Fried Catfish

Over the weekend I went on a stay-cation with my boyfriend's family. We took a trip up to a cozy little lake house in Azle. It was a nice time where we got to spend our days outside enjoying nature and each other. We kayaked 7 miles on the Brazos river, fished off a dock, canoed in the lake, and made s'mores around the campfire. The cabin was just off the lake with a long dock the boys fished off of. Taylor and his dad would set there lines and wait for a fish to come along and hook on. Well, we were in luck because one catfish took the bait.

I wasn't too big off a fan seeing my dinner breathing right in front of my very own eyes or even watching the men fillet the fish. However, we did that catfish justice with this delicious meal; at least thats how I see it. Anyways, this recipe is from Robert Irvine so you know that it has got to be delicious... and it was. The catfish being fresh made it even better.  We tweeked the recipe a bit by using lemon pepper seasoning rather than using seafood seasoning that it called for. So, Taylor's sister-in-law and I set up our dipping stations and began frying up the fish. The fish turned out nice and golden brown with a crunch to 'em. Boy, was it fantastic. The best part is that it isn't just for catfish. Taylor had some bass left over from his last fishing trip that we dipped in the batter and fried. It was just as delicious as the catfish.

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for frying

Olive oil, for coating the fish

2 eggs

1 cup of milk

Catfish

Salt

Ground pepper

2 cups of flour and 1 tsp of lemon pepper seasoning

1 cup of cornmeal

1 lemon, juiced

*The amount of each ingredient is different from the original recipe. Since we had less fish than what the recipe called for, we didn't need that much of each ingredient. 

Directions

Heat the oil in a deep sauce pan on medium high or in a small fryer for 350 degrees. Next whisk together the eggs and milk, making sure you mix well. Then place in a shallow bowl or pan. Next, in another bowl/pan, mix together the flour and seasoning and set aside. Then, in another bowl/pan pour in the cornmeal and set aside. To bread the fish, start off by rubbing or brushing olive oil on the fish to keep that moisture in the fish then sprinkle with salt and pepper, then dip that into the seasoned flour. Follow with the egg wash and then the cornmeal. Make sure the breading is evenly over the fillets. Now it is time to place the breaded fish into the heated oil and cook for 3 minutes, then flip and finish with 2 more minutes. The time limit on frying the fish may vary depending on the size and heat. We ended up having some nuggets of fish which we fried for less time. The breading should be golden brown and crisp. Once fried, remove from the oil and place them onto a paper-towel-lined platter. Top it off with some lemon juice and serve.

LATER RATER