Catfishing is a fun way to get kids interested in the sport. This family friendly fried catfish recipe makes shore-side lunch a breeze!
Every spring, I take my kids fishing for channel catfish along the lower Yellowstone River of eastern Montana. It’s one of the highlights of our year. There’s usually plenty of action, and catfish are a forgiving quarry. You don’t need a ton of finesse to hook one, and they tend to stay on the hook once you do. It’s a great way to get kids interested in fishing, and also a great way to get kids interested in eating fish. We trim the fillets of fat in order to get rid of any “muddy” flavors, and then fry up big batches of them. The kids devour the fillets as finger food (backed up by plenty of sliced pickles), while the grown-ups assemble these catfish sandwiches. I love them. The only thing better than the taste is the joy of seeing a kid take pride in the fact that he caught his family’s dinner.
Also works with: Smallmouth and largemouth bass, wall eye, big perch and crappie or just about any freshwater fish with a boneless fillet that can be trimmed down or stacked up to fill a bun.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large egg whites, beaten
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- Kosher salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 tablespoons bacon fat
- 1 1/2 pounds catfish fillets, or about 6 ounces fish per sandwich (see note)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 round soft buns, 3 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter, split
- Green leaf lettuce leaves, for serving
- Red onion rings, for serving
- 4 dill pickle “stackers, ” halved
- 4 large tomato slices, for serving
- Potato chips or Coleslaw, for serving
Note: If you‘re working with large catfish fillets that are more than 1 inch thick, lay them flat and slice in half horizontally so that you end up with two fillets that are only 1/2 inch thick. Trim to fit the bun. If using smaller fillets, stack them inside to fill the bun.
How to Make the Perfect Fried Catfish Sandwich
Mix the mayonnaise and sriracha together in a small bowl.
Put the flour, egg whites and cornmeal in 3 separate shallow dishes and sprinkle each with some salt. Add enough oil to an 11-inch cast-iron skillet to be 1 inch deep. Heat the oil and bacon fat in the skillet over medium heat until about 350°F.
Sprinkle each fillet with some salt and pepper. Dredge first in the flour, then the egg whites and then the cornmeal. Working with 2 or 3 fillets at a time, slip the fillets into the oil and fry until the cornmeal browns nicely, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and fry on the other side until nicely browned, 3 to 4 more minutes. The crust should be crispy and the fillet should feel firm, not mushy. Remove to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining fillets.
Divide the sriracha mayo among all bun surfaces. Place a piece of lettuce, some onion, fried fish, 1 to 2 pickle slices and a tomato slice into each bun. Serve with potato chips or coleslaw and a chilled beverage.
Serves 4
Note: This fried catfish sandwich recipe was excerpted from The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook, available in the Sporting Classics Store.
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