Crab cakes are celebrated in the South from Maryland to Florida, but good lump crabmeat can be very pricey. U.S. Farm-Raised catfish, on the other hand, is readily available and far less expensive, so I came up with these delicious Mini Catfish Cakes to highlight this domestic ingredient.

Topping the Catfish Cakes with regular tartar sauce is good, but making your own tartar sauce with a hint of spiced peaches takes them over-the-top. The sauce is delicious with any fried seafood, especially catfish and oysters. 

Catfish Cakes

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound catfish, poached, cooled and shredded
• 1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with the oil and set aside. Combine shredded catfish with the breadcrumbs, mayonnaise and old bay in a bowl. Shape into 1-inch patties and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Turn cakes over to coat both sides with oil. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until golden.

Peachy Tartar Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 dash Tabasco sauce
• 3 tablespoons chopped canned spiced peaches
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco together in a bowl. Fold in peaches and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 24 cakes and 1 cup of sauce.