# Best way to fry catfish?



## GMTK

This past weekend I had some of the best deep fried cats I can remember; and wanted to get some 2Cool advice on how to deep fry catfish. I have a external propane burner and all the tools; just wanted to get an idea of how the pros on this site do it.

Thanks in advance.


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## workorfish

*Catfish tips*



GMTK said:


> This past weekend I had some of the best deep fried cats I can remember; and wanted to get some 2Cool advice on how to deep fry catfish. I have a external propane burner and all the tools; just wanted to get an idea of how the pros on this site do it.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


I'm not a chef but can fry a pretty good catfish. Here's how I do it:

1. Most important - trim the fillets, get ALL the red meat off the skin side and ALL the yellow meat off the edges (usually channel cats have the yellow)

2. Drain well until moist but not dripping wet. 
3. Lightly season with your favorite dusting like Tony's or even just ground cayenne.
4. I use Louisiana Fish Fry in the blue package. It comes in red, yellow packages too but the blue one has a celery kick.
5. Good fresh oil to 350 deg. and fry until golden, or floating. Don't overcook.
6. Drain and hit 'em with another light shot of Tony's or your favorite seasoning.


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## shadslinger

I live alone and have worked out a system where i can not only fry the best tasting catfish, but not waste any either.
I lay out the fillets and season both sides with salt black pepper, red pepper, and paprika. Then i put them in a 1 gallon zip about a 1/3 full of stone ground cornmeal and roll them until they are well coated. 
The i lay them on wax paper over a cookie sheet and freeze them. when frozen I place them in a 1 gallon zip. When I'm ready to cook I just get some canola oil really, really hot, and add however many fillets i need to the very hot oil right from the freezer. The hot oil will sear the frozen fish, sealing it, cooking it with all of the moistness and yet be very crispy and crunchy to bite. i think it tastes better tahn any other method of cooking fish and is really convenient.
SS


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## fastpitch

Coat with mustard, dip into your favorite fish fry ( I like Zatarains Lemon Pepper or Miss Tex Spicy fish fry). Heat peanut oil to 350 degrees and fry until they float.


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## HAIRCUTTER

Thanks Shadslinger.Going to try your method.
R.E.B.


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## RiverRat1962

Cut the fillets up in strips or nuggets (bite size) 
Season with Cajun seasoning and lemon pepper
Put the fish in a Ziploc bag and cover with buttermilk
Zip the bag and roll it around to coat the fish
Marinate in the fridge for an hour or overnight
when you get your grease hot just take the nuggets out of the bag and coat them with your favorite fish fry and deep fry till they float. 
Serve with fries, coleslaw, hush puppies and your favorite dippin' sauce.
Works good on any deep fried seafood as well. Gator nuggets are fantastic prepared that way. Soft Shell turtle meat too!


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## muleherder

I'm hungry now!! When we eat? 

To keep the fish hot while frying the rest, I like to put them in a paper sack with paper towels on the bottom and sliced raw onion on top of the towels. Dump the hot fish on top of the onion and gives them a onion flavor and the paper sack keeps the fish hot without letting them get soggy. 

I'm going to have to try all these recipes, maybe the mustard coating first.


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## gordaflatsstalker

I use the Lousiana Fish Fry in the blue bag and then hit it up with some more Tony's, not too much but enough where you can smell it. Then I roll the fillets or nuggets, however you like them, in Louisiana Hot Sauce and then batter. Let sit for about 20 mins and then hit the batter again. Then drop in some 350-degree peanut oil and pull them out when they float.


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## FISHNNUTT

I'll second the mustard dip and roll in your favorite fish fry
sometimes I'll add a little louisana hot sauce just for fun.
The mustard coating holds the breading better and the fish
comes out with a nice and crunchy coating


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## jabx1962

Soak your fish in Club Soda or 7UP. The effervesence cleans all the impurity's off the fish.

Instead of using oil, use Lard to fry the fish. 

If you make your own fish fry, put some flour in the Corn Meal. Corn meal,flour,salt,black and red pepper.Make an egg wash, and season it with salt, black and red pepper.Whisk it until it's blended well.

If you buy a pre-mixed product, make sure it doesn't have onion powder as it will give the fish a burnt taste.

Also,fry your potato's first, then fry the fish.


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## randyrandy

GMTK, my neighbor who's wife taught me the mustard trick, it works well.
One of my favorites is President Jimmy Carter's mothers method for fish (can't recall her name.)
Dry the fillets, roll them in corn starch, then drag them through Heinz 57 steak sauce, and finally throw them in crushed cornflakes. Peanut oil (duh, Carter) at 350 until they float. The corn starch locks in the natural juices and the corn flakes makes them crunchy crunchy. I've experimented and do like to add salt, pepper, and cayenne (although the cayenne make me eat too much, lol.) 
Dried seasoned bread crumbs are good and crunchy too, you can get them at the store in a variety of flavorings.
Purists, like my mom, say the only way to eat catfish is to dry roll them in stoneground yellow cornmeal.
Check out the recipe threads on the site, there are a bunch.
Jabx is right about onion powder makeing them taste burnt and muleherder is right about the paper sack with paper towels on the bottom. I never knew about the onion slices on the bottom above the paper towels though, I will have to try it.
There is a recipe in the threads called "Cheezy Catfish" that is delicious for baking them in an oven.
I'm going to have to give shadslinger's method a try, it not only sounds good but like he said, just pull out what you want and there's no waste. Sometimes I'm the only one in the mood for fish (which is pretty much all the time.)
Heck, try 'em all. And, if you need any help picking your favorite, I'm available most anytime. Have beer, will travel.


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## shadslinger

Haircutter you can't go wrong with my method, it will be the best you ever tasted.


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## randyrandy

I'm going to try it shadslinger. Thanks.


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## Haute Pursuit

Corn flour, slap yo mamma seasoning and 350-375 degree canola or peanut oil.


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## CoastalOutfitters

if you don't have alot of fish and need to feed alot of people try this.

mix bisquick and beer to get a medium batter , season filets and dip in batter and fry.

they will puff like great big pieces f fish , tastes good and very filling.


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## kim e cooper

Thanks S.S. ill give it a try.


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## RAYSOR

SS that is a great idea, going to have to try


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## GMTK

Thanks guys (and gals) for all the great ideas. I will report back this weekend with the results...............


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## Devildoggg

I know your asking about how to fry catfish, but in my opinion, just my opinion, I believe broiling them and blackening the cats are a lot easier, tastier and a lil healthier for you. My family and I used to love fried catfish, thats until I tried the method mentioned, after they tried that, that was the end of frying catfish. Its simple, not as messy either. Heres what I do, simply filet both sides of the fish, keeping the skin intact. Next, get a broiling pan or pan that fits in your broiler, line that with heavy duty foil, butter the entire foil, I use NuNu's ( its a cajun seasoning ), or you can use Tony Chacheres, spread that over the butter then lay your filets skin down on the seasoning and butter, next you spread butter over each filet, you should be able to fit around 5 to 6 filets on the pan. Well after you butter the filets then you sprinkle seasoning over the filets then you broil them til they look ready. When they are finished, you have the option to eat them with the skin or without because the meat comes right off of it. I personally like the skin cause it holds more seasoning. Well I hope that helps, if not then I hope it gives someone else an idea.


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## seabo

the bestest way, take fish out of livewell and clean ,while im cleanin, someones got the grease (peanut oil)getting hot, as he's waitin he can put the zatarians lemon flavored fish fry in a bag and add however much tony satchatories he wants,and sprinkle some on the fillets if he wants before he drops them in the bag. then by listening to the flame he'll know when to put the fish in his CAST IRON pot .as they cook he'll shake them around a little , until they float and are golden brown. don't forget martha whites hushpuppie mix with fresh chopped jalipinos ,oinions and some whole corn thrown in, big bowl of cole slaw and sliced lemon for your fish, and all thats left is the potatoes, which i cook last to clean my grease for a repeat.yum, yum, luv them sulpher river cats!


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## brazman

*You too can cook like a pro!*

Here's how I've made living history among my family and friends:

Slice the fillets into 4" or so pieces. Put some about 2 cups of corn meal and a tablespoon or so of Lawry's season salt in a ziplock bag. When your oil is hot, 350-375, drop a handful of moist fish into the ziplock bag, close, and toss to coat well. Pull those suckers out and let em cook until nice and golden.

After you've cooked all the fish, folks can go through the line and make fish tacos. Get the best tortillas you can find, either flour (my fav.) or corn, put a few pieces of fish on there with some cheese, tomatoes, shredded lettuce or purple cabbage, and top with an easy-to-make-knock-your-socks-off chipotle mayonnaise.

To make the chipotle mayo, buy a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, blend them in a blender or food processor, and add to 2-3 cups of mayo. This stuff can get potent if not diluted with enough mayo, so keep adding mayo until everyone can stand to eat it.

Serve these fish tacos with the best hushpuppies I've ever eaten, a Paula Dean recipe:

1 1/2 cup self-rising cornmeal
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
*Directions:* Using a large skillet, preheat oil for frying to 350 degrees.
Using a mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the onion. In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and egg. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Drop the batter one teaspoon at a time into the oil. Dip the spoon in a glass of water after each hush puppy is dropped in the oil. Fry until golden brown, turning the hush puppies during the cooking process.
Yield: 35 Hush puppies 
Preparation time: 20 minutes 
Cooking time: 20 minutes 
Ease of preparation: easy

If you cook this, they will come! :dance:


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## shadslinger

Y'all go ahead on and fry away with those other recipes,... mustard & whatnot, LOL. Then try mine.
SS


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## bobby n

i'll have to fish more to try all these reciepes. i hate it when that happen's


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## Dark_ale

fastpitch said:


> Coat with mustard, dip into your favorite fish fry ( I like Zatarains Lemon Pepper or Miss Tex Spicy fish fry). Heat peanut oil to 350 degrees and fry until they float.


I second this motion....This is the way I do it also, Fry the 12 inchers whole, tail on same way


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## Roger

I've seen all of recipes with the temp. of the oil at 350. Keep an eye on your thermometer and don't let it drop below 350 or you'll wind up with greasy fish. Spreading them out on paper towels or newspaper will not soak up all the grease.


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## gigem87

My secret - keep the filets ICE COLD until right before you release into the grease. Makes 'em come out more crispy!

I keep mine soaking in ice water until the last second.

And yes, grease has to be 350 to 375. Much less, and you get mush.


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## slimyhand

I'll third that mustard application, if that makes sense. That's how grandpa taught me and that's how I've always done it. Actaully, mix it half water and half mustard and then put it in your favorte seasonings. This will kill the fishy taste and you will not be able to taste the mustard. YUUUUUMMMMMMYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!


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## shadslinger

Mustard is for hamburgers, lol.


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## RiverRat1962

shadslinger said:


> Mustard is for hamburgers, lol.


And hot dogs :biggrin:

I doubt if the fish has a strong mustard taste after frying.
Same way with the buttermilk, It just takes the mud taste out of the fish and helps the meal stick better for a crispy texture.

I do like mustard sardines though.. Yum!!


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## ydnark

*Paper Sack Footnote*

All good tips!

I have used paper sacks for years to place hot fried foods in as I cook them. There is one aspect to remember: Never close the top of the sack! The steam released from the hot fried food will cause it to become soggy. If you leave the top of the sack open, it will allow the steam to escape.

I have in a pinch used foil pans lined with paper towels, and a loose covering of aluminum foil. Same thing applies here, never seal the foil over the hot fried food!


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