Name: Spiced Catfish Baked in the Oven
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Norwegian
Ingredients: 800 g catfish fillet; 1 pcs red onion; 12 pcs cherry tomato; 3 tbsp butter; 3 tbsp fresh curly parsley, chopped; 2 cloves garlic cloves, chopped; 1 tsp paprika powder; 0.5 tsp dried thyme; 1 pcs lemon (juice and finely grated zest); 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp ground black pepper

UntrainedChef

Tips from the kitchen

Pat the fish dry before laying it in the dish. Catfish holds a lot of moisture and if you skip this step the butter mixture just slides off instead of sitting on top.
Make the herb butter ahead and keep it in the fridge. It firms up nicely and is much easier to spoon over the fish in neat dollops rather than trying to spread soft butter without tearing the fillet.
The onion wedges go under the fish, not around it. They need the direct heat from the bottom of the dish to soften properly in 15-20 minutes. Tucked under the fish they steam a bit and get tender.
Check the fish at 15 minutes. Catfish fillets vary in thickness and a thin piece will be done well before a thick one. The fish is ready when it flakes easily with a fork and has turned opaque all the way through.
Use the whole lemon. The zest in the butter is what gives it that sharp citrus note. Just the juice would make it taste flat by comparison.

Ways to vary it

Swap the cherry tomatoes for sliced regular tomatoes if that's what you have. They release more liquid, so the dish ends up a bit saucier, which is not a bad thing over rice.
A pinch of cayenne in the herb butter instead of, or alongside, the paprika gives the whole thing more heat. Worth trying if your household likes spice.
You can use cod or haddock in place of catfish. Both are mild white fish with similar textures and the cooking time stays roughly the same.

Storage & leftovers

Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days in a covered container. Catfish doesn't freeze well once baked, the texture goes soft and watery. To reheat, put it back in the oven at 160 °C for about 10 minutes rather than microwaving it, which tends to make the fish rubbery.

What to serve with it

Boiled or roasted potatoes work well here since the butter from the dish acts as a sauce. A simple green salad on the side is all you need.

By Untrained ChefPublished 16 July 2026

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