Fish & Seafood
Moms Fried Catfish with Hot Sauce
Description
My mother made catfish on Fridays as part of her weekly rotation of dishes. I was always amazed by the crispiness of her fish.
Ingredients
- Hot Sauce
- 2 teaspoons blended olive oil
- 3 red Fresno chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Fried Catfish
- 2 cups whole buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1⁄4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1⁄4 teaspoon granulated onion
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 1⁄2 pounds catfish fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups plain yellow cornmeal
- 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable oil
Directions
- Make the hot sauce
- Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium. Add the chiles, onion, and garlic; cook, stirring often, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the vinegars and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the salt, and remove from the heat. Let stand 20 minutes.
- Process the chile mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides. (Remove the center of the blender top to prevent the mixture from overflowing, and be wary of inhaling pepper vapors.)
- Make the catfish
- Combine the buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of Hot Sauce, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and 1 teaspoon each of the salt and black pepper in a large bowl or large ziplock plastic freezer bag. Add catfish pieces; cover or seal, and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.
- Whisk together the cornmeal, cayenne, remaining 3 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a shallow dish or pie pan.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium.
- 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 5 to 7 minutes per side. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with the Hot Sauce.
- Notes
- If using boneless catfish, this dish can be served as a sandwich with lettuce and Chive Aioli.
- Serve With
- Other fried foods; braised green, breakfast, potato, egg, or bean dishes; green or tomato salads
