Chicken Fried Catfish Food

CLASSIC FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce.
• Place catfish in a single layer in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish; pour buttermilk mixture over fish. Cover and chill 8 hours, turning once.
• Combine cornmeal and next 6 ingredients in a shallow dish.
• Let fish stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Remove from buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge fish in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess.
• Pour oil to depth of 2 inches into a large, deep cast-iron or heavy-duty skillet; heat to 360°F.
• Fry fish, in batches, 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack on a paper towel-lined jelly-roll pan. Keep warm in a 225°F oven until ready to serve.

CRISPY SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Combine cornmeal, seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow dish.
• Pour milk into a separate dish.
• Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Dip a catfish fillet in the milk, and shake off any excess.
• Transfer milk-soaked fish to the cornmeal mixture and gently roll to coat on both sides.
• Repeat with remaining fillets.
• Place fish in the hot skillet and cook until golden brown on each side (about 5-7 minutes per side). The fish will flake easily with a fork when it's done.
• Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook the fish in batches. Don't overcrowd the skillet! Feel free to wipe out the pan and use additional butter/oil, as necessary, for subsequent batches.
• Drain fish on paper towels.
• Serve warm, garnished with chopped fresh parsley and a lemon wedge, if desired.

CHICKEN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Combine the buttermilk, red onion, scallions, dill, garlic, zest, and chile paste in a baking dish. Whisk or stir well.
• Lay the fillets in the marinade, making sure you've got them completely coated. Cover with plastic and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
• Remove the fish from the marinade and season it with salt and pepper. Coat the fillets well with flour.
• Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a heavy skillet (cast-iron is best) until very hot but not smoking. Fry the fish in batches for about 1 1/2 minutes on the first side, then turn and fry for another 45 seconds. The crust should be golden.
• Drain on paper towels and serve with the tartar sauce.

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.

CHICKEN-FRIED FISH

Steps:

• Place the green beans in a microwave-safe dish. Add 1/4 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover loosely with plastic wrap and microwave until tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle the fish all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Combine the flour and paprika in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in another dish. Dip each fish fillet in the eggs, then dredge in the flour mixture, turning to coat. Reserve the flour mixture. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the fish until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil. Wipe out the skillet. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the reserved flour mixture, then add the chicken broth and 1/4 cup water; bring to a boil, whisking. Add the milk, cream cheese and parsley; cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the fish among plates. Top with the sauce and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with the green beans.
• Photograph by Christopher Testani

FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the mustard, hot sauce and egg white. Add the fish and toss to coat well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Pour the oil into a Dutch oven, filling it no more than one-third full. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Line a plate with paper towels and set by the cooktop. In a shallow dish, combine the cornmeal and flour and season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the fish from the marinade and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge the fish in the cornmeal mixture to coat both sides and shake off the excess. Carefully add the fish to the oil, a few pieces at a time. Cook until golden brown and crispy, 2 minutes total. Remove with a slotted spoon to the prepared plate.
• Serve with Country Remoulade and Beer Batter Hushpuppies.
• In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, chives, lemon juice, mustard, hot sauce, green onions, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to blend the flavors. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve chilled.
• In a large cast-iron Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat until it reaches 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
• To make the batter, in a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, baking powder, cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. In a second bowl or large liquid measuring cup, combine the beer, eggs and onions. Add some salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, using as few strokes as possible. (The mixture should resemble wet sand; add more beer, if needed.)
• Line a plate with paper towels and set by the cooktop. To fry the hushpuppies, scoop up the batter using a medium ice cream scoop and drop it into the hot oil without crowding. Fry, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to the prepared plate. Adjust the heat to maintain the proper temperature and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve immediately.

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.