Herbs Fried Catfish Food

HERB BAKED CATFISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Arrange catfish fillets in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Combine parsley, paprika, thyme, oregano, basil, and black pepper in a small bowl; sprinkle herb mixture over fish. Mix lemon juice, butter, and garlic powder in another bowl; drizzle butter mixture over fish.
• Bake in preheated oven until fish is easily flaked with a fork, about 20 minutes.

BAKED HERB CATFISH

Steps:

• Combine the first seven ingredients; sprinkle over fillets on both sides. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Combine the lemon juice, butter and garlic; drizzle over fillets., Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

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.

FRIED CATFISH #2

Steps:

• Fillet and clean catfish (removing all dark meat); soak in buttermilk or milk for 1-2 hrs; drain well.
• Spinkle fish with salt, pepper, and herbs.
• Dredge in corn meal and flour mixture.
• Cook in a small skillet of 1/2 cup oil, being careful not to overcrowd fillets, probably cooking in two batches.
• Fry about 6-8 minutes, watching closely so as not to burn, turn once.
• Serve with a lemon wedge if desired.

HERB'S FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, prepare a salt-water brine by combining 3 tablespoons salt with 2 quarts water. Add the fish and more water if needed to just cover the fish. Soak the fish in the brine for 30 minutes.
• Mix the cornmeal, cracker meal, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning in a 1-gallon plastic bag.
• In a large (3-gallon) catfish cooker or deep Dutch oven, heat the oil to 350°F. Preheat the oven to 150°F.
• Coat the fish by shaking a few pieces at a time in the plastic bag with the crumbs.
• Drop 8 to 10 of the coated fish fillets into the hot oil. Cook until the coating is light brown; the fillets will cook quickly, in less than 5 minutes. Pieces will float to the top of the oil when they're done. Drain the cooked fish on paper towels and keep warm in the oven while you fry additional batches. Let the oil return to 350°F before adding and cooking more fish.
• From Gwen
• Our family attended many fish fries held outdoors on the banks of Herb's pond in Jasper County, Georgia. His wife, Glenda, loves to fish, and she provided most of the fish.
• From Trisha
• You can make the hushpuppies in the same oil as the fish, but let it cool down to 250°F first.