Deep Fryed Panfish Recipes

PAN FRIED FISH

Steps:

• Heat a heavy pan over medium high heat.
• Season fish on meat side with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge fish in flour and shake off excess. When pan is good and hot, add Canola oil followed immediately by 1 tablespoon butter. As soon as foaming subsides, place fish in pan with the skin side down. Jiggle pan for the first 10 seconds to keep the fish from sticking. Cook until golden crust forms on meat. Carefully turn fish away from you and again jiggle pan for the first few seconds. Cook until skin turns golden brown. Remove to a warm plate.
• Pour out the cooking fat, add remaining butter and quickly fry the capers. Remove pan from the heat, add lemon juice to pan and swirl. Pour sauce over the fish and serve.

GOLDEN PAN-FRIED FISH

Steps:

• Cut fish into 4x1 1/4-inch rectangular Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine next 5 ingredients in large bowl.
• Whisk egg whites and ale in medium bowl. Add fish to ale mixture and turn to coat; shake off excess, then turn fish in panko mixture to coat all sides. Place on plate.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of fish sticks. Cook until golden and just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining fish sticks, adding more oil to skillet as necessary. Transfer fish to paper towels; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with tartar sauce.
• Available in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets.

CRISPY FRIED FISH

Steps:

• In shallow dish, mix flour and seasoned salt. In medium bowl, beat eggs and beer with whisk. Place bread crumbs in large resealable food-storage plastic bag.
• In electric skillet or deep fryer, heat about 2 inches oil to 350°F. Coat both sides of fish fillets with flour mixture, then dip in beer mixture, letting excess drip back into bowl. Place 1 or 2 pieces of fish at a time in plastic bag with bread crumbs; seal bag and shake to coat completely.
• Fry fish in batches in hot oil about 4 minutes, turning once, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

FRIED BLUEGILL FILLETS

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, whisk eggs. Dip fillets in eggs, then coat with crumb mixture. Dip again in eggs and crumb mixture., In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook fillets in batches in 2 tablespoons oil for 2-3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork, adding oil as needed.

DEEP FRIED FISH

Steps:

• Half-fill a deep pan with melted fat or oil. Heat until a faint haze rises from it (or until a bread cube sinks to the bottom of the pan, rises to the top immediately and turns golden in 50 seconds).
• Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
• Beat to a smooth batter, unbeaten egg, butter and milk. Then add the flour and salt mixture.
• Coat 2 pieces of fish with batter.
• Lift into the pan with a fork or kitchen tongs.
• Fry until crisp and golden, allowing about 6-8 minutes for large pieces and 4-5 minutes for medium.
• Remove from the pan and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
• Repeat with the remaining fish.
• Garnish with lemon wedges.

PAN FRIED FISH

Steps:

• Heat a heavy pan over medium high heat.
• Season fish on meat side with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge fish in flour and shake off excess. When pan is good and hot, add Canola oil followed immediately by 1 tablespoon butter. As soon as foaming subsides, place fish in pan with the skin side down. Jiggle pan for the first 10 seconds to keep the fish from sticking. Cook until golden crust forms on meat. Carefully turn fish away from you and again jiggle pan for the first few seconds. Cook until skin turns golden brown. Remove to a warm plate.
• Pour out the cooking fat, add remaining butter and quickly fry the capers. Remove pan from the heat, add lemon juice to pan and swirl. Pour sauce over the fish and serve.

DEEP FRIED BLUEGILL OR CRAPPIE

Steps:

• Put milk, egg, salt and pepper in blender, turn on low speed to combine. Slowly add flour and blend until batter is smooth. Pour batter into a bowl. Combine cracker and corn flake crumbs in a separate bowl. Rinse fillets in cold water, drain, pat dry with paper towels. Dip fillets in batter, coat with crumbs. Deep fry at 370-375 degrees until fillets are floating and golden brown (3 or 4 minutes). Do not over load deep fryer. Turn fillets a couple of times as they rise to the top. Remove to a rack to drain. Place on paper towels in a single layer.

PAT'S SOUTHERN-FRIED PANFISH

Steps:

• Allow the fillets to marinade in salt water (use all the quart of water except for 4 tablespoons), using the table salt, for 3 hours in the refrigerator.
• After marination, pat the fillets very dry with paper towels. Pour one cup of the flour into a small paper bag and drop in the fillets, one at a time, and coat them lightly, shaking off any excess flour. Reserve this flour for later use. Lay the fillets out on a piece of wax paper and allow them to sit for 20 minutes.
• In a large skillet, heat the shortening until a few small drops of water crackle loudy in it.
• Using a fork or whisk, beat the eggs and the 4 tablespoons of water together in a medium-sized bowl for at least 20 seconds and set aside. This will be your "drench".
• Mix together the flour from the bag, all remaining flour (1 cup), the kosher salt, the corn meal and the white pepper on a platter. This will be your "dredge".
• Prepare one fillet at a time for frying by first dipping it in the egg "drench". Allow most of this to drip off and then dredge it in the flour mix on both sides. Shake very lightly to remove any notable hunks of flour and corn meal.
• Carefully lay each fillet into the very hot shortening. If it does not begin to fry immediately, your shortening is not hot enough! Do not crowd the fillets in the skillet -- do as many batches as necessary to accommodate this.
• Allow each fillet to fry until lightly browned on the first side and then carefully turn it to the other side. When each fillet is lightly browned on both sides (about 7-10 minutes total), the fish is done. It should be very white and flakey in the thickest part of the fillet.
• Serve with ketchup and/or tartar sauce as an entree, or, on sandwiches.