Southern Fried Fish Fillets Recipes

SOUTHERN FRIED FISH

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the rice flour, Creole seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder smoked paprika and yellow cornmeal, and whisk together until evenly mixed. Add the seasoned cornmeal to a large piece of wax paper.
• Heat the oil in a large, deep cast-iron skillet until at least 325 degrees F (or add a few drops of cornmeal and if it sizzles, it's ready to start frying).
• Rinse off the fish fillets and place in a large baking dish. Shake a few drops of hot sauce on both sides of 2 of the fish fillets, then coat both sides with the seasoned cornmeal. Fry the coated fillets in the hot oil, without turning, until the edges turn brown, about 4 minutes. Flip over and fry about another 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel or wire rack. Repeat the coating and frying with the remaining 2 fillets.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, water, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture into a flat pan large enough to hold the fillets. Spread fish in one layer over bottom of pan, turning to coat each side, and set aside to marinate.
• In a 2 gallon resealable plastic bag, combine the cornmeal, flour, and seafood seasoning. Add fish to mixture, a few fillets at a time, and tumble gently to coat evenly.
• Heat oil in deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
• Deep fry fillets until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Avoid overcrowding so fillets have room to brown properly. Fish should be slightly crisp outside, and moist and flaky inside. Drain on paper towels.

SOUTHERN-STYLE OVEN-FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a 13x9 glass baking dish with the oil, and set aside.
• Rinse the catfish fillets, and pat dry. In a shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, creole seasoning, paprika, sugar, and black pepper. Combine the eggs and hot sauce or water in a another bowl. Dip the fillets in the egg mixture, dredge in the cornmeal mixture, and arrange in the baking pan.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown. Turn once during cooking. Place catfish on a paper-towel lined plate, and serve immediately with additional hot sauce.

SOUTHERN FRIED FISH WITH CREAMY REMOULADE COLESLAW

Steps:

• For the coleslaw: Stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, vinegar, hot sauce, ketchup, celery seed, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the coleslaw mix and scallions until evenly coated; taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to serve (the coleslaw will soften and develop even more flavor the longer it sits).
• For the southern fried fish: Heat 1 inch of oil in a large cast-iron skillet, large Dutch oven or large high-sided skillet over medium heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees F (a pinch of flour should immediately sizzle once it hits the hot oil). Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.
• Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, Cajun seasoning, a pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper in a shallow baking dish or bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper in a second shallow baking dish or bowl.
• Coat 1 fillet in the flour mixture, then dip in the buttermilk mixture and shake off any excess. Firmly press again into the flour mixture, then set aside. Repeat with the remaining 3 fillets.
• Carefully slide the coated fish into the hot oil and cook until golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on the prepared wire rack and season immediately with a pinch of salt. Serve warm with the coleslaw on the side.

HOMESTYLE FRIED FISH FILLETS

Steps:

• Beat egg and milk together until blended.
• Add seasme seeds if desired to mixture.
• Heat shortening in 10' pan.
• Dip fillets into milk mixture, then in mixture of flour and salt.
• Fry into hot shortening until golden brown.

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.