Insanely Good Catfish Dinner

The night before we thought we had a really good ginger halibut dish at Thai Restaurant Red Onion. That was until we had my parent's broiled catfish. This meal was insanely good. Light, refreshing, healthy, leisurely and utterly memorable. Mike quickly declared this meal one of his top 5 favorite all time meals we've had at my parents' house and that list grows each time we eat there.

The whole catfish was rubbed in garlic, covered in foil, baked for 40 minutes, then uncovered and lightly dressed with oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper and fresh ginger. Back in the oven for 15 minutes, then topped with green onions and more fresh ginger right before serving. Eaten rolled in rice paper with lettuce, an abundance of herbs (purple perilla, mint, fish mint and sorrel), cucumber, tart green apples and rice noodles. And if that wasn't enough there was a pungent dipping sauce made of salty anchovies and pineapples. This meal hit all the spots that make summer so great! Eaten out on the patio under a unseasonable warm late summer evening, we biked home so happy. It's amazing how an incredible homecooked meal can elevate your whole existence.