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Crispy Speckled Trout + Tartar Sauce

Source of Recipe

From "Southern Living: A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen"


Recipe Introduction

"There's no better way to kill an afternoon than on a boat in the flats of Louisiana wrangling in 'spec' after 'spec,' the sportsman's nickname for this species, while staying hydrated with a cooler full of cold Army pops, aka cold beers. Fortunately specs are abundant throughout the state, allowing the daily catch limits per person to reach a level that calls out for a large fish fry later in the evening. That being said, I must preach conservation. Be a responsible sportsman, and gentleman, for that matter, always carry a license, and ensure that your limits and catch sizes are in line with the state's rules and regulations. After cleaning and filleting these little guys on the dock, I go with a simple beer-mustard wet wash, followed by a dip in a crispy cornmeal batter prior to hitting the hot oil. I pair up the crispy fried fish with my deliciously creamy tartar sauce. Great fun and great food shared with even better friends — that's my idea of happiness."

List of Ingredients

◦  5 pounds speckled trout fillets
◦  1 cup Creole mustard *
◦  ½ cup amber beer
◦  ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
◦  2 cups plain yellow cornmeal
◦  1 cup all-purpose flour
◦  2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
◦  1 teaspoon ground red pepper
◦  Peanut oil
◦  Tartar sauce (recipe follows)

* Yellow mustard may be substituted


Recipe

Preheat oven to 200° F.
Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well. Stir together cornmeal and next three ingredients in a shallow dish until blended.

Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat; add oil to depth of 2 inches. Heat oil to 350° F.
Remove fish from mustard mixture, allowing excess to drip off; dredge in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess.

Fry fish, in batches of three or four, for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack in a jellyroll pan, and keep warm in a 200° F oven. Serve with Tartar Sauce.


Serves 10



Tartar Sauce:

◦  1 cup mayonnaise
◦  ¼ cup finely chopped dill pickles
◦  2 tablespoons grated Vidalia or sweet onion
◦  3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
◦  1 teaspoon hot sauce


Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl.
Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Makes 1 cup