Catfish with Apple-Fennel Salad and Pickled Pearl Onions

Description
A catfish recipe.

Ingredients

 * For the pickled pearl onions:
 * 1 cup water
 * 1/2 cup rice vinegar
 * 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
 * 2 tablespoons kosher salt
 * 1 whole garlic clove
 * 1 teaspoon mustard seed
 * 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
 * 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
 * 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
 * 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or canola oil
 * 1 cup white pearl onions, peeled and cut in half
 * For the apple-fennel salad:
 * 1/2 cup diced Red Delicious apples
 * 1/2 cup diced Granny Smith apples
 * 1/2 cup diced fennel bulb
 * 1/2 cup Mandarin orange sections, cut in half
 * 1/2 cup golden raisins
 * 8 teaspoons chopped fennel fronds (tops of the fennel)
 * 4 U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish fillets
 * Olive oil
 * Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions
1. To prepare the pickled pearl onions, mix water, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, mustard seed, peppercorns, ginger and jalapeño pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it comes to a simmer and salt and sugar are dissolved. Cool.

2. Heat grapeseed or canola oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until lightly caramelized. Add onions to the saucepan with the vinegar mixture. Let stand for 1 hour to pickle.

3. Strain the onions from the pickling juice and place pickling juice in a small saucepan. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. To prepare the apple-fennel salad, toss diced apples, fennel bulb, orange sections and raisins in a small bowl. Add 6 tablespoons of the reduced pickling juice and 6 teaspoons of the fennel fronds and stir until combined; set aside.

5. Prepare a grill or preheat the broiler. Rub catfish fillets with olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Oil a grill rack or broiler pan rack. Grill or broil fillets about 4 inches from the heat source for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

6. Place a small mound of apple-fennel salad on each serving plate. Arrange pickled pearl onions on plates and top with grilled catfish. Spoon remaining 2 tablespoons pickling juice around plates and sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons fennel fronds. Drizzle a little olive oil over the plates and serve.