Golden Fried Catfish
This is the kind of catfish that brings everybody to the table on a Sunday afternoon — crispy on the outside, tender and flaky on the inside. A real Sunday dinner staple that folks look forward to all week long.
Cooking tutorial
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh catfish fillets
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp seasoned salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- vegetable oil for frying (about 2 quarts)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1
Pat your catfish fillets dry with paper towels — moisture is the enemy of crispiness. Mix your cornmeal, flour, seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk.
- 2
Heat your oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven to 350 degrees. You'll know it's ready when a little piece of cornmeal sizzles right when it hits the oil.
- 3
Take each fillet, dip it in the buttermilk mixture, then coat it real good in that cornmeal mixture. Make sure it's covered all over — that's where the crispiness comes from.
- 4
Carefully lay each coated fillet into the hot oil. Don't crowd the pan — you want room for the oil to do its work. Fry for about 4 to 5 minutes per side until they're golden brown and the fish flakes easily with a fork.
- 5
Use a slotted spoon to pull them out and lay them on a paper towel to drain. Give them a light sprinkle of salt and pepper right out of the pan while they're still hot.
Pro Tips
- ★Don't skip patting the fish dry — wet fish won't get that beautiful golden crust. And keep your oil temperature steady — too cool and you get soggy catfish, too hot and it burns before the inside cooks through.
- ★Make sure you're using fresh catfish fillets, not frozen ones that haven't thawed properly. Fresh fish makes all the difference in the world.