Main Dishesbonappetit4.1
Best Fried Catfish
This crispy fried catfish recipe from Nashville icon Arnold’s requires some prep and patience, but the crunchy cornmeal crust is worth it.
👥 6 Servings🔥 Cook: 40 min👤 Kahlil Arnold📖 bonappetit
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●bowl
- ●whisk
- ●skillet
- ●pan
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Whisk 3 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 3 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce, and 2 cups hot water in a large bowl until salt dissolves. Add 6 cups cold water and place 6 (5–7 oz.) U.S.-farmed catfish fillets in brine; cover and refrigerate for at least ⏱️ 1 hour and up to 3.
. hot pepper sauce3 TbspU.S.-farmed catfish fillets6 (5–7 oz.)
2
Whisk 1½ cups cornmeal, 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, 2½ tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp. garlic powder, ½ tsp. cayenne pepper, and remaining ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium shallow dish. Attach deep-fry thermometer to the side of a 10” cast-iron skillet or other large heavy skillet. Add vegetable oil to come a little less than halfway up side of skillet. Heat oil over medium until thermometer reads 335°.
½ cups cornmeal, preferably white1. all-purpose flour2 Tbsp½ tsp. baking powder2. freshly ground black pepper1 tsp. garlic powder1 tsp
3
Rinse catfish, discarding brine, and pat dry. Dredge a piece of fish in seasoned cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess. Working with 2 fillets at a time, fry catfish in hot oil, turning halfway through, until cornmeal breading is golden brown and crispy, 10–⏱️ 12 minutes per batch. Transfer fish to paper towels to drain. Editor’s note: This recipe for pan-fried catfish was first printed in our February 2012 issue. Head this way for more easy fish recipes →
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