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* Recipe: Cajun-Baked Catfish
October 2002: page 119
This recipe is a great alternative to fried catfish. But don't let the baked preparations fool you, it's still full of flavor. To play off the naturally mild flavor of the catfish and its perky Cajun crust, you'll want to stick with something like a Pinot Grigio or as the French call it, Pinto Gris. Although the grapes have old-world roots in France and Italy, respectively, there are wonderful examples of both being produced in California, Washington, and Oregon. By design, Italian Pinot Grigio, and those wines produced in a similar style, tend to be relatively dry whites with crisp acidity which helps soften the Cajun seasoning, making them just the right match for the catfish. On the other hand, French Pinot Gris tends to have a little more body and character than its Italian counterpart yet, still not as big as, say, most California Chardonnays, but whether a French or American selection is made, it'll still work well with this recipe.
- La Famiglia di Robert Mondavi, Pinot Grigio, California
- Saintsbury, Pinot Gris, Carneros, California
- Chapel Hill, Unwooded Chardonnay, Australia
- Hedges, FumŽ-Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, Washington
