Catfish Ain't Got Nuthin' on Me!
Blue Ribbon Recipe
Notes from the Test Kitchen:
Travel anywhere in the South and you'll see fried catfish on the menu. It's a southern staple. While this may not be a true southern style catfish, it's mighty tasty! The catfish comes out nice and crisp. We loved the sweet and spicy flavor. These little guys were gobbled up quickly in the Test Kitchen.
Travel anywhere in the South and you'll see fried catfish on the menu. It's a southern staple. While this may not be a true southern style catfish, it's mighty tasty! The catfish comes out nice and crisp. We loved the sweet and spicy flavor. These little guys were gobbled up quickly in the Test Kitchen.
Ingredients
- 2 lb
- fresh catfish cut into about 2 inch bits
- 1/2 c
- honey, clover is sweet
- 1 c
- canola or safflower oil
- 2 c
- all-purpose flour, good old white enriched
- 1/2 tsp
- each: baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper
- 2
- eggs beaten in a bowl
- 1
- bottle of your favorite hot sauce
How to Make Catfish Ain't Got Nuthin' on Me!
- 1Cut your catfish into about 2-inch chunks.
- 2Beat two eggs in a bowl. Then into a second larger bowl, pour in flour, baking powder, and seasonings. If you like it REAL spicy add way more cayenne. I add a little and let people season on their plates for hotter. Once you over spice you can't undo it. An alternative: I do is get a premade Cajun fish mix and use that instead of my own. But I follow up at the end with a little of my own. I like mine spicy!
- 3Dip the catfish into the egg mixture and then into the flour mixture.
- 4Take a large frying pan and heat on a medium low heat safflower or canola oil, you do NOT WANT TO DROWN your pieces like in a deep fry.
- 5Add the catfish and saute until cooked. Shake some hot sauce on top while in the hot oil. Fry the pieces on the first side until crispy but not blackened, then turn. Keep turning the pieces so they dont burn until you have a medium brown crust.
- 6Just before the catfish is completely cooked, drizzle the honey over the pieces in the hot pan and oil. You smell that sweetness rise up. Turn the pieces and drizzle again so both sides are coated. Don't need much time for this and you don't want to burn it.
- 7Then remove the catfish pieces and drain off.
- 8Place on a serving platter or plates and drizzle just a bit more over the top with honey and a hit of hot sauce to boot. Serve with rice or chili and a hot cornbread. Serve with a dish of honey and bottle of hot sauce on the table! Delish!
