Fried Creole Catfish Food

FRIED CATFISH TOPPED WITH CRAWFISH AU GRATIN SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the onions, peppers and garlic until wilted. Add the flour and stir until a blond roux is achieved, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sugar, chicken base, crab base, granulated garlic, basil, black pepper, cayenne pepper and thyme. Add the milk and wine and cook over medium heat until the milk thickens, stirring constantly, about 6 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until the cheese melts and fully incorporates into the sauce. Add the crawfish tails and cook until heated through, about 4 minutes. Add the green onions just before serving.
• For the catfish: Sprinkle the catfish with Creole seasoning. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add the milk. Coat the catfish in flour and dip in the milk/egg mixture, then coat with cornmeal. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large skillet. Fry the catfish until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Serve the catfish with the crawfish au gratin sauce.

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.

CLASSIC FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• COMBINE first 5 ingredients in a large shallow dish.
• Sprinkle fish with 1/4 teaspoon salt; dredge in cornmeal mixture, coating evenly.
• POUR oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into a deep cast-iron skillet; heat to 350 degrees;.
• Fry fish, in batches, 5 to 6 minutes or until golden; drain on paper towels.

SEARED CATFISH CREOLE

Steps:

• Pat the catfish dry, and spread a layer of mustard over the surface. Place the cracked pepper onto a plate, and press the coated catfish into the pepper so it is well covered.
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the catfish for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes with a fork.

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.

CATFISH CREOLE

Steps:

• Melt butter in wide frying pan or dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Cook until soft (about 7 minutes); add tomatoes, lemon zest and juice, Worcestershire, paprika, bay leaf, salt, thyme and Tabasco. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened.
• Press fish pieces down into sauce; spoon some of the sauce over the top of fish. Cover pan and simmer gently until fish flakes readily when prodded in thickest portion with a fork. For a 1 1/2 inch-thick piece of fish (measured in thickest portion), allow 15 minutes.
• To serve, spoon fish and sauce over cooked rice or add a bit of rice right to the pan.

FRIED CATFISH PO BOY

Steps:

• Pour about 3 inches of oil in a deep fryer or large, heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the smashed garlic and swirl the pot around to infuse the garlic flavor into the butter. Slice the French bread in 1/2 lengthwise and brush the top and insides with the garlic butter. Stick the bread in the oven for 5 minutes to warm it through.
• Season both sides of the catfish fillets with a fair amount of salt and pepper. In a wide bowl, mix the milk and egg together, season with salt and pepper. Mix the cornmeal, flour, cayenne, salt and pepper in a pie dish using a fork. Dip the catfish in the wet batter, then dredge in the dry; being sure to cover the fillets completely. Gently drop the fish in the hot oil in batches so the pan is not overcrowded. Fry the fillets for 3 minutes and then drain on a platter lined with paper towels; sprinkle with salt while they are still hot.
• To assemble the sandwich, put the pickles across the bottom 1/2 of the bread, lay the fried catfish on top. Spoon a small mound of slaw on top of the catfish and close up the sandwich with the top 1/2 of the bread. Cut into portions and serve immediately with hot sauce and lemon on the side.
• Combine the cabbage, carrot, red onion, green onions, and chile in a large bowl.
• In another bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar; stirring to incorporate. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix. Season the cole slaw with celery seed, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Chill for 2 hours in refrigerator while frying the catfish.

PAN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Rinse the fillets and pat them dry with paper towels. Mix the cornmeal, flour, salt, creole seasoning, paprika, and pepper together in a shallow dish. Pour the milk into a second shallow dish. Dip the fillets into the milk and then into the cornmeal mixture, coating them well and shaking of any excess.
• Heat 1/2 the butter in a large skillet over high heat, and fry 2 of the fillets for about 3 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
• Transfer the fillets to a serving platter and keep warm. Repeat with remaining butter and fillets. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon wedges.

FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Whisk 3 tablespoons salt, hot pepper sauce, and 8 cups hot water in a large bowl until salt dissolves. Chill in freezer until cold, about 30 minutes. Place catfish in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 3 hours.
• Whisk cornmeal, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Attach deep-fry thermometer to the side of a 10" cast-iron skillet or other large heavy skillet. Add oil to come a little less than halfway up side of skillet. Heat over medium heat until thermometer reads 335°F.
• Rinse catfish; pat dry. Dredge catfish in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess. Working with 2 fillets at a time, fry catfish, turning halfway through, until golden brown and crispy, 10-12 minutes per batch. Transfer fish to paper towels to drain.

FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Thoroughly combine seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
• In a cake pan, combine 1-1/2 Tsp of the mix with 1 cup flour.
• In another pan, combine 2 Tbsp seasoning mix with the remaining 1-1/2 cups flour and the cornmeal and corn flour.
• In a third pan, beat together the milk, eggs, and mustard.
• Reheat the oil used for the hushpuppies to 350 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle the remaining seasoning mix on both sides of the fish fillets, and let set for at least 5 minutes.
• Dredge in flour first, then coat with egg mixture.
• Dredge in cornmeal mixture, pressing the mixture firmly into the fish with your fingers.
• Shake off excess coating.
• Fry the fish in hot oil until browned and crisp.
• Do not crowd while cooking.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Let oil reheat to 350 degrees F before cooking next batch.
• Serve immediately with hushpuppies.

CAJUN OVEN-FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Move oven rack to position slightly above middle of oven. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove and discard skin from fish. Cut fish into 2x 1 1/2" pieces.
• Mix buttermilk and egg white with fork. MIx cornmeal, bread crumbs, and cajun creole seasoning. Dip fish into buttermilk mixture, then coat with cornmeal mixture. Place in ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2". Lightly spray cooking spray on fish.
• Bake uncovered about 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Serve with lemon wedges.

PAN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, whisk the milk, mustard and hot pepper sauce together. Season the mixture with salt and cayenne. Lay the fish in the milk mixture, cover, refrigerate and marinate for 1 hour. In a pie pan, combine the flour, cornmeal and 2 teaspoons of Essence. Remove the fish from the refrigerator and drain. Dredge each fillet in the cornmeal mixture, coating each side completely. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, gently lay each fillet in the hot oil. Pan-fry the fillets for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until the fish is golden brown and the meat is flaky. Remove the fillets from the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season the fish with the remaining Essence. Serve the catfish with the Andouille Smothered Beans.