Classic Southern-Fried Catfish
Ingredients
6 (5- to 6-ounce) catfish fillets
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup oil (for frying)
1 cup cornmeal (preferably yellow)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Preparation
Arrange the catfish in a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate; pour the buttermilk over the fish and soak for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200 F.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a rack in the pan.
Pour about 1 inch of oil in a deep, heavy skillet or heavy Dutch oven and place the pan over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, paprika, pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder on a pie plate.
Take the fish out of the buttermilk and dredge the fish fillets in the flour mixture to coat thoroughly. Shake off excess flour mixture.
You are ready to fry when the oil reaches about 350 F. Be mindful of maintaining the oil temperature while cooking the fish in batches.
Fry Carefully arranging 2 to 3 fillets in the pan. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown. If the oil isn't deep enough to cover the fish, turn the fillets carefully after about 3 minutes.
Remove the fish to the rack in the baking pan and place in the oven while you cook another batch. Repeat until all of the fish are cooked.
Remove fish If making hush puppies, bring the oil up to 370 F and fry them in the same pan.
Notes
A cast-iron skillet is a tried-and-true tool for frying. In addition to its durability, its thick walls also retain heat very well. That means that the oil temperature drops less when you put a batch of chicken or fish in. If you don't have a deep cast-iron skillet, a Dutch oven also works well.
Correct oil temperature is key to cooking up crispy fried chicken. Don't overcrowd the pan, or the oil temperature will drop, making your food greasy.
Keywords: Main Seafood Fish
