Monday Night Fish Fry

I know, the majority of the world has Friday Night Fish Frys.  But I tend to do things Lolly's way.  So let's have a Monday night fish fry!  My fish of choice (just to satisfy a mega-craving) was Mississippi Farm Raised Catfish.  

As you can see from the photo above, I brought out the fun, retro, "drive-in" style baskets and lined them with parchment paper.  A nice bowl of cole slaw, french fries and my favorite of all time hush puppies rounded out the meal with lemon wedges, ketchup and tartar sauce.

Let's fry some fish!

2 lbs. farm raised catfish filets, rinsed and patted dry

2 cups buttermilk

a few dashes of hot sauce

few grinds of black pepper

In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, hot sauce and black pepper.  Add a dash or two of salt, if desired, but remember the hot sauce will contain a lot of salt.  Add the catfish and let soak for at least 15 - 20 minutes.

In a shallow dish or baking pan, combine the following:

2 cups white, self-rising cornmeal

few grinds of black pepper

1/4 t. seasoned salt

1/4 t. granulated garlic

Pre-heat oil to 375 degrees either in a deep fryer or a heavy Dutch oven.  You will need enough oil to allow the fish to float to the surface.  

Take 2 - 3 pieces of fish (depending on their size and the size of your fryer) from the buttermilk mixture and let drain slightly.  Add it to the cornmeal and turn to coat both sides completely.

SLOWLY add the fish into the oil.  Let fish cook 5 - 6 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.  

Remove from oil using tongs or the basket with the fryer and place on a baking sheet.  Place in a warm oven to keep warm while you fry remaining fish.  Taste and sprinkle with a little salt if needed.