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Herb's Fried Catfish (and Hushpuppies!)

Source of Recipe

From "Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen" by Trisha Yearwood


Recipe Introduction

"Growing up, I was lucky to have a catfish pond just down the hill on our farm. My daddy had created the pond from a natural spring when I was a little girl and stocked it with catfish and bream. We had many a wonderful fish fry with freshly caught catfish from our pond all through my childhood. Fresh fried fish served with Mama's Cornmeal Hushpuppies - you couldn't ask for a better meal! My only suggestion is that you let someone else dress the catfish. Yuck! You can make the hushpuppies in the same oil as the fish, but let it cool down to 250° F."

List of Ingredients

◦  6 pounds catfish fillets, cut into 2-inch strips
◦  3 Tbsp plus ½ teaspoon salt
◦  1 cup self-rising cornmeal
◦  1 cup cracker meal
◦  ½ tsp pepper
◦  4 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
◦  1½ gallons peanut oil


Recipe

In a large bowl, prepare a saltwater brine by combining 3 tablespoons salt with 2 quarts water. Add the fish and more water if needed to just cover the fish. Soak the fish in the brine for 30 minutes.

Mix the cornmeal, cracker meal, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning in a one-gallon plastic bag.

In a large (3-gallon) catfish cooker or deep Dutch oven, heat the oil to 350° F. Preheat the oven to 150° F.

Coat the fish by shaking a few pieces at a time in the plastic bag with the crumbs.

Drop 8 to 10 of the coated fish fillets into the hot oil. Cook until the coating is light brown; the fillets will cook quickly, in less than 5 minutes. Pieces will float to the top of the oil when they're done. Drain the cooked fish on paper towels and keep warm in the oven while you fry additional batches. Let the oil return to 350° F before adding and cooking more fish.


Serves 12


â—¦ Mama's Cornmeal Hushpuppies:

"You can't have fried catfish without hushpuppies! Sometimes I add a few more jalapeños to the mixture for a little extra jolt. There are several stories about how hushpuppies got their name. My favorite is the one where an old Southern cook was frying them one day and heard her dog howling nearby, so she gave him a plateful and said, 'Hush, puppy!' It might just be folklore, but I like it. The idea for adding jalapeños comes from Herb's sister, Patty."

â—¦ 2 cups self-rising cornmeal
â—¦ 1 large jalapeño, seeded and chopped fine
â—¦ ¾ cup finely chopped onion
â—¦ 2 cups buttermilk
â—¦ 8 cups peanut oil, for frying

In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, jalapeño, and onion. Add enough of the buttermilk to make a stiff batter. You may not need the whole 2 cups.

Heat the peanut oil to 250° F. (If you are making these to serve with fried catfish, just let the oil cool until it reaches 250° F).

Drop the batter into the hot oil by teaspoonfuls. The hushpuppies will turn over in the oil as they cook. They are done when they are brown all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Keep the hushpuppies warm while you fry the remaining batter. Serve hot.

Makes 48


Kitchen Notes:
â—¦ If you can't find self-rising cornmeal, substitute 2 cups cornmeal plus 3 teaspoons baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt.