Catfish with Black and Red Beans in Coconut Cream

Ryan went fishing again for a couple of hours last weekend, and he caught 3 big catfish. Last night, he asked me to cook this...

I simply call it Catfish with Black and Red Beans in Coconut Cream. This is one of our favorite ways of enjoying his freshly caught catfish. Filipinos love anything cooked in coconut milk/cream, you know. We call it ginataan. We cook anything with gata (coconut milk/cream): from beef, pork, poultry and seafood to vegetables and fruits. I've featured some ginataan recipes here already like the Ginataang Tilapia, Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw and the Ginataang Halo-Halo, but this one is a bit different. This doesn't have a soupy consistency, mainly because I used coconut cream instead of coconut milk. I also added Japanese curry roux into it for more flavor and it also made the sauce thicker...and instead of vegetables, I used beans for added texture.

This very flavorful dish is always a hit on our dinner table. You should see for yourself!

Note: 

This way of cooking works well with fish fillet. For whole fish, a soupy consistency like that of my Ginataang Tilapia is more appropriate.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. catfish fillet, cut into 1” strips
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium sized yellow onion, quartered
• 1 thumb-sized ginger, julienned
• 2 cubes Golden Curry Sauce Mix
• 11/2 cups freshly cooked beans (I used black and small red beans)
• 2 pcs. Jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and diced
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 *14oz. can coconut cream
• 4 Tbsp pure olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:  

1. Sprinkle catfish with salt and pepper. Let sit for at least 15 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, fry catfish strips in olive oil until light brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.

2. Sauté garlic and ginger in the same skillet until light brown. Add beans, onion and curry cubes. Sauté until curry cubes are melted. Mix well. 

3. Pour in fish sauce and coconut milk. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste. Lower heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.

4. Add  Jalapeño pepper. Simmer for another 3 minutes. Add cooked catfish. Gently cover with sauce. Cover and simmer for another three minutes.

5. Remove from heat. Serve with hot rice.

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