Herbs Fried Catfish Recipes

BAKED HERB CATFISH

Steps:

• Combine the first seven ingredients; sprinkle over fillets on both sides. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Combine the lemon juice, butter and garlic; drizzle over fillets., Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

HERB BAKED CATFISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Arrange catfish fillets in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Combine parsley, paprika, thyme, oregano, basil, and black pepper in a small bowl; sprinkle herb mixture over fish. Mix lemon juice, butter, and garlic powder in another bowl; drizzle butter mixture over fish.
• Bake in preheated oven until fish is easily flaked with a fork, about 20 minutes.

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.

FRIED CATFISH #2

Steps:

• Fillet and clean catfish (removing all dark meat); soak in buttermilk or milk for 1-2 hrs; drain well.
• Spinkle fish with salt, pepper, and herbs.
• Dredge in corn meal and flour mixture.
• Cook in a small skillet of 1/2 cup oil, being careful not to overcrowd fillets, probably cooking in two batches.
• Fry about 6-8 minutes, watching closely so as not to burn, turn once.
• Serve with a lemon wedge if desired.

SKILLET-FRIED CATFISH WITH HERB TARTAR SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with a brown paper bag.
• Rinse the catfish and pat dry. Slice each fillet lengthwise into 3 long strips and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Combine the buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce in a shallow bowl and stir to mix. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, and cayenne, season with salt and black pepper, and stir to mix.
• Pour canola oil into a large skillet about 1/4 inch deep and place over medium-high heat until sizzling hot (see Know-how, page 100).
• Dip each piece of fish in the buttermilk mixture, then dredge in the flour mixture to evenly coat both sides, shaking off any excess flour. Without overcrowding the skillet-you may need to fry in batches-place the fish in the hot oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning only once, until golden brown and crispy. If the fish is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium.
• Remove the fish from the skillet and drain on the lined baking sheet. Place the pan in the oven to keep warm while you fry the remaining fish, adding more oil to the skillet if needed. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve hot with Herb Tartar Sauce, raw onion, and lemon wedges to squeeze over the fish.
• Make it a party with Squash Puppies (page 65), Creamy Potato Salad (page 266), and Spring Coleslaw with Fresh Herbs and Light Honey Citrus Vinaigrette (page 258).

HERB'S FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, prepare a salt-water brine by combining 3 tablespoons salt with 2 quarts water. Add the fish and more water if needed to just cover the fish. Soak the fish in the brine for 30 minutes.
• Mix the cornmeal, cracker meal, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning in a 1-gallon plastic bag.
• In a large (3-gallon) catfish cooker or deep Dutch oven, heat the oil to 350°F. Preheat the oven to 150°F.
• Coat the fish by shaking a few pieces at a time in the plastic bag with the crumbs.
• Drop 8 to 10 of the coated fish fillets into the hot oil. Cook until the coating is light brown; the fillets will cook quickly, in less than 5 minutes. Pieces will float to the top of the oil when they're done. Drain the cooked fish on paper towels and keep warm in the oven while you fry additional batches. Let the oil return to 350°F before adding and cooking more fish.
• From Gwen
• Our family attended many fish fries held outdoors on the banks of Herb's pond in Jasper County, Georgia. His wife, Glenda, loves to fish, and she provided most of the fish.
• From Trisha
• You can make the hushpuppies in the same oil as the fish, but let it cool down to 250°F first.