Catfish with Asparagus

Clean the catfish and fillet them, discarding any unnecessary parts. Arrange them neatly on a plate, ready for the salt treatment, which will balance their flavor and firm the flesh.

Cover the fillets with coarse salt and let them rest for two hours. After this time, rinse them thoroughly under running water to remove the salt from the surface, then pat them dry: a dry surface will promote even browning.

Pass the fillets through the 00 flour, shaking them lightly to remove the excess. Heat in a skillet melt the oil with the butter, or use the lard, and brown the fish on both sides until golden brown. Transfer it to paper towels to eliminate excess fat.

Finely chop the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Use the same skillet of the fish and let the chopped mixture wilt in the pan juices, stirring until the onion becomes soft and translucent and the garlic scent is evident without the aromas taking on a dark color.

Cut the asparagus into ½-centimeter pieces. Blanch them in boiling salted water to soften them without falling apart, then drain them well. They're ready when they're tender to the bite, yet retain a distinctive texture.

Add the asparagus to the soffritto, then add the tomato puree, vinegar, whiskey, salt, pepper, and a sprinkling of nutmeg. Cook for about fifteen minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce is well combined, fragrant, and slightly thickened, with a steady boil.

Pour half of the sauce on the bottom of a baking dish Spread it out in an even layer. Arrange the seared catfish fillets on top, keeping them side by side, then completely cover them with the remaining sauce, protecting them while baking.

Cover the baking dish with parchment paper and bake it in the oven already preheated to (356°F) 180°C. Let it cook for about fifteen minutes: the sauce should be hot and well-coated, while the fillets will remain soft and enveloped in the sauce.

Serve the catfish very hot, accompanied with polenta sliced ​​and lightly toasted in butter. Complete the dish when the polenta It will be golden on the surface, thus creating a pleasant contrast with the softness of the fish and the sauce.