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Fried Catfish & Hush Puppies with Spicy Mayo Tartar Sauce

Name: Fried Catfish & Hush Puppies with Spicy Mayo Tartar Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 kg thawed american catfish filets; 100 g ap flour; 15 g kosher salt; 5 g black pepper; 10 g garlic powder; 10 g onion powder; 5 g paprika; 2 g cayenne; 100 g medium grind corn meal; 100 g finely ground corn meal (blitz medium grind in blender/food processor); 500 g buttermilk (or sour cream and milk); 30 g hot sauce; 65 g ap flour; 150 g medium-fine grind cornmeal; 8 g kosher salt; 10 g baking powder; 10 g sugar; 2 g cayenne; 75 g onions (small diced); 25 g unsalted butter (melted); 1 egg; 200 g buttermilk (or milk and sour cream); 100 g mayonnaise; 75 g ketchup; 30 g hot sauce; 20 g yellow mustard; 25 g lemon juice; 15 g worcestershire; 25 g shallot; 1 garlic clove

Fish fry is a staple of the Midwest. I'll show you how to do it right with fried catfish and super easy hushpuppies plus a versatile spicy mayo tartar sauce for dipping.

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 20

Servings: servings

Ingredients

FREID CATFISH:

1 kg thawed american catfish filets, use fresh catfish if you can find it. I couldn't find it in my area so I used thawed. Sub tilapia if you can't find catfish 2 lbs
100 g ap flour
15 g kosher salt
5 g black pepper
10 g garlic powder
10 g onion powder
5 g paprika
2 g cayenne
100 g medium grind corn meal
100 g finely ground corn meal, blitz medium grind in blender/food processor
500 g buttermilk, or sour cream and milk
30 g hot sauce

HUSHPUPPIES:

65 g ap flour
150 g medium-fine grind cornmeal
8 g kosher salt
10 g baking powder
10 g sugar
2 g cayenne
75 g onions, small diced
25 g unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
200 g buttermilk, or milk and sour cream

SPICY MAYO TARTAR SAUCE:

100 g mayonnaise
75 g ketchup
30 g hot sauce
20 g yellow mustard
25 g lemon juice
15 g worcestershire
25 g shallot
1 garlic clove
3 g paprika
3 g black pepper
3 g kosher salt

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

Prepare frying pot by adding 2-3qt/L (depending on size of pot) of neutral oil to a large heavy bottom pot and heat over medium high until it reaches a temp of 350°F/175°C. Be sure your pot is not filled more than halfway up the sides with oil.

FRIED CATFISH:

Cut filets on a bias so that you have pieces that are roughly the same weight. Set on a wire rack and salt both sides of fillets. Allow to cure for 20 minutes
In a bowl, stir together flour, 15g salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, and corn meal.
In a separate bowl, stir together buttermilk and hot sauce.
To bread the fish, drop each fillet into the buttermilk mix to coat. Drain off well then drop fillet into dry mixture and coat well. Toss back and forth in your hands to remove excess batter.
Carefully lower filets away from your body into preheated 350°F/175°C oil, frying 2 at a time, for about 4-5 minutes flipping filets over halfway through. Fish is done with it's crispy and golden brown.
Transfer to wire rack or towels to drain why you fry the rest.

HUSHPUPPIES:

For the batter, whisk together 65g ap flour, med-fine grind corn meal, salt, baking powder, sugar, cayenne, onions, melted butter, egg, and buttermilk.
Carefully drop large spoonfuls of batter (working in 2 batches) into hot oil and fry for about 2½ minutes, flipping over halfway through. Puppies are done when they're crispy and dark golden brown.
Remove from oil and drain on wire rack.