Crispy, crunchy battered and fried catfish mixed with Cajun spices and served with a delicious homemade tartar sauce and fries. Â Fish & Chips the Southern way!
Catfish have gotta be some of the ugliest fish to swim earth’s waters. Â With broad, flat heads, long spindly whiskers called “barbels”, and weird serrated spines, they’re definitely not regular contestants of the Annual World Fish Beauty Contest, if you know what I mean. Â Unlike other “normal” fish with scales, catfish have none. Â They breathe through their skin and, yes, even use their bladder as an emergency air bag to gulp in air at surface level. Â They hang out in the sludgy mud at the bottom and feed at night using their barbels to “feel” for food, eating anything they can get their catfish mouths around. Â And yet they’re one of the most popular types of fish around, enjoying a passionately loyal following across the globe from Africa to Asia to North America…even in Hungary where catfish is commonly prepared in paprika sauce – of course! Â In America they had become such a staple food that Ronald Reagan declared June 25th “National Catfish Day.”
As Bob Wiley (aka Bill Murray) once summed it up:  “There are two kinds of people in this world:  Those who like Neil Diamond and those who don’t.”  And so I’ll say of catfish:  You either love ’em or you hate ’em.  My husband loves ’em.
As for me, I’ll take Neil over catfish any day.
So it’s for my husband, Todd, that I made this dish. Â Having lived in England and Wales for a couple of years as a young man, he absolutely loves traditional fish and chips. Â I thought I’d combine his love for the British version with his appreciation for catfish and present him with some Southern-style Cajun Catfish and Chips with a tasty tartar sauce to go with it. Â He gave it two thumbs up.
The batter is perfectly crispy from the cornmeal with a great Cajun flavor while the fish remains nice and moist inside. Â If you like heat, add some cayenne pepper to the seasonings and/or Tabasco sauce to the buttermilk mixture for some added catfish kick.
So for all you catfish lovers out there, this is for you!
Catfish and Chips
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds catfish nuggets
- 1 cup plain all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fine cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- For the Tartar Sauce:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon finely minced onion
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill chopped
- French fries prepared according to package instructions
Instructions
- Make the tartar sauce in advance: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
- Pat the catfish nuggets dry.
- Mix the cornmeal and seasonings in a shallow dish. Place the flour in a separate bowl. Whisk the eggs and buttermilk in a separate bowl.
- Heat a skillet filled about 1/2 an inch with corn oil over medium-high heat. Place a drop of water in it, when it sizzles you're ready to cook (the temperature should be around 365 degrees F).
- While the oil is heating, dredge the fish in the flour, then the egg, and then the corn meal mixture, shaking off any excess.
- Once the oil is hot, place the coated catfish in the skillet without over-crowding. Fry on both sides until medium golden brown, about 3 minutes each.
- Remove catfish from the skillet and place in a 200 F oven to keep warm while the rest of the catfish is fried.
- Serve the catfish immediately with the chips and tartar sauce.
Notes
Bill says
Southern boy here and I’m in the “love ’em” camp. I grew up in Mississippi where catfish houses abound in every small town. You version looks delicious! Great post.
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Bill! We took a family vacation to the Deep South last Summer and loved it! I had a lot of fun exploring the food down there and have been whipping up quite a few Southern dishes since :)