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Southern fried catfish
Cornmeal-crusted catfish fillets from the Mississippi Delta
AmericanFried catfish is the Friday night fish-fry and Delta church supper of Mississippi and Arkansas, where much of America's catfish is farmed. Fillets are soaked in seasoned milk or buttermilk, rolled in cornmeal and fried until the crust crackles and the mild, sweet fish inside flakes apart. Serve with hushpuppies, slaw and lemon. Chef's tip: cut thick fillets in half lengthways so they cook in the same time as the crust browns.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb catfish fillets (or tilapia)cut into strips
- 1 cup milk or buttermilk
- 1 tbsp hot pepper sauce
- 5 ½ oz fine cornmeal
- 1 ⅜ oz plain flour
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor frying
- 1 lemoncut into wedges
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak the 1 ½ lb catfish fillets (or tilapia) in the 1 cup milk or buttermilk and 1 tbsp hot pepper sauce in the fridge for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 2: Mix the 5 ½ oz fine cornmeal, 1 ⅜ oz plain flour, 1 ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp cayenne pepper and ½ tsp garlic powder.
2 minStep 3: Heat 5 cm of 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a heavy pot to 350°F.
8 minStep 4: Lift the fish from the milk, let it drip, and press into the cornmeal on all sides.
5 minStep 5: Fry in batches for 4–5 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and the fish is opaque and flakes easily in the thickest part. A common mistake is crowding the pot, which gives a soggy crust.
12 minStep 6: Drain on a rack and serve hot with 1 lemon.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does southern fried catfish take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of milk or buttermilk?
- Milk with lemon juice or white vinegar: 1 tbsp per 240ml (1 cup) milk, left for 5 minutes.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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