Fried Catfish
Recipe Idea: Fried Catfish
Hi. Don here. August is National Catfish Month in the United States. I don’t know who decides these things, but I saw it on the internet so it must be true 😉 I got it in my head to make me some Fried Catfish.
So off I went to the store in search of catfish filets. You’d think in a small town in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia that would be an easy task. But I didn’t find catfish filets until the third stop.
The coating on this Fried Catfish is a universal one. You can use it for chicken, veal, or fish. Change the spices in the flour or bread crumb mixture to suit your taste. The recipe’s ingredients list doesn’t give portions for all the ingredients. Just have them on hand and check the directions to see the amounts.
- 2 catfish filets about ¼ to 1/3 lb each
- 3 T Canola oil
- 1 c Flour
- Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 c Liquid egg substitute ( I prefer to use egg substitute because it seems to be stickier. But you can use two beaten eggs instead.)
- 1/2 c finely crushed bread crumbs (the prepared ones from the grocery store are best)
- 1/4 c grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
- Place a heavy skillet over medium high heat with enough canola oil to cover the bottom.
- While the oil heats, arrange three dishes large enough to hold one catfish filet side-by-side.
- Starting with the first dish farthest from the skillet, add enough flour to coat both sides of the two fillets (I use about a cup).
- Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and mix to combine.
- In the next dish pour in enough liquid egg to cover the bottom about ¼ inch deep.
- The third dish then has the bread crumbs and grated cheese mixed.
- It should be about ½ in deep.
- When the oil is hot, coat one filet on both sides with the flour and gently shake off the excess.
- Then dip both sides in the egg and coat both sides.
- Finally, place the filet in the bread crumb mixture and press down.
- Turn it over and do the same.
- The trick to having the coating stick is the gently pressing of the fish into the bread crumbs and cheese.
- Slide the catfish filet into the oil and repeat the process with the other filet.
- Fry them on one side until golden brown (about 3 minutes with my stove/skillet combination).
- Then turn them over to brown the other side.
- Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the filet.
- If you are cooking more filets than the skillet can hold, keep them warm in a 200F oven on an oven proof serving platter with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
- You may have to add oil to skillet as you continue to cook more fish.
- To serve, you can sprinkle the fillets with chopped fresh parsley and garnish the plate with a lemon wedge for squeezing. [br][url href=”https://recipeideashop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/RIS_LOGO-22-e1436274250987.jpg”][img src=”https://recipeideashop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/RIS_LOGO-22-e1436274250987.jpg” width=”300″ height=”62″ class=”alignleft size-full” title=”RIS_LOGO-2″ alt=”logo”][/url]
Fried Catfish Nutrition Label. Each serving is about 4 ounces of fish.