Crispy fried catfish fillets encased in a spiced cornmeal crust!
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Fried catfish is an icon of Southern cuisine: for many, there is simply no other way to prepare it. There’s some argument over whether it’s best deep fried, breaded, cornmeal breaded, or just tossed in flour. I think this is a healthy debate.
There’s something about a cornmeal crust that really sings with catfish. Maybe it’s the combination of a truly American fish with a truly American grain.
This is a simple dish, but there are a few keys to good fried catfish: hot oil and the right breading. If you’ve had wet, greasy catfish before, it’s because the oil is too cold. You want it 350 degrees. And use peanut oil if you can – it adds a lot of flavor. (Lard is even better… just tell me.)
For the breading, use fine white cornmeal if you can find it. Unfortunately, this is not always easy outside of the south. If fine white cornmeal isn’t available, use the regular stuff with some flour. Unless it’s finely ground, a whole wheat flour crust will taste gritty.
As for the seasoning, I use what we have given below; You can use any spice you want from your own concoction to Lawry’s to Zatarain’s, Old Bay or even just lemon pepper.
Serve your catfish with whatever you want, but traditionally you’ll want cole slaw and hush puppies, which in case you’ve never heard of it, is a deep-fried cornmeal dumpling. Hot sauce on the side, too.
Fried catfish
This frying method works with pretty much any thin fillet of fish: if you can’t find catfish, use tilapia, perch, flounder, walleye, bass, scorpionfish, quaker, or smallmouth bass.
ingredients
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4 to 6 catfish filletsabout 1 to 2 pounds
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1 Cup milk or buttermilk
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Salt
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3/4 Cup fine meal with cereals (do not use coarsely ground cornmeal)
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1/2 Cup flour
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1 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 teaspoon black pepper
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1 teaspoon paprika
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1/2 teaspoon cayenne
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1/4 teaspoon celery seed
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oil to fry (use peanut oil if possible)
method
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Heat oil in pan, preheat oven:
In a heavy skillet (I prefer cast iron), pour enough oil to come up 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Heat the pan on medium high.
Preheat your oven to 200°F and place a baking sheet in it. Place a wire rack on the baking sheet.
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Soaking Catfish in Milk or Buttermilk:
While the oil is heating, soak the catfish in the milk or buttermilk.
The 5 Best Substitutes for ButtermilkCONTINUE READING:
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Mix cornmeal, flour, spices for dredging:
Mix together the cornmeal, flour and spices. (Or you can use your favorite condiment instead.) Transfer to a shallow bowl for dredging.
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Dredge fillets in flour mixture, then fry in hot oil:
Allow the oil to reach 350°F – a good test is to flick a little of the dry breading into the oil and if it immediately sizzles, you’re good to go.
Once the oil is hot, sprinkle the catfish fillets with salt and dip them in the breading. Shake off the excess and gently place into the hot oil.
Fry for 2-4 minutes until golden brown, depending on how thick the fillet is. Using a metal spatula, gently turn the fish over and cook for another 2-4 minutes.
Cast iron heats up and stays hot, so monitor the heat while frying; You may need to turn down the burner heat at some point.
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Keeping cooked fillets warm in the oven:
Once the fish is done, pop it in the oven while you cook the rest of the catfish. Keeping the fried catfish warm in the oven will keep it crispy.
When everything is ready, serve immediately with your favorite hot sauce, cole slaw, and some Hush Puppies.
Links:
Hush Puppies – by Allen Williams of Eating Out Loud
No Better Fish to Fry – Catfish, Hushpuppies, and Chipotle Lime Mayo recipes from Lisa Fain, the homesick Texan
Green Chili Hush Puppies – by Use Real Butter
Vietnamese Fried Catfish – by Viet World Kitchen
Claypot Catfish – by Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
Spicy Pecan Crusted Catfish from Eat Live Run
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 665 | calories |
| 38g | Fat |
| 34g | carbohydrates |
| 45g | protein |
