Crispy Catfish With Super Easy Hush Puppies

If you are in the Midwest or southern part, I am sure you love a freshly cooked fish fry. Who wouldn’t like this dish? It’s so easy to prepare and is absolutely delicious. The hush puppies, on the other hand, are flavorful and fried perfectly. This crispy catfish with super easy hush puppies by Brian Lagerstrom will blow your mind. It’s an incredible dinner idea that has been a favorite since decades ago.

RELATED: Old-Fashioned Fried Salmon Patties Recipe

Most of the ingredients you need for these two recipes are probably already in your pantry. You can easily find them in your local grocery stores. Basic hush puppies are made of flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, egg, buttermilk, and baking soda. But for this recipe, he added salt, cayenne pepper, onions, and unsalted butter to level up the flavor. Make sure to serve both of these dishes with the spicy mayo tartar sauce. Dipping them into this homemade sauce recipe makes the taste even better. If you are looking for a southern version, try this southern fried catfish recipe.

Easy Catfish and Hush Puppies Ingredients

Fried catfish ingredients:

• 2 lbs of thawed American catfish fillets (substitute tilapia)
• 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1.5 tablespoons of salt
• 2 teaspoons of black pepper
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 2 3/4 teaspoons of onion powder
• 2 teaspoons of paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon of cayenne
• 1/2 cup of medium grind corn meal
• 2/3 cup of finely ground cornmeal
• 2 cups of buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons of hot sauce

Hush puppies ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons of med-fine grind cornmeal
• 1/2 tablespoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon of cayenne
• 2/3 cups of onions (small diced)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup and 1 1/2 tablespoons of buttermilk

Spicy mayo tartar sauce ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of mayo
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 2 tablespoons of hot sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of yellow mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 3 1/2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 2.5 tablespoons of shallot
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 teaspoons of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of salt

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How to Make Fried Catfish

Step 1:

Start by cutting the fillets on a bias, then placing them on a wire rack. Salt both sides, then leave it for 20 minutes.

Step 2:

In a bowl, add flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, and cornmeal.

Step 3:

In a different bowl, mix buttermilk and hot sauce.

Step 4:

Drop each fillet into the buttermilk mixture and coat them well. Drain excess then drop into the dry mixture and coat well. Toss it back and forth into your hands to remove excess batter.

Step 5:

Carefully lower the fillets into a preheated 350F oil, frying 2 pieces at a time, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip them halfway through. Cook until crispy and golden brown then transfer to a wire rack or towels to drain excess oil. Repeat with the remaining pieces.

How to Make Hush Puppies

Step 1:

Make the batter by whisking all the hush puppies ingredients in a bowl.

Step 2:

Carefully drop large spoonfuls of the prepared batter into the hot oil and fry them for about 2.5 minutes. Flip them halfway through. Cook until they are crispy and dark golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain on the wire rack.

How to Make Spicy Mayo Tartar Sauce

Add all ingredients to a food processor and spin until smooth.

Crispy Catfish With Super Easy Hush Puppies