Southern Pan Fried Catfish Food

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.

SOUTHERN PAN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rinse chicken under cold running water. Mix water and kosher salt in large bowl, stirring until salt dissolves. Cover chicken with salt mixture and refrigerate overnight (minimum 4 hours).
• Remove chicken from salt water brine and immerse in buttermilk. Allow to marinate overnight (minimum 4 hours). Remove chicken from buttermilk, holding each piece to drip excess buttermilk back into bowl. Lay chicken on a wire cooling rack set over a sheet pan.
• Mix flour, sea salt, pepper, cornstarch, and potato flour in a large bowl. Dredge chicken parts in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Lay chicken parts on the wire cooling rack.
• Using large cast iron, or heavy skillet, melt the lard and butter together and add the bacon or pork shoulder. When the mixture is hot (but not smoking), add the chicken, 1 piece at a time, in a single layer, skin side down. The chicken should be half covered in the butter-lard mixture. Cook each piece 10 to 12 minutes per side, turning once, or more often if necessary, to brown evenly. Dark meat cooks more slowly than white meat. To check for doneness, cut a thigh to the bone and check for redness. When evenly browned, removed the cooked chicken and place on cooling rack. Serve hot or allow to cool to room temperature.

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 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 PAN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• In a flat dish (Like a baking dish or cake pan), combine cornmeal, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk together to combine.
• Coat catfish in cornmeal mixture. Remove to a large plate or tray.
• Heat half of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• When butter is hot, fry 2-3 fillets at a time for about 3 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
• Repeat with remaining butter and catfish.
• Serve immediately.

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:

• 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.

PAT'S PAN-FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Dry your catfish filets with paper towels.
• Pour 1 cup of the flour on a plate and "dust" the filets and set them aside on another plate for about half an hour. (This process helps to keep the coating on the fish as they fry).
• Next, heat the shortening in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Set up a shallow medium-sized bowl and a dinner plate for "drenching" and "dredging" the fillets.
• In the bowl, break the eggs and beat them a bit, then add the buttermilk and the lemon juice and whisk these ingredients a few seconds until blended.
• On the plate, pour the remaining cup of flour, cornmeal, garlic salt, thyme, table salt, baking soda, and fennel (if you're using it). Mix it up with a fork or with your fingers.
• Dip a fillet into the liquid, coating it totally, and then allow it to drip off a bit. Then, roll it carefully in the flour/cornmeal mix until it is coated all over. Carefully lay the fillet in the hot oil. It should start frying immediately -- if not, your oil is not hot enough!
• Repeat this process until you have half of the fillets in the pan. You don't want to crowd them so plan on doing the fish in two separate batches.
• When the fillets have turned a golden brown on the bottom side, carefully turn them to fry the other side. Remove them to a plate with some paper towels on it once they are golden brown all over (about 3-4 minutes for each side). (The fillets should be snow-white in the thick portion of the fillet, and the meat should "flake apart" when pulled apart with a fork).
• Serve either as a sandwich, or, plate up the fish with side dishes (I like good coleslaw and baked beans with my catfish). A tangy tartar sauce is also good with fried catfish. Enjoy!
• NOTE: Pan-fried catfish makes an EXCELLENT breakfast, along with fried potatoes, when you're camping!