Southern Fried Bass Fillets Recipes

FRIED BASS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk eggs and water together in a bowl; set the egg wash aside.
• Sprinkle the bass fillets on both sides with Cajun seasoning and lemon pepper. Dredge the fillets in flour, and shake off any excess. Dip the fillets in the egg wash, then dip fillets in the crushed potato chips.
• Fry the fish in the preheated skillet until lightly browned, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with lemon wedges.

FRESH FRIED LARGEMOUTH BASS

Steps:

• Place bass in a bowl. Add salt and cover with water. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes to draw out all blood. Rinse bass thoroughly to remove salt. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place cornmeal, flour, seasoned salt, paprika, and pepper in a gallon-sized plastic bag. Zip and shake until evenly combined.
• Drop 2 pieces of bass into the bag, zip, and shake to coat. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining bass.
• Fry bass in the preheated deep fryer for 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately.

PAN FRIED LARGEMOUTH BASS WITH LEMON GARLIC HERB BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Heat a saute pan on top of the grill. When the pan is hot add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat. Dredge the bass fillets in the flour and shake off any excess. Place the fillets in the pan and pan fry about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove the fish from the pan. Add the rest of the butter to the pan and melt. When the butter is hot, add the sliced garlic. Fry the garlic until it just begins to turn light golden brown. Add the herbs and remove from the heat. Carefully, add the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, place a fillet on a plate and spoon some of the lemon garlic herb butter over the fish.

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.

GARY'S FRIED FRESH BASS

Steps:

• Place cleaned & deboned bass fillets (preferably small-mouth bass - but works with large-mouth & bluegill fillets too -- ) in a large zip-lock bag.
• Cover with milk and seal bag. Refrigerate overnight.
• Next day, dry fillets on paper towels. Season both sides with Paprika, salt & pepper (to taste).
• Coat each fillet with Wondra Flour.
• Meanwhile, preheat Crisco in iron skillet on medium-high heat.
• Fry fillets in 1/2" of melted & hot Crisco on medium-high heat. For about 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
• Drain on paper towels when done.

PAN-FRIED STRIPED BASS WITH LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sauce, whisk together: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper.
• Taste for salt and lemon juice and adjust as desired. The sauce will separate as it sits; this is not a problem.
• Season: 4 pieces striped bass, skin on (4 to 6 ounces each) with: Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper.
• Choose a heavy-bottomed pan for frying the fish. Take another, slightly smaller pan that will fit into the pan for the fish, and wrap its bottom with foil. This pan will be used as a weight to hold the fish flat against the frying pan to ensure that all of the skin will cook and crisp. (You will see the fish contract when it goes into the hot pan, as the skin shrinks on contact with the heat.) Warm the larger pan over medium-high heat. When hot, pour in: Olive oil, enough to generously coat the bottom.
• Add the pieces of bass, skin side down, and place the foil-wrapped pan on top of the fish. Cook until the skin is brown and crispy, about 7 minutes. Check now and then to see that the fish is indeed browning, but not overbrowning. Adjust the heat up or down to speed up or slow down the cooking as needed. When the skin is browned, remove the top pan and turn the fish. Cook for another minute or so, until the fish is just cooked through, but is still moist and tender inside. Meanwhile whisk the lemon sauce together again and pour it onto a warm plate. Serve the fish skin side up, on top of the sauce.
• Garnish the fish with a couple spoonfuls of chopped tender herbs such as parsley, chives, chervil, cilantro, or basil.
• Soak, rinse, and squeeze dry a tablespoon or so of capers. When the fish is cooked add the capers to the hot pan and sauté for a minute or two. Remove with a slotted spoon and scatter over the fish.
• Make a Beurre Blanc (Warm Butter Sauce; page 228) instead of the olive oil sauce.