Mississippi-style cornmeal fried catfish

Ingredients

• 800 g fresh American catfish fillets
• 250 ml whole buttermilk
• 1 tbsp Louisiana-style cayenne pepper hot sauce
• 180 g medium yellow cornmeal
• 60 g all-purpose flour T55
• 1 tbsp ground sweet paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp fine table salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1000 ml refined peanut oil for frying
• 1 piece fresh untreated lemon
• 120 g traditional store-bought tartar sauce with capers and pickles

Method

1. Rinse the catfish fillets under cold running water and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels. Cut them into large, even pieces to ensure uniform cooking.
2. Pour the buttermilk and hot sauce into a shallow dish. Add the catfish pieces to the marinade, turning to coat all sides evenly, then let rest at room temperature while heating the oil.
3. In a wide shallow dish, thoroughly whisk together the yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, fine salt, and black pepper to create a uniform dredge.
4. Fill a Dutch oven or deep skillet with peanut oil and heat over medium heat until it reaches 180 °C. The oil should sizzle immediately when a pinch of cornmeal is dropped into it.
5. Lift the catfish pieces from the buttermilk marinade, letting the excess liquid drip off, then dredge them in the cornmeal mixture, pressing gently with your palm so the coating adheres. Shake off any excess.
6. Lower the breaded pieces into the hot oil in small batches to prevent the oil temperature from dropping. Fry for about 5 to 6 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the crust is a deep golden brown and the bubbling subsides slightly.
7. Remove the golden pieces using a slotted spoon or spider and transfer them to a raised wire rack to let steam escape without softening the crust. Season with a light sprinkle of fine salt while still sizzling hot.
8. Cut the lemon into wedges. Serve the piping hot, crispy fish immediately alongside the lemon wedges and tartar sauce.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

546.5 kcal

Protein

41.66 g

Carbohydrate

31.08 g

Fat

29.01 g

Fibre

3.85 g

Calcium

31.71 mg

Iron

1.01 mg

Magnesium

19.1 mg