Catfish With Apple-Fennel Salad and Pickled Pearl Onions

    For the pickled pearl onions:
1 cup water
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 whole garlic clove
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or canola oil
1 cup white pearl onions, peeled and cut in half
    For the apple-fennel salad:
1/2 cup diced Red Delicious apples
1/2 cup diced Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup diced fennel bulb
1/2 cup Mandarin orange sections, cut in half
1/2 cup golden raisins
8 teaspoons chopped fennel fronds (tops of the fennel)
4     U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish fillets
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
 
1. To prepare the pickled pearl onions, mix water, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, mustard seed, peppercorns, ginger and jalapeño pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it comes to a simmer and salt and sugar are dissolved. Cool.

2. Heat grapeseed or canola oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until lightly caramelized. Add onions to the saucepan with the vinegar mixture. Let stand for 1 hour to pickle.

3. Strain the onions from the pickling juice and place pickling juice in a small saucepan. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. To prepare the apple-fennel salad, toss diced apples, fennel bulb, orange sections and raisins in a small bowl. Add 6 tablespoons of the reduced pickling juice and 6 teaspoons of the fennel fronds and stir until combined; set aside.

5. Prepare a grill or preheat the broiler. Rub catfish fillets with olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Oil a grill rack or broiler pan rack. Grill or broil fillets about 4 inches from the heat source for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

6. Place a small mound of apple-fennel salad on each serving plate. Arrange pickled pearl onions on plates and top with grilled catfish. Spoon remaining 2 tablespoons pickling juice around plates and sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons fennel fronds.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the plates and serve.