Catfish with Apple-Fennel Salad and Pickled Pearl Onions

Description
A catfish recipe.

Ingredients

 * 4 U.S. farm-raised catfish fillets
 * olive oil
 * salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Pickled pearl onions

 * 1 cup water
 * ½ cup rice vinegar
 * ⅓ 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
 * ½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
 * 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or canola oil
 * 1 cup white pearl onions, peeled and cut in half

Apple-fennel salad

 * ½ cup diced Red Delicious apples
 * ½ cup diced Granny Smith apples
 * ½ cup diced fennel bulb
 * ½ cup mandarin orange sections, cut in half
 * ½ cup golden raisins
 * 8 teaspoons chopped fennel fronds (tops of the fennel)

Pickled pearl onions

 * 1) Mix water, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, mustard seed, peppercorns, ginger and jalapeño pepper in a medium saucepan.
 * 2) Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it comes to a simmer and salt and sugar are dissolved. Cool.
 * 3) Heat grape seed or canola oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat.
 * 4) Add onions and sauté until lightly caramelized.
 * 5) Add onions to the saucepan with the vinegar mixture.
 * 6) Let stand for 1 hour to pickle.
 * 7) Strain the onions from the pickling juice and place pickling juice in a small saucepan.
 * 8) Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until reduced to ½ cup.
 * 9) Remove from the heat and set aside.

Apple-fennel salad

 * 1) Toss diced apples, fennel bulb, orange sections and raisins in a small bowl.
 * 2) Add 6 tablespoons of the reduced pickling juice and 6 teaspoons of the fennel fronds and stir until combined; set aside.

Catfish

 * 1) Prepare a grill or preheat the broiler.
 * 2) Rub catfish fillets with olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper.
 * 3) oil a grill rack or broiler pan rack.
 * 4) 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.
 * 5) Place a small mound of apple-fennel salad on each serving plate.
 * 6) Arrange pickled pearl onions on plates and top with grilled catfish.
 * 7) Spoon remaining 2 tablespoons pickling juice around plates and sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons fennel fronds.
 * 8) Drizzle a little olive oil over the plates and serve.