Delicious Catfish Classique Recipe 455

DELICIOUS CATFISH CLASSIQUE RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F. Place 1 cup flour in a shallow dish or bowl. Combine cornmeal, 2 tablespoons flour, and pepper in a second shallow dish, stirring well with a whisk. Combine buttermilk and egg in a third shallow bowl or dish, stirring well with a whisk. Heat oil to 385°F in a Dutch oven. Sprinkle both sides of fillets with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Dredge 2 fillets in flour. Dip in buttermilk mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture. Fry breaded fillets for 5 minutes or until golden brown and fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Place fried fillets on a wire rack in a jelly-roll pan, and keep warm in a 250°F oven. Repeat procedure with remaining fillets, flour, buttermilk mixture, and cornmeal mixture. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add butter to drippings in pan. Add shrimp; sauté 3 to 5 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp from pan; keep warm. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, broth, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; bring to a simmer. Cook 3 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently. Place 1 catfish fillet on each of 6 plates; top each serving with about 1/3 cup sauce, 3 shrimp, 2 teaspoons green onions, and crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED CATFISH

Steps:

• Stir together the milk and 1 heaping tablespoon of the House Seasoning. Pour the milk mixture into a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the filets. Spread the filets in an even layer in the dish, turning to coat each side. Let marinate for about 1 hour in a cool place or the refrigerator.
• Pour enough oil into a large Dutch oven to come 2 inches up the side. Clip a deep-fry thermometer to the pot and heat over medium-high heat until the thermometer reaches 370 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, stir together the cornmeal, flour and remaining 1 heaping tablespoon House Seasoning in a paper bag. Working with a few filets at a time, remove them from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Place them in the paper bag and gently turn the bag over several times until the filets are evenly coated with the cornmeal mixture. Remove the filets and place them on a baking sheet while you repeat the process with the remaining filets.
• Working in batches, fry the filets until golden brown and crisp on the outside and moist and flaky inside, adjusting the heat to maintain temperature, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a clean wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to drain. Serve the filets with lemon wedges.
• Stir together the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

CAJUN CATFISH SUPREME

Steps:

• Sprinkle catfish strips with blackened fish seasoning. Spread catfish with mayonnaise. Place in a shallow dish, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons butter until it begins to sizzle. Sear the fish strips until golden, turning once. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish, and arrange fish in a single layer.
• In the same skillet, heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Cook and stir mushrooms in butter until golden. Stir in parsley, green onions, and shrimp. Reduce heat to low, and cook until shrimp are pink and tender. Stir in cream of shrimp soup, and blend well. Ladle soup mixture over fish in baking dish.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

ZESTY BAKED CATFISH

Steps:

• Combine oil and lemon juice; brush over both sides of fillets. Combine the remaining ingredients; rub over both sides of fillets. Place in an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan., Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

CRUSTY CATFISH DELIGHT

Steps:

• Preheat oven (375 F, 200 C).
• Cut tomatoes into small pieces. Place in an oven-proofed casserole.
• Add orzo pasta, sugar, chopped herb leaves, water and salt to taste. Mix well.
• Put fish filet on this bed of tomatoes and orzo pasta. Drizzle the lime juice over fishfilets and mixture. Salt the fish filet to taste.
• Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan and olive oil in small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture over the fish filets.
• Put into oven and bake for 20 minutes until cooked and crust is lightly brown.
• Take out and serve with green salad.
• NOTE: You can replace the catfish filet by other fresh or frozen fish filet. Choose the fish you like best.
• NOTE: The orzo pasta is not pre-cooked in this recipe. I like it that way, because the pasta will remain more "al dente".

FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Whisk 3 tablespoons salt, hot pepper sauce, and 8 cups hot water in a large bowl until salt dissolves. Chill in freezer until cold, about 30 minutes. Place catfish in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 3 hours.
• Whisk cornmeal, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Attach deep-fry thermometer to the side of a 10" cast-iron skillet or other large heavy skillet. Add oil to come a little less than halfway up side of skillet. Heat over medium heat until thermometer reads 335°F.
• Rinse catfish; pat dry. Dredge catfish in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess. Working with 2 fillets at a time, fry catfish, turning halfway through, until golden brown and crispy, 10-12 minutes per batch. Transfer fish to paper towels to drain.

DOLLY PARTON'S PAN-FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Wash the catfish fillets in cold water and pat dry.
• Melt enough lard or shortening in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat to reach 3/4-inch deep.
• While the lard/shortening is melting, pour the cornmeal into a large, shallow plate or dish.
• Season both sides of the catfish fillets (remember to pat them dry, first) with salt and pepper, then dredge them in the cornmeal and shake off any excess.
• When the melted fat is hot but not smoking, carefully slide the fillets into the pan (careful not to splatter, and don't crowd the pan because you want the fish to fry and not steam). Fry the fish in batches if necessary.
• Fry the fillets about 4 minutes per side, until crisp and golden brown.
• Put paper towels on a platter and transfer the fried fillets to the platter with a slotted spatula or spoon.
• Serve with lemon wedges and your favorite catfish sauce (tartar, cocktail, etc). Make sure to have plenty of napkins, hush puppies, corn on the cob, and coleslaw, too!
• Makes 6 servings.