This Southern Fried Catfish recipe options tender fillets of catfish coated with a wonderfully seasoned crispy cornmeal breading. It’s a Southern traditional that’s assured so as to add one thing particular to the supper menu.
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Substances to Make Southern Fried Catfish Recipe
Fried catfish is a kind of consummate Southern entrees that may be discovered on the menu at eating places and seafood dives all via the South. Every model comes with the cook dinner’s personal little twist in elements to make it their very own. Fortunately, you’ll find high quality frozen catfish and gained’t need to spend all day fishing on your personal. Except you need to, in fact. This fried catfish recipe begins with a buttermilk marinade, then the fish is coated with a seasoned cornmeal combination that makes it crispy on the surface but, tender and flaky on the within. Substances to make the perfect Southern Fried Catfish: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)
- Fish – 2 kilos of catfish fillets contemporary or if frozen, thawed.
- Marinade – Buttermilk whisked with scorching sauce and offers the fish a light taste and flaky texture.
- Salt – Salt to season the fish previous to putting into the marinade.
- Breading – Yellow advantageous cornmeal and all function flour type the bottom of the crispy coating.
- Seasonings – Seafood seasoning i.e. Outdated Bay or Seafood Magic, garlic salt, lemon pepper and cayenne pepper for a touch of spice. You may modify this in accordance with your style.
- Oil – Peanut oil or vegetable oil have excessive smoke factors larger than olive oil, for deep frying.
- Garnishes – Contemporary lemon wedges and parsley for garnishing.
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The right way to Make the Finest Fried Catfish Recipe
- Marinate the Catfish Fillets – In a 13×9-inch shallow dish, whisk collectively the buttermilk, scorching sauce and egg. Season the catfish fillets, frivolously with salt. Add catfish fillets in a single layer, turning to coat.
- Refrigerate – Cowl with plastic wrap and chill for not less than 4 hours OR in a single day.
- Put together Coating – Whisk collectively cornmeal, flour, seafood seasoning, garlic salt, lemon pepper and cayenne.
- Dredge the Catfish – Take away fillets from marinade, letting extra drip off. Dredge fillets on each side, urgent breading onto the fillets. Place onto a pan, repeating till all fillets are bread.
- Set the Breading – Chill to set whilst you warmth the oil.
- Warmth Oil and Fry – Warmth oil to 355-365°F. Gently decrease fillets into the recent oil, cooking per the recipe simply till golden. Catfish fillets are skinny and cook dinner shortly.
- Serve – Take away from scorching oil utilizing a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined sheet pan or platter to empty, then serve
Ideas for Making Crispy Fried Catfish
- Kitchen Tools You’ll Want: A shallow dish for soaking the fish fillets within the buttermilk marinade, a big forged iron skillet or Dutch oven, a deep-frying thermometer, measuring cups and spoons, a whisk, a fish spatula for turning and eradicating from the oil, a platter or a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. You possibly can additionally use a deep fryer.
- Frozen Catfish: When utilizing frozen catfish for this recipe, thaw the fillets per the bundle instructions and advice. Guarantee that your drain any extra liquid earlier than including them to the buttermilk marinade. It’s essential to make certain that it’s thawed safely previous to cooking it up on your subsequent barbecue.
- Regulate the Cooking Time: Catfish fillets are usually thinner than another kinds of fish. As a consequence of this, they cook dinner shortly. Search for golden not darkish brown shade and take a look at one piece to see if it flakes simply with a fork.
- Monitor the Oil Temperature: It’s essential to maintain the oil at a continuing temperature when frying. Additionally, the correct temperature prevents the cornmeal breading from absorbing an excessive amount of of the oil and changing into greasy. Watching it intently will lead to completely golden brown catfish.
The right way to Make Do-it-yourself Buttermilk
If you happen to don’t routinely have buttermilk in your fridge, you may make your personal. To every cup of entire milk add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white distilled vinegar. Let it stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Stir nicely, then proceed with the recipe.
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Recipe Variations
- Seafood Seasoning Substitutions: I exploit a seafood mix known as Seafood Magic that we actually take pleasure in, on this recipe. You possibly can use traditional Outdated Bay seasoning or any number of seafood seasoning that you simply take pleasure in in the identical quantity.
- Cajun Seasoning: You possibly can additionally adapt this recipe utilizing Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning. When doing so, contemplate the quantity of sodium within the seasoning and make changes to the quantity within the recipe, as wanted.
- Breading: You may swap out the cornmeal for self rising cornmeal and omit the all function flour and use self rising flour, as a substitute. For this recipe, the mix of cornmeal and flour works finest.
- Make Do-it-yourself Catfish Po’boy: This recipe is the one one you’ll ever have to make your personal po’boy! Costume it with remoulade, lettuce and tomato and any of your favourite fixings on a toasted hoagie roll.
Aspect Dishes to Serve with Southern Fried Catfish
There are such a lot of choices you’ll be able to serve alongside fried fish and seafood.
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Storage and Leftovers
- Storage: Catfish is finest fried and eaten whereas contemporary. That being stated, you would retailer leftovers in an hermetic container chilled within the fridge for as much as 2 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in a nonstick skillet on the stovetop over medium warmth, in a 325°F air fryer or on a sheet pan in a 350°F preheated oven simply till crispy and heated via.
- Freezer: Freeze leftovers for as much as 2 months. Thaw within the fridge and reheat simply earlier than serving.
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Extra Southern Fashion Fish and Seafood Recipes to Make
Seafood might be made simply at house there’s no have to go to a restaurant to benefit from the flavors of the ocean. Extra yummy seafood recipes you might wish to strive:
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Useful Kitchen Objects:
Fried Catfish
Servings: 4 servings (might fluctuate)
Energy: 608kcal
Stop your display from going darkish
- 2 cups buttermilk See Prepare dinner’s word
- 1 tsp scorching sauce
- 1 massive egg crushed
- 2 lbs catfish fillets if frozen, thawed
- salt
- 1 1/2 cups finely floor yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all function flour
- 2 tsp seafood seasoning i.e. Outdated Bay or Seafood Magic
- 1 tsp garlic salt OR 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp lemon pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper non-obligatory
- 4 cups peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying
- lemon wedges and Italian parsley for garnishing
In a 13×9-inch shallow dish, whisk collectively buttermilk, scorching sauce and egg. Season the catfish fillets, frivolously with salt. Add catfish fillets in a single layer, turning to coat. Cowl with plastic wrap and chill for not less than 4 hours OR in a single day.
Put together: Take away catfish from fridge, let stand in marinade whilst you put together the breading.
In the meantime, in a shallow bowl whisk collectively cornmeal, flour, seafood seasoning, garlic salt, lemon pepper and cayenne.
Take away fillets from marinade, letting extra drip off. Dredge fillets on each side, urgent breading onto the fillets. Have close by a pan, repeating till all fillets are bread. Chill to set whilst you warmth the oil. (You are able to do this as much as half-hour prematurely)
Fry: Warmth oil to 355-365°F. Gently decrease fillets into the recent oil, cooking for 2-3 minutes per facet or simply till golden. (Catfish fillets are skinny and cook dinner shortly) Take away from scorching oil utilizing a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined pan or platter.
Serve instantly with a facet of tartar sauce and lemon slices garnished with parsley.
- Seafood Seasoning: I exploit a seafood mix known as Seafood Magic that we actually take pleasure in, on this recipe. You possibly can use traditional Outdated Bay seasoning or any number of seafood seasoning that you simply take pleasure in in the identical quantity.
- Cajun Seasoning: You possibly can additionally adapt this recipe utilizing Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning. When doing so, contemplate the quantity of sodium within the seasoning and make changes to the quantity within the recipe, as wanted.
- Breading: You may swap out the cornmeal for self rising cornmeal and omit the all function flour and use self rising flour, as a substitute. For this recipe, the mix of cornmeal and flour works finest.
- Make Catfish Po’boy: This recipe is the one one you’ll ever have to make your personal po’boy! Costume it with remoulade, lettuce and tomato and any of your favourite fixings on a toasted hoagie roll.
Serving: 1serving | Energy: 608kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 44g | Fats: 39g | Saturated Fats: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 11g | Monounsaturated Fats: 16g | Trans Fats: 0.01g | Ldl cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 850mg | Potassium: 1025mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 462IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 2mg