Credit: Petite Cerise

Crispy Fried Blue Catfish with Sauce Gribiche, Herb Salad, and Pickled Chilis by Chef Jeremiah Langhorne

Name: Crispy Fried Blue Catfish with Sauce Gribiche, Herb Salad, and Pickled Chilis by Chef Jeremiah Langhorne
Prep time: 30 s
Cook time: 15 s
Total time: 75 s
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: FOR THE CATFISH; Chesapeake blue catfish; Water; Kosher salt; Rice flour; Anson Mills cornmeal; Buttermilk; Hot sauce; Lemon juice; Canola oil; FOR THE SAUCE GRIBICHE; Eggs; Cornichons; Caper berries; Parsley; Tarragon; Chervil; Olive oil; Cornichon juice; Zest of 1 lemon; Coriander; Dijon mustard; Kosher salt; FOR THE PICKLED CHILIS; Jalapeño or Fresno chilis; Pearl onions; Champagne vinegar; Water; Granulated sugar; Bay leaves

18 Feb 2025

Jeremiah Langhorne

Chef

Difficulty

Challenging

Total Time

1H 15MIN

Cuisine

American

Ingredients

FOR THE CATFISH

Chesapeake blue catfish: 2 lbs (bloodline removed, shaved on a bias into 12 pieces)

Water: 2 quarts

Kosher salt: 3 tbsp + 1 tsp

Rice flour: 2 cups

Anson Mills cornmeal: 2 cups

Buttermilk: 2 cups

Hot sauce: 1 splash (or more)

Lemon juice: 1/2 lemon

Canola oil: 2 cups

FOR THE SAUCE GRIBICHE

Eggs: 8

Cornichons: 1 1/2 cups (chopped)

Caper berries: 20 (sliced thin)

Parsley: 1 cup (roughly chopped)

Tarragon: 1/4 cup (chopped)

Chervil: 1/4 cup (chopped)

Olive oil: 1 cup

Cornichon juice: 1/2 cup

Zest of 1 lemon: 1

Coriander: 1 tbsp (toasted and crushed in a mortar and pestle)

Dijon mustard: 1 tbsp

Kosher salt : To taste

FOR THE PICKLED CHILIS

Jalapeño or Fresno chilis: 6 (sliced thin, seeds and pith removed)

Pearl onions: 12 (peeled and halved)

Champagne vinegar: 2 cups

Water: 2 cups

Granulated sugar: 2 cups

Bay leaves: 2

Garlic cloves: 4

Thyme sprig: 1

Cinnamon stick: 1

FOR THE HERB SALAD

Mint leaves: 1 heaping cup

Dill: 1 cup

Crispy, golden-fried blue catfish meets a tangy, herbaceous sauce gribiche, bright pickled chilis, and a fresh herb salad in this elevated take on a Chesapeake classic.

How to make Crispy Fried Blue Catfish with Sauce Gribiche, Herb Salad, and Pickled Chilis

01.

Prepare the Catfish

Make the Brine: Heat 1 quart of water to a simmer, add salt, and whisk to dissolve. Add 1 quart of ice water and set aside.
Prepare the Dredge: In a medium bowl, mix the rice flour and cornmeal. Transfer to a shallow pan.
Set Up Breading Station: Pour buttermilk into a shallow pan and place next to the flour mixture. Set a third pan aside for the breaded catfish.
Heat the Oil: In a deep cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven, heat the canola oil to 350°F.
Bread the Catfish: Dip each catfish piece into the buttermilk, then coat in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off any excess.
Fry the Catfish: Fry for 3–6 minutes until cooked through and golden brown.

02.

Make the Sauce Gribiche

Cook the eggs for 8 minutes, chill in an ice bath, and peel
Slice the eggs lengthwise into eighths.
In a medium bowl, gently fold together the eggs, cornichons, caper berries, parsley, tarragon, and chervil.
Add olive oil, cornichon juice, lemon zest, coriander, and Dijon mustard, folding gently to maintain texture.
Season with kosher salt to taste.

03.

Pickle the Chilis

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, bay leaves, garlic, thyme, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil.
Place sliced chilis and pearl onions in a heatproof bowl.
Pour the hot pickling liquid over the chilis and cover. Let cool completely.

04.

Prepare the Herb Salad

In a small bowl, combine the mint, dill, and cooled pickled chilis.
Toss with a small amount of the pickling liquid.

05.

To Serve

Spread a generous layer of sauce gribiche on the serving plate.
Arrange a layer of fried catfish pieces on top.
Add a layer of herb and chili salad, followed by another layer of catfish and another of the herb salad.

Jeremiah Langhorne

18 Feb 2025

Washington DC

Home Cooking

1 Michelin Star Restaurants

James Beard Awards

The Chef

Born just outside Washington, D.C., and raised in Virginia, Langhorne got his first culinary training under chef John Haywood at the now-closed OXO in Charlottesville, Virginia. He later moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where he worked for Sean Brock at McCrady’s, a highly regarded bastion of heritage-minded modern Southern cooking. While Langhorne was rising through the ranks, he left to stage at Noma, an experience that opened his eyes to the raw power of wild-foraged food to communicate the story of a place and a moment in time.

By the time he returned to Washington, D.C., in 2013, Langhorne had a vision for his own restaurant, The Dabney. “I wanted it to be a showcase for this region, its products, and its people,” he says. “I wanted to show people Mid-Atlantic cuisine. But you wouldn’t believe how many serious people, who are still in the industry now, laughed me out of conversations because they would say, ‘There’s no such thing as Mid-Atlantic cuisine.’”

In 2015, The Dabney opened with a menu deeply rooted in the Mid-Atlantic’s history and foodways. Langhorne built relationships with farmers, fishermen, foragers, and producers, ensuring that every dish reflected the best the region had to offer. Cooking over a live fire in the open kitchen, he proved his detractors wrong—going on to win a James Beard Award, while The Dabney garnered a Michelin star and the top spot on Washingtonian’s 100 Best Restaurants list in 2023.

In 2017, Langhorne expanded his footprint with The Dabney Cellar, a subterranean wine bar beneath his flagship restaurant. In 2024, he debuted Petite Cerise, a charming all-day French café-bistro located just a few blocks away.

Langhorne’s cooking is rooted in seasonality, sustainability, and a deep respect for local producers. His approach blends historical research with modern techniques, ensuring that every dish tells a story of place and time. He continues to push the boundaries of what Mid-Atlantic cuisine can be, redefining it for a new generation of diners.

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