Chili Smoked Catfish

This is a recipe I've borrowed from the Sublime Smoke cookbook. That book is, ahem, sublime. I haven't smoked in awhile, and I got the hankering for some fish the other day. I needed to feed a large group, so I made it catfish. OK, so call me cheap.

I took 7 catfish filets and marinaded them in

• 1.5 cups white vinegar
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 6 tblsp roasted chili powder
• 4 tblsp brown sugar
• 2 tblsp coarse sea salt
• 2 tblsp coriander
• 1 tblsp dill seed

for about three hours. The recipe says you can even do this the night before, which is a must if you're intending to prepare this dish after work on a weeknight. (it calls for monkfish, too, but my local grocer only has that stuff once in a blue moon)

Smoke said catfish for about 35 minutes. I let it get nice and flaky (almost a bit too flaky, as you can tell by the picture - one guy didn't survive extraction in one piece).

I served this with some sauteed mushrooms, brown rice, and asparagus. After sauteeing the mushrooms in olive oil, I added about half a cup of the same wine I used on the fish, and a tablespoon of chili powder to ensure its compatability as a topping. I was thinking of doing a lemon butter sauce, but opted out on the account of trying to make the meal heart-healthy. I also squeezed fresh lemon on fish, mushrooms, and asparagus immediately before serving.

This served 6 adults and a couple of little kids.