Tennessee Fried Catfish Recipes

TENNESSEE FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• If catfish are frozen, thaw them in a bowl of milk.
• When thawed pat dry and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour cornmeal into a paper bag and drop the catfish one piece at a time into the bag. Shake the bag to completely coat the catfish.
• Fry in a deep frying pan until golden brown.
• Drain well and serve hot.

PAN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Rinse the fillets and pat them dry with paper towels. Mix the cornmeal, flour, salt, creole seasoning, paprika, and pepper together in a shallow dish. Pour the milk into a second shallow dish. Dip the fillets into the milk and then into the cornmeal mixture, coating them well and shaking of any excess.
• Heat 1/2 the butter in a large skillet over high heat, and fry 2 of the fillets for about 3 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
• Transfer the fillets to a serving platter and keep warm. Repeat with remaining butter and fillets. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon wedges.

NEELY'S MEMPHIS-STYLE CATFISH

Steps:

• Preheat a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F.
• Mix the cornmeal, paprika and cayenne in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, add the buttermilk and the hot sauce.
• Season the catfish with salt and pepper. Dredge in the buttermilk and then the cornmeal and spice mixture.
• Drop carefully in the hot oil. Fry for 4 minutes until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined sheet tray. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve with Remoulade Sauce.
• Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.

TODD RICHARDS'S FRIED CATFISH WITH HOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, granulated garlic, granulated onion and 1 teaspoon each of the salt and black pepper in a large bowl or large resealable plastic freezer bag. Add catfish pieces; cover or seal and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.
• Whisk together the cornmeal, cayenne and remaining 3 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a shallow dish or pie pan.
• Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet to 350 degrees over medium heat.
• Remove the catfish from the buttermilk mixture and dredge in the cornmeal. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Fry the catfish (large pieces first), in batches, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with additional hot sauce.

TEXAS FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Thaw frozen fish.
• Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
• Beat eggs slightly and blend in the milk.
• Dip fish in eggs and roll in cornmeal.
• Place fish in a heavy fry pan which contains about 1/8" melted fat, hot but not smoking.
• Fry at a moderate heat.
• When fish is brown on one side, turn carefully and brown on the other side.
• Drain on absorbent paper.
• Serve immediately on a hot platter, plain or with a sauce.

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 CATFISH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275°F. Heat oil (2 to 3 inches) in 4-quart Dutch oven to 375°F. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels.
• Mix cornmeal, flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in milk, eggs, pepper sauce and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until well blended. Coat fish with cornmeal batter, shaking off any excess.
• Fry 2 fish fillets at a time in oil 5 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm on cookie sheet in oven while frying remaining fish.

FRIED CATFISH AND SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Marinate the catfish: In a medium bowl, mix together buttermilk, mustard, salt and pepper. Add the catfish strips, turning to coat each side, and place in the refrigerator to marinate as you prepare the sauce.
• Prepare the pasta sauce: In a large pot set over medium-high, heat olive oil until it shimmers. Add ground meat, onion, green pepper, seasoned salt and black pepper. Cook until the meat is browned and cooked through and the vegetables have softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
• Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, stock, sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, parsley, basil and red-pepper flakes. Continue to simmer until sauce has thickened, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
• As pasta cooks, prepare the fish for frying: As sauce cooks, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high in a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet until it reaches 365 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
• In a medium bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine the cornmeal, flour and seafood seasoning. Add the fish to the mixture, a few strips at a time, and tumble gently to coat evenly
• Working in batches, fry fillets until golden brown, about 5 minutes, flipping occasionally with tongs. Avoid crowding the pan, so that the fillets have room to brown properly. (Fish should be slightly crisp outside, and moist and flaky inside.) Drain on paper towels, and hit with seafood seasoning or salt as soon as the fried strips come out of the oil.
• Toss the spaghetti into the simmered sauce. Serve the sauced pasta across plates, alongside the fried fish. Sprinkle more basil and parsley over the top.