Fried catfish at home

[Tigerloather]

What's your favorite batter recipe?  Home made or store bought?

[PorkRinds]

Fried catfish doesn't use batter!!! My favorite method is soaked in buttermilk and dipped in cornmeal/flour/spice mixture.  If it's not coated in cornmeal, it's not true southern fried catfish.  JMO of course.

[Boog41]

Fried catfish doesn't use batter!!! My favorite method is soaked in buttermilk and dipped in cornmeal/flour/spice mixture.  If it's not coated in cornmeal, it's not true southern fried catfish.  JMO of course.

This is pretty much my normal method as well. I do sometimes soak in 7-up though and sometimes put a light coating of mustard on the fish before the breading mixture. The mustard is very subtle tasting after frying, but is really good.

[PorkRinds]

This is pretty much my normal method as well. I do sometimes soak in 7-up though and sometimes put a light coating of mustard on the fish before the breading mixture. The mustard is very subtle tasting after frying, but is really good.

I've done the mustard trick too, but my wife doesn't care for mustard at all, so I just use the buttermilk.

[TomasPistola]

Buttermilk + zatarain's southern fish fry when I'm too lazy to mix up anything myself. Bonus to use the leftover Zatarains to make fried squash to go with the fish.

[PharmacistHog]

I've done the mustard trick too, but my wife doesn't care for mustard at all, so I just use the buttermilk.

You oughta try chopping up some cilantro and mixing it with the mustard.  I bet she would LOVE that. 

[PorkRinds]

You oughta try chopping up some cilantro and mixing it with the mustard.  I bet she would LOVE that.

Lol. Shed disown me. 

[Hog_Swanson]

Take a drive out to the War Eagle Mill sometime.  Buy their fish fry.  It's the best stuff you will ever put in your mouth.

[Tigerloather]

Fried catfish doesn't use batter!!! My favorite method is soaked in buttermilk and dipped in cornmeal/flour/spice mixture.  If it's not coated in cornmeal, it's not true southern fried catfish.  JMO of course.

Pardon me...what combination of meal, flour, spices do you prefer?  We call it batter, but we're pretty backwoods here.

[PharmacistHog]

Pardon me...what combination of meal, flour, spices do you prefer?  We call it batter, but we're pretty backwoods here.

He thought you were talking "batter" like beer-batter or tempura or something
Like that. I'm pretty backwoods, too, and we just always called it "fishfry" referring to the mix you apply to the fish.

[PorkRinds]

Pardon me...what combination of meal, flour, spices do you prefer?  We call it batter, but we're pretty backwoods here.

I was just pokin at you.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/jacks-fried-catfish

Something like this with a little flour added and buttermilk instead of milk.

[Tigerloather]

I used 2 parts Louisiana fish fry, 1 part flour, 1 part white corn meal & salt/pepper to taste tonight and it turned out pretty good.

I've tried the Louisiana fish fry alone & it was just too overpowering.

[PorkRinds]

I used 2 parts Louisiana fish fry, 1 part flour, 1 part white corn meal & salt/pepper to taste tonight and it turned out pretty good.

I've tried the Louisiana fish fry alone & it was just too overpowering.

I agree with you. I've always found it too salty. That's why I go with my granny's method. The zattarains fish fry is ok in a pinch.

[Tigerloather]

I agree with you. I've always found it too salty. That's why I go with my granny's method. The zattarains fish fry is ok in a pinch.

My grandad used to mix a bunch of stuff up, throw it in a paper bag and shake it.  Best fish I ever ate, but I never asked what he put in it.  Wish I could go back & ask!

[ricepig]

My grandad used to mix a bunch of stuff up, throw it in a paper bag and shake it.  Best fish I ever ate, but I never asked what he put in it.  Wish I could go back & ask!

Good quality paper bag, unlike these days! The lady that cleaned our house growing up did the same with fried chicken, best ever.

[DeltaBoy]

Fried catfish doesn't use batter!!! My favorite method is soaked in buttermilk and dipped in cornmeal/flour/spice mixture.  If it's not coated in cornmeal, it's not true southern fried catfish.  JMO of course.

I agree! But I do like Blacken Catfish.

[Grizzlyfan]

Fried catfish doesn't use batter!!! My favorite method is soaked in buttermilk and dipped in cornmeal/flour/spice mixture.  If it's not coated in cornmeal, it's not true southern fried catfish.  JMO of course.

Throw a little Louisiana Hot Sauce in the buttermilk.  Just enough to make it very light pink.

[PorkRinds]

Throw a little Louisiana Hot Sauce in the buttermilk.  Just enough to make it very light pink.

I usually use a bit of cayenne pepper in it. I'll try the hot sauce trick.

[Tigerloather]

I usually use a bit of cayenne pepper in it. I'll try the hot sauce trick.

My brother in law adds a little crab boil, it's pretty good but salty if too much is added.

[hoglady]

1/2 yellow cornmeal mix, 1/2 yellow cornmeal, salt, black pepper and cayenne.
Taste your coating for salt content before putting your fish in it.
Too much or too little can sure screw up a good batch of fish.

[rcopela]

Back in the day when I fished a lot, I used "Uncle Bucks" from Bass Pro, good stuff..

[DeltaBoy]

1/2 yellow cornmeal mix, 1/2 yellow cornmeal, salt, black pepper and cayenne.
Taste your coating for salt content before putting your fish in it.
Too much or too little can sure screw up a good batch of fish.

That is the Truth, Too Salty fish is a SIN!

[theFlyingHog]

Yeller cornmeal with black pepper and cayenne to taste. Sometimes will dip fish in a bowl of Louisiana hot sawce before going in the meal.

What cooker you use?
I got one of these and love it

[PharmacistHog]

Yeller cornmeal with black pepper and cayenne to taste. Sometimes will dip fish in a bowl of Louisiana hot sawce before going in the meal.

What cooker you use?
I got one of these and love it

Those are pretty sweet. We just dont eat enough fried food to justify one, though. I just use a regular fish cooker with a big cast iron pot.

[Tigerloather]

Yeller cornmeal with black pepper and cayenne to taste. Sometimes will dip fish in a bowl of Louisiana hot sawce before going in the meal.

What cooker you use?
I got one of these and love it

Is that a Cajun Cooker?  I bought a Bayou Classic Cooker from Hayneedle that is very similar.  Awesome for cooking fish & deer steak!

[theFlyingHog]

Those are pretty sweet. We just dont eat enough fried food to justify one, though. I just use a regular fish cooker with a big cast iron pot.

We don't fry often but when we do its 25-30 of us and I got sick of frying fish for 3 hours. I can knock out 15lbs of fillets, fries and puppies in <30.

[theFlyingHog]

Is that a Cajun Cooker?  I bought a Bayou Classic Cooker from Hayneedle that is very similar.  Awesome for cooking fish & deer steak!

Mine is a Cajun I believe. It's actually not that pic I posted now that I've looked more. Saw it at Ft Thompson and told em to put it in my truck

[pigture perfect]

Try Jiffy corn muffin mix with a little salt pepper or Tony's.

[DeltaBoy]

                   

[rcopela]

                   

We did a fry last summer from fish we had caught in Florida, I used the Louisiana fish fry, found it in a gallon tub at Academy..no complaints 

[DeltaBoy]

This thread done flung a craving for some Catfish on me so I am going to go get some for Lunch tomorrow while the gals are out Prom Dress Shopping.