditional of ways to consume cod. But who really makes the rules for what you can and can't consume?? If you want to blacken cod, go ahead and blacken cod. Or whatever other type of fish that your heart desires (er... taste buds, or pocket book, or whatever other justification for whatever fish that you end up with is. Unless you're vegetarian or vegan, in which case, blackened tofu).

Salad w/ Blackened Tilapia, Avocado, & Vermicelli

Blackened Tilapia w/ Quinoa, Lettuce & Avocado Dip

Scrambled Eggs w/ Blackened Tilapia & Pinto Beans

Blackened Cod w/ Cumin, Coriander, & Smoked Paprika

This Blackened Cod is a play on blackened tilapia with dried cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.

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Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American, Latin American

Servings 6 servings

Equipment

• Skillet (Preferably Cast Iron)
• Stovetop

Ingredients

  

• 6 fillets cod
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. coriander
• 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. pepper
• dash olive oil

Instructions

 

• Let the fish rest until it reaches room temperature.
• Preheat skillet on medium heat.
• Mix the spices together in a small dish or bowl.
• Sprinkle spice mix evenly over the fish. You can also lay them out across a plate and roll the fish in it. The goal is simply to evenly coat the fish with a thin layer of spices. As long as the flesh doesn't directly touch the skillet, you have enough seasoning.
• Add fish, one or two fillets at a time, to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the spices have begun to blacken and the fish begins to firm.
• Flip the fish and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until the spices have begun to blacken and the fish flakes with a fork.

  If you have any question about whether your fish is cooked, official recommendations are to cook until an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point the cod, much like a salmon, will begin to fall apart at the fat junctions and "flake" off of a fork. When you've done it enough times, you start to notice this particular type of firmness when the pieces ever-so-slightly begin to separate.