Fish Camp Style Fried Catfish
Ingredients
For the fish:
- 2 lbs catfish fillets
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
Seasoned coating:
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
For frying:
- Vegetable or peanut oil
To serve:
- Lemon wedges
- Coleslaw
- French fries
- Tartar sauce or hot sauce
Instructions
- Marinate the fish
- In a bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce.
- Add catfish fillets and let soak for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the coating
- In a shallow dish, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.
- Coat the fish
- Remove fillets from the buttermilk mixture.
- Dredge each piece thoroughly in the seasoned cornmeal mixture, pressing gently so the coating sticks.
- Heat the oil
- Heat 2–3 inches of oil in a deep skillet or fryer to 350°F (175°C).
- Fry
- Fry the catfish in batches for 4–6 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy.
- Drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
- Serve
- Serve hot with fries, coleslaw, lemon wedges, and your favorite dipping sauce.
Tip: For extra-crispy fish camp style catfish, let the coated fillets rest for 10 minutes before frying. This helps the crust adhere and crisp up beautifully. 🐟🍋🍟