Indulge in the Southern charm of buttermilk and cornmeal-crusted catfish, a culinary symphony of crispy, flaky fish enveloped in a golden-brown coating. This delectable dish, a staple in Southern cuisine, promises an explosion of flavors and textures that will tantalize your taste buds. Dive into the secrets of preparing this classic dish, with our carefully curated recipes that cater to every palate. From traditional Southern-style catfish to variations that incorporate unique spices and herbs, our collection offers a journey through the diverse culinary landscape of catfish.
Let's cook with our recipes!
CRISPY SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH
Simple is best, and this Southern Fried Catfish is no exception. The easy dinner recipe only requires a handful of pantry staples and it's ready about 20 minutes!!!
Provided by Blair Lonergan
Categories Dinner
Time 20m
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Combine cornmeal, seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow dish.
- Pour milk into a separate dish.
- Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Dip a catfish fillet in the milk, and shake off any excess.
- Transfer milk-soaked fish to the cornmeal mixture and gently roll to coat on both sides.
- Repeat with remaining fillets.
- Place fish in the hot skillet and cook until golden brown on each side (about 5-7 minutes per side). The fish will flake easily with a fork when it's done.
- Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook the fish in batches. Don't overcrowd the skillet! Feel free to wipe out the pan and use additional butter/oil, as necessary, for subsequent batches.
- Drain fish on paper towels.
- Serve warm, garnished with chopped fresh parsley and a lemon wedge, if desired.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 (4 ounce) fillet, Calories 222 kcal, Carbohydrate 5.9 g, Protein 14.7 g, Fat 15.8 g, SaturatedFat 4.1 g, Cholesterol 36.7 mg, Sodium 659.3 mg, Fiber 0.6 g, Sugar 0.1 g
CLASSIC FRIED CATFISH
Skip the restaurants, and make your own fried catfish at home.
Provided by Southern Living Editors
Time 8h25m
Yield Makes 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce.
- Place catfish in a single layer in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish; pour buttermilk mixture over fish. Cover and chill 8 hours, turning once.
- Combine cornmeal and next 6 ingredients in a shallow dish.
- Let fish stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Remove from buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge fish in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess.
- Pour oil to depth of 2 inches into a large, deep cast-iron or heavy-duty skillet; heat to 360°F.
- Fry fish, in batches, 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack on a paper towel-lined jelly-roll pan. Keep warm in a 225°F oven until ready to serve.
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1427.2 calories, Carbohydrate 131.6 g, Cholesterol 145 mg, Fat 78.6 g, Fiber 6 g, Protein 45.7 g, SaturatedFat 13.2 g, Sodium 799.9 mg, Sugar 5.9 g
BUTTERMILK PAN FRIED CATFISH
Enjoy an easy and delicious southern fish fry for dinner with this pan fried catfish recipe.
Provided by foodnessgracious
Categories Main Course
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Place the catfish in a glass dish or deep pan.
- In a bowl whisk together the buttermilk, salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning.
- Pour the buttermilk over the catfish. Cover and let rest in the fridge.
- Place the cornmeal on a baking sheet.
- In a large pan, add about 1 inch of canola oil and heat until the oil sizzles when you drop a sprinkle of cornmeal into it.
- Lift out the fish filets one by one and let the excess buttermilk drip off.
- Dredge each catfish filet in the cornmeal and then gently place it into the pan with the hot oil. You may have to do this more than once as you don't want to crowd the pan.
- Pan fry the catfish on one side for about 3-4 minutes in the hot oil and then flip it over.
- Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the fish filets are firm and opaque when broken with a fork.
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 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.
FRIED CATFISH
A buttermilk brine and cornmeal coating yield crisp fried catfish. Serve with lemon and hot sauce, or pile on a hoagie roll with shredded iceberg lettuce and tartar sauce. This recipe also works well with tilapia.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Seafood Recipes
Time 2h20m
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Pat fish dry; transfer to a pie dish or other wide, shallow dish. Season generously with salt andpepper. Add buttermilk, turning and arranging fish strips to fully submerge. Let stand 2 hours, or refrigerate, loosely covered, up to 8 hours.
- In another pie dish, season cornmeal with salt and pepper. Working one at a time, lift fishstrips from buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off, and dredge in cornmeal mixture, turning toevenly coat. Gently shake off any excess; transfer to a wire rack.
- Pour enough oil into a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (preferably cast iron) to come 1/4 inchup sides (about 3/4 cup); heat over medium-high. When oil shimmers and a bit of cornmeal sizzles when dropped in, add fish in a single layer (do not crowd pan; fry in batches if necessary). Cook, undisturbed, until fish is golden brown on bottoms and lifts easily from skillet, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until golden on bottoms and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a clean wire rack, season with salt, and let cool 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges and hot sauce, or one of the fish sauces.
BUTTERMILK BATTERED CATFISH
Southern fried catfish. This is a tribute to a great Southern fried catfish. You won't be able to resist this recipe! This recipe is from Drick's Rambling Café.
Provided by Pat Duran
Categories Fish
Time 45m
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- 1. Whisk together buttermilk, cider vinegar and mustard in a wide bowl. Add fish fillets,coating well in mixture. Let set for 30 minutes.
- 2. Mix together remaining ingredients in a shallow pan. Remove fish one piece at a time from the buttermilk mixture and then coat both sides of the fillets in the cornmeal mixture. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the fried fillets to a paper towel lined platter to drain until ready to serve.
Tips:
- Choose the right catfish: Look for firm, opaque fillets with no signs of bruising or discoloration.
- Soak the catfish in buttermilk: This helps to tenderize the fish and gives it a slightly tangy flavor.
- Use a good quality cornmeal: Stone-ground cornmeal will give your catfish a more rustic flavor and texture.
- Season the cornmeal mixture well: Use a variety of spices to create a flavorful coating for the catfish.
- Fry the catfish in hot oil: This will help to create a crispy crust and prevent the fish from sticking to the pan.
- Serve the catfish with your favorite sides: Some popular options include hush puppies, coleslaw, and tartar sauce.
Conclusion:
Buttermilk and cornmeal pan-fried catfish is a classic Southern dish that is easy to make and always a hit with crowds. With its crispy crust, tender flesh, and flavorful coating, this dish is sure to become a favorite in your household. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy meal, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!
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