Best Southern Fried Catfish Food

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, water, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture into a flat pan large enough to hold the fillets. Spread fish in one layer over bottom of pan, turning to coat each side, and set aside to marinate.
• In a 2 gallon resealable plastic bag, combine the cornmeal, flour, and seafood seasoning. Add fish to mixture, a few fillets at a time, and tumble gently to coat evenly.
• Heat oil in deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
• Deep fry fillets until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Avoid overcrowding so fillets have room to brown properly. Fish should be slightly crisp outside, and moist and flaky inside. Drain on paper towels.

CLASSIC SOUTHERN-FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 200 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a rack in the pan.
• Arrange the catfish in a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate. Pour the buttermilk over the fish.
• Combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, paprika, 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.
• Heat up 1 inch of oil in a deep, heavy skillet or heavy Dutch oven over high heat.
• The oil must be 350 F. Use a candy thermometer or drop a pinch of the flour mixture into the oil-if it bubbles and floats, the oil is ready. Just be mindful of maintaining the oil temperature while cooking the fish. Don't overcrowd the pan, as doing so will lower the oil temperature.
• Carefully place 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 fillets are cooked. Serve hot with your favorite sides.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, mayonnaise, scallions and relish to make a tartar sauce. Refrigerate until needed.
• Heat oil in deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Combine cornmeal, Blackfish Spice and salt and pepper, to taste. Dredge catfish fillets in seasoned cornmeal. Deep-fry coated pieces in batches until they are cooked through, about 10 minutes. (For basic reference, use the manufacturer's instructions for your deep fryer for similar foods, then test the fish see that it is fork tender.) Allow to drain on paper towels and serve with tartar sauce and fresh lemon wedges (to squeeze lemon juice over the fish).

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Heat the peanut oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Adjust the heat to maintain the temperature.
• Whisk the cornmeal and flour together in a shallow dish. Combine the seafood seasoning, kosher salt, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Season the catfish fillets evenly on both sides with the spice mixture. Pour the buttermilk into another shallow dish. Dip each fillet into the buttermilk, flip once to coat both sides, hold over the pan and allow the excess to drip off. Coat both sides of the fillets in the cornmeal mixture. Set the coated fillets on a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Gently add the fillets, 2 at a time, to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the fried fillets to a cooling rack set over a newspaper-lined half sheet pan. Repeat method with remaining fillets. Arrange the catfish on a serving platter and serve immediately.

SOUTHERN-STYLE OVEN-FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a 13x9 glass baking dish with the oil, and set aside.
• Rinse the catfish fillets, and pat dry. In a shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, creole seasoning, paprika, sugar, and black pepper. Combine the eggs and hot sauce or water in a another bowl. Dip the fillets in the egg mixture, dredge in the cornmeal mixture, and arrange in the baking pan.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown. Turn once during cooking. Place catfish on a paper-towel lined plate, and serve immediately with additional hot sauce.

SOUTHERN-STYLE PAN-FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Whisk together buttermilk, mustard, Essence, garlic, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Place fillets in a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them in an even layer. Pour buttermilk mixture over fish, making sure each fillet is evenly coated; set aside.
• In another shallow baking dish, whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt.
• Working with 1 piece of fish at a time, remove from buttermilk mixture, shaking off any excess, and dredge in flour mixture to coat. Transfer to a plate and repeat process with remaining fillets.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully add two fillets to skillet. Cook, until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn and continue cooking until golden brown and crisp on the second side, 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Using a fish spatula, transfer fillets to a paper towel-lined plate; repeat process with remaining 2 fillets. Serve immediately with tartar sauce, if desired, and lemon wedges.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Combine buttermilk and beer in a nonreactive bowl.
• Add the catfish fillets and refrigerate for 2 hours, BUT NO LONGER.
• Combine cornmeal, all-purpose flour, rice flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.
• Drain fillets and toss them lightly in the breading mixture to coat them.
• Place the breaded fillets in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and don't let the fillets touch. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• On the stove, pour enough oil into a heavy skillet so that it is 2 inches deep and heat it so that it is 355 degrees F. on a frying thermometer.
• Carefully drop fillets in, 2 at a time and fry them for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until they are just golden.
• Remove the fillets with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to drain.
• Transfer the fillets to a platter and keep warm in the preheated oven until they are all fried.
• Work quickly so that they don't get overdone and serve immediately.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Preheat Grease to 360 degrees.
• In a bowl or pie plate or even a plastic bag place your cornstarch in and add a filet of your favorite fish. Close the bag and shake to coat the fish.
• Beat your eggs in a bowl and run the corn starched filets through the eggs.
• Mix your Corn Meal, Corn Flour, All Purpose Flour and Cajun Seasonings together in a Bowl, Pie Plate or a plastic bag and run your corn starched, egged filets through the flour mixture. Close the bag and shake to coat the fish.
• Fry for 5 minutes for an average sized filet.