Oven Fried Catfish Sandwich

It must be June, as I am in the mood for sandwiches and outdoor dining. Last night we made our way to Harry's Country Club (one of my all-time favorite spots for outdoor meals) and my pan-fried catfish entree (with hominy! yum!) reminded me of these lovely sandwiches, which will pass muster if you'd rather do your al fresco dining in your own outdoor area. They make a great meal with broccoli slaw or roasted sweet potato wedges and a glass of limeade.

Oven-Fried Catfish Sandwiches
from Cooking Light

for the sauce:
1/4 c light mayo
1 T sweet pickle relish
2 tsp capers, chopped
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

for the catfish:
2 T all-purpose flour
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp garlic powder, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2/3 c yellow cornmeal
4 (4-ounce) catfish fillets
cooking spray
4 hoagie rolls, toasted
1 c shredded romaine lettuce
4 slices red onion
8 slices tomato

Preheat oven to 450°. Place baking sheet in oven.

Combine mayonnaise, relish, capers, 1/8 tsp salt, and pepper sauce in a small bowl, stirring well. Set aside.

Combine flour, paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Place egg whites in a shallow bowl. Combine cornmeal, remaining 1/8 tsp salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp garlic powder in a shallow dish. Working with 1 fillet at a time, dredge in flour. Dip in egg whites; dredge in cornmeal mixture. Place fillet on a plate; repeat procedure with remaining fillets, flour, egg whites, and cornmeal mixture.

Transfer fillets to preheated baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat fillets with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 6 min. Turn fillets and coat with cooking spray; bake an additional 6 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork

Place 1 bottom half of roll on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with lettuce, 1 fillet, tomato slices, and onion. Spread mayonnaise mixture on cut side of each roll top. Serve immediately.

Note: We were generous with the Tabasco, as the sauce wasn't quite zippy enough for us as is. And while I was a bit weirded out at the prospect of coating the filets in cooking spray, it did make them very crispy and didn't seem to mar the flavor.