• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Catholic Foodie

Where Food Meets Faith

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Radio
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Speaking
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Radio
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Speaking
  • Contact
  • Main Dishes
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Pork
    • Seafood
      • Crawfish
      • Fish
      • Oysters
      • Shrimp
    • Vegetarian
  • Appetizers
  • Sides
  • Salads
  • Soups
  • Drinks
  • Desserts
  • Cuisines
    • African
    • Asian
    • Cajun
    • Creole
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican
    • Middle Eastern
  • Seasons
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Lent
      • Meatless Meals
    • Thanksgiving
  • Pizza
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Radio
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Speaking
  • Contact
  • Main Dishes
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Pork
    • Seafood
      • Crawfish
      • Fish
      • Oysters
      • Shrimp
    • Vegetarian
  • Appetizers
  • Sides
  • Salads
  • Soups
  • Drinks
  • Desserts
  • Cuisines
    • African
    • Asian
    • Cajun
    • Creole
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican
    • Middle Eastern
  • Seasons
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Lent
      • Meatless Meals
    • Thanksgiving
  • Pizza

Pan-Fried Catfish – A Louisiana Lenten Tradition

You are here: Home / Blog / Pan-Fried Catfish – A Louisiana Lenten Tradition

I’ve been banned.

I’m not allowed to deep-fry anything. At least not in my kitchen. Maybe in your kitchen I would be able to. Or in a restaurant kitchen. But I have been banned from deep-frying anything in my own kitchen.

Why?

Not only is it too messy, but I also don’t do it very well. Frying is tricky business, especially with something as delicate as fish. It’s so easy to overdo it and burn the fish. Believe it or not, it’s also very easy to undercook the fish. But, usually, it’s the second or third batch that’s undercooked.

There is an art to frying.

Every time you add fish to the oil the temperature of the oil drops. One trick to keep the second, third, (or more!) batches from coming out undercooked is to pause between batches. Use a thermometer… and keep an eye on it. As soon as that oil gets back to 350, add more fish. Another trick is to not overcrowd the pan. The more fish you add at once, the lower the temp of the oil drops. And the longer it takes the fish to cook.

There’s nothing worse than greasy, undercooked fish.

That’s why I often prefer to pan-fry instead of deep-fry. You have more control over the temperature. I think that pan-fried catfish is–generally speaking–inferior to deep-fried… IF the deep-fried is done right. So, in the absence of a bona-fide expert fryer, I tend to opt for the safety of pan-frying.

And here’s how I do it….

INGREDIENTS

  • Olive Oil (NOT extra-virgin)
  • 4 medium catfish filets
  • 1 cup of whole milk
  • 1 cup of yellow cornmeal
  • 3 teaspoons of kosher salt
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons of freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1 to 1.5 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • Lemon wedges

DIRECTIONS

  1. Rinse the filets under cold water. Dry well with paper towels.
  2. In a large dish (or bowl) place the filets and cover with milk.
  3. In another large dish (or bowl) mix the cornmeal, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
  4. Take one filet at a time from the milk and “dredge” in the cornmeal mixture (coat it evenly on both sides). Place the filets on a platter to dry, and allow them to dry for at least five minutes.
  5. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (I prefer to use my cast-iron frying pan) on medium-high heat. Add the filets to the pan (I can fit two filets at a time in my pan) and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Fry until they are golden brown.
  6. Remove filets from pan and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. After draining, place the filets on another (oven-safe!) plate lined with paper towels, and place in the oven pre-heated just enough to keep the filets warm while you cook the remaining filets.
  7. Fry the remaining two filets.
  8. Serve with lemon wedges.

A few tips…

I just gave you a recipe for the cornmeal mixture. But, here in Louisiana, if you are in a hurry, there are several companies that produce excellent “fish fry” already made. Louisiana Fish Fry is probably our favorite.

If you don’t like the taste of firm freshwater fish (like catfish or tilapia), then you might try an hour-long bath in buttermilk. No, not for you. For the fish. It does wonders in taking away that “fishy” taste.

There is so much that can be done with fried catfish. You can eat it hot… just like it is. Or you can make yourself one of the greatest treats this side of heaven: a catfish po-boy. If you do that, just make sure that you use REAL po-boy bread, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a dash or two of Tabasco or Crystal. Oh, and don’t forget the ketchup!

How do you like your catfish? Let me know in the comments below!

***Image courtesy of jimmysmith on Flickr.com.***

About Jeff Young

Jeff Young, perhaps better known as The Catholic Foodie, is an author, blogger, radio host and podcaster. He is the founder and producer of The Catholic Foodie blog and podcast where he provides "Catholic culinary inspiration to help you grow in faith around the table." Jeff hosts a daily radio show – The Catholic Foodie Show – on BreadboxMedia.com, and he co-hosts the Around the Table Food Show on Catholic Community Radio 690AM (New Orleans) and 1380AM (Baton Rouge). Jeff is a monthly contributor to CatholicMom.com and a contributing author of Word by Word: Slowing Down with the Hail Mary, published by Ave Maria Press. Jeff is also a contributing author of The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion: A Book of Daily Reflections by Ave Maria Press. Jeff Young is a proud member of the elite Catholic Speakers Organization, CMG Booking. Jeff has spoken on topics ranging from "growing in faith around the table" to "using social media in the New Evangelization." Jeff's first book, Around the Table with The Catholic Foodie: Middle Eastern Cuisine, published by Liguori Publications is now available. With 78 recipes and stories of faith and family (including his travels to the Holy Land), the book is sure to inspire you to get into the kitchen and to gather your family around the table. The book is available on Amazon.com, Liguori.org, and wherever good Catholic books are sold.

Previous Post: «Mujadra - Lebanese Lentils and Rice Mujadra (Lebanese Lentils and Rice) #SundaySupper
Next Post: “Throw Me Some Cabbage, Mister!” – St. Patrick’s Day in New Orleans »

Primary Sidebar

Search Recipes

Connect With Me

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Popular Posts

We save the seafood gumbo for special occasions is that it is so expensive to make. But now I think I have found a variation of seafood gumbo that I can make more often. It’s a Louisiana favorite: Shrimp & Okra Gumbo.

A Louisiana Favorite: Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

Shrimp and Okra Gumbo I love me a good gumbo. As I have said before, I make chicken and andouille gumbo …

Barbecued Shrimp: A Classic New Orleans Recipe

Barbecued Shrimp Wonderful, deliciously-delicious shrimp. I love shrimp. There's nothing like those little …

Lebanese Stuffed Squash (Kousa Mahshi)

Kousa Mahshi: Stuffed Squash, Lebanese-style I hated squash as a child. And during the summers we used to get …

New Orleans Classics

Red Beans and Rice

  Red beans and rice and everything nice! You know, Louis Armstrong used to sign his letters, "Red Beans …

Quick and Easy Crawfish Cakes

Recipe submitted by Shelly Kelly.Since I had Catholic Foodie episode 30 playing while I cooked tonight-and we were …

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Radio
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Speaking
  • Contact

Site Footer

About The Catholic Foodie

Jeff Young, perhaps better known as The Catholic Foodie, is an author, blogger, radio host and podcaster. He is the founder and producer of The Catholic Foodie blog and podcast where he provides "Catholic culinary inspiration to help you grow in faith around the table." Jeff hosts a daily radio show – The Catholic Foodie Show – on BreadboxMedia.com, and he co-hosts the Around the Table Food Show on Catholic Community Radio 690AM (New Orleans) and 1380AM (Baton Rouge). Jeff is a monthly contributor to CatholicMom.com and a contributing author of Word by Word: Slowing Down with the Hail Mary, published by Ave Maria Press. Jeff is also a contributing author of The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion: A Book of Daily Reflections by Ave Maria Press. Jeff Young is a proud member of the elite Catholic Speakers Organization, CMG Booking. Jeff has spoken on topics ranging from "growing in faith around the table" to "using social media in the New Evangelization." Jeff's first book, Around the Table with The Catholic Foodie: Middle Eastern Cuisine, published by Liguori Publications is now available. With 78 recipes and stories of faith and family (including his travels to the Holy Land), the book is sure to inspire you to get into the kitchen and to gather your family around the table. The book is available on Amazon.com, Liguori.org, and wherever good Catholic books are sold. Read More…

Copyright © 2019 · Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in